# Do raw fed dogs go into heat later than their kibble fed counterparts?



## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

My friend's dogs are all fed Beneful *shudder* and they all went into heat by 6 months of age. He has four dogs that range in size from 15lb-120lb. Yet my parents feed raw and their dog just went into heat at FOURTEEN months! :shocked: and it's a 35lb pitty mix. My dog is a male and was neutered at 6months so I don't have an opinion either way


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

I saw a discussion of this elsewhere. It seems that generally people have noticed that raw fed dogs go into heat later. However, some breeders noted that in their lines, each generation of bitches has come into season earlier than the previous. So, not sure what to conclude, other than genetics plays a stronger role than food.


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## Grandiose (Apr 2, 2011)

There are a lot of things that factor into when a bitch comes in season for the first time. 
I have one girl that came in at 7 months, and another who came in at 15 months. I have a freind who's bitch came in the first time at 2 years, and is now 4 and is finally having her second season. My girl that had hers at 15 months is from a line that is very slow to mature.
Food has a lot less to do with it than hormones, other bitches hormones, environmental influences (sunlight, chemicals, etc)
Generally, one bitch in season in the household will pull other bitches in the house in as well...


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Freya has just gone into heat and she is 15 months. Zuri is 11 months and hasn't gone into heat yet. Both of who are raw fed but they're also giant breed dogs that tend to go into heat later. BUT Bailey went into heat the first time at 9 months and she was kibble fed as a puppy. 

I have a hunch that raw fed dogs go into heat later because appropriate foods allow them to mature slower....and thus live longer :thumb:


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Yeah Peyton got spayed at 11 months cuz I was sick of waiting for her heat cycle never knowing when it was going to show up! It still hadn't come by 11 months and the vet who spayed her said that she was nowhere near coming into heat either. I never thought about raw fed dogs coming heat later, but it seems like that might be the case! Now I wish I had waited a little longer, let her develop a little more since she's such a petite little thing.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

While I have no evidence or proof, it would make sense to me because raw fed dogs tend to develop overall a bit slower because they grow at a much more natural pace. It is more healthy in the long run in my opinion. Zailey is my first female in tact, and she is almost 11 months with no sign of coming into heat yet.


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## eternalstudent (Jul 22, 2010)

SpooOwner said:


> I saw a discussion of this elsewhere. It seems that generally people have noticed that raw fed dogs go into heat later. However, some breeders noted that in their lines, each generation of bitches has come into season earlier than the previous. So, not sure what to conclude, other than genetics plays a stronger role than food.


It was my question a little while ago when my pup went into heat

http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/raw-feeding/7251-raw-first-heat.html

I agree with the idea that raw fed dogs will develop slower and therefore they will go into heat at a later time. I don't know whether it is simply a fat content on the dogs (the same as on girls) and we slow it down with raw. 

Not really sure, and it will take a long time to find out. I would like to know when my pups litter sisters went in heat but I have no way of finding out :-(


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

I know my Copper is the first puppy I had on raw, and she was just over 11 months when she went into heat. All the puppies we have raised in the past on kibble were around four to six months going into their first heats.


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

Interesting conversation.

Nallah was kibble fed until 2 years of age. She was spayed (prior to my knowledge about early spaying) at 7 months and had not had a heat cycle yet. 

Morgan was kibble fed until 1.5 years and spayed about 8 months (prior to us owning her) and she had not yet had a heat cycle either. 

I would agree with Natalies statement in that raw promotes a more gradual rate of maturity which would put more truth into a dog coming into heat later than a kibble fed dog.


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

I think dogs that are raw fed are kept at a good weight not fat! And when a dog is not fat it goes into heat less or fewer times, my friend that is a vet told me that. I have a female pup, 12 months and no sign of heat yet. My other female that was fed kibble at that age came into heat I think around 12 months. Could be genes or not?


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