Dogs on heat (sounds like a spoof film title!)

Say goodbye to Carlo the bassett and Hugo, the chichuahua who are packing up their chews, toys and luggage to fly off to Dubai this week to start  a new life in the sand, sunshine and scorching heat.  They were real characters and will be missed by us and by all who met them every day in the park for the past 3 years.
                           

This week's topic  is about coming on heat. Several people have  discussed the subject with me, and have been tearing out their hair at the number of male dogs that have  followed them around  with dogged persistence (pardon the pun)! 

DOGS ON HEAT – (Sounds like a spoof film title!)

Many puzzled owners are unsure of when their pet is coming on heat. The average bitch has its first cycle at about six months of age. Some start earlier and a few as late as 14 months.

People often ask “how can I tell when my dog is coming on heat?” The signs start with a lot of licking of the genital area and it becomes swollen. There is also blood spotting which later becomes clear. Some bitches lick this away to keep clean, so if she is licking herself too much then investigate. 

The ten most asked question about dogs in heat.

1. What exactly is heat?

Heat is more properly called the "oestrous cycle". It is during this cycle that female dogs are most likely to get pregnant.

2. What are the symptoms?

The first symptom is a lot of licking of the vulva and increased peeing. Don’t expect bleeding to be like a human menstruation. You will stop the occasional drop of blood but she will lick furiously to clean herself. The most noticeable sign will be your sudden popularity in the neighbourhood and the trail of eager, salivating male dogs that follow you and your pet around the streets and the park.

How long does the heat last?

 

The cycle lasts for 3 weeks (bad luck). In some cases its two weeks but generally is 21 days from start to finish. If you haven’t had your dog spayed, then she will have two heat cycles a year.

How many times will she come into heat?

Most female dogs have regular cycles every six to eight months. It is quite typical to be in heat twice a year.

Can she get pregnant during her first cycle?

Oh! Yes! Definitely! Pregnancy only occurs when the dog is on heat and this is the time when any male can mount her. Her manners and taste in men will go by the board and she will be anybody’s. Females don’t ever accept a male if they are not on heat no matter how hard the male dog tries.

Can I take her on walkies during this cycle?

Not a good idea to take her out where there is a chance of many male dogs roaming. Walkies will be a stressful duty because during this time you will be like a  magnet for every male dog in the neighbourhood. It’s a better idea to put her in the car and take her somewhere for a walk that doesn’t have any dogs for miles around. Unfortunately, walking around the block and then back to your front door will attract stray males because her urine and vaginal discharge will blaze a trail to your home. It will be an invisible placard saying “Hello! Boys, come up and see me anytime”, (with apologies to Mae West - who? she was an actress in the 40s.  Oh! never mind, you'll get the gist). 

When can I have her spayed?

It’s a good idea to talk to your vet about spaying your dog unless you are planning to breed from her. Your vet can tell you about the benefits and disadvantages of having an unsprayed dog. Ok! So she will be “Miss-never-Had-it” but she wont experience all those little problems that occur as she gets older.

*Tip

Buy a can of ‘Antimate’ from the pet shop and spray this along the back end of your dog. It has a strong eucyalptus scent that makes humans ask "Phew! what's that stink?"
It is  even more effective on male dogs as it makes them sneeze enough to realize that “she just isn’t worth all the hassle.”

You can also get little nappies that are held on by a special thong from http://www.petplanet.co.uk, the vet or the pet shop.  The dog doesnt seem to mind wearing them and its for sure you wont hear them asking  the phrase  "Does my bum look big in this?" as they step out of the door!


Seeing nappies on a dog,  makes people helpless with laughter for some unknown reason.  I know it seems an indignity to put your dog through but it does deter amorous males.  When used in the house it will stop spotting on carpets and furniture.

Another good tip for keeping the randy males at bay is to rub a blob of Vick’s Vapour Rub onto your hands and then smooth it over your dog’s fur  - along the tail and on the lower back. Another good remedy is Olbas Oil on some cotton wool rubbed along the lower back fur but not on the skin. This can be pretty off putting for any male since it will make them sneeze the moment they get within range of the female. “Strewth! Im outta here” will be their first instinct.

I have found two videos on the internet that show how caring dogs can be towards other dogs.  Thankfully animals are not governed by petty  'Elf and Safety rules and always act on instinct. Very heart warming and certainly puts humans to shame. 

That's it for this week.  Thank you for all your nice emails. Why not leave a comment in the box?  Incidentally I came across this site offering presents for dog owners, www.personalisedgiftstoremember.com.  If you mention my name Dawn21 when ordering an item, they will give you a special 20% discount.

Enjoy your week.


Dawn   (.".")

GARBAGE GUT

Garbage  has been on my mind all week.

Several people I met in the park this week, have  complained about  their dogs suffering from garbage gut. Carlo, my bassett scoffed a bag of left over chicken bones, ham sandwiches and other rubbbish  that was discarded by a so-called "naice" person. They were obviously too tired to walk 5 yards to the rubbish bin.   I  suffered from a sleepless night  and so did the bassett hound, who spent most of his time throwing up and having the "runs".   After two days, I have, at last got him stabalised by giving him two  tablets, twice a day, of the wonderful homeopathic remedy, Arsen-Alb 30c. (Weleda brand).

Warm sunny days brings out the picnics.  At the end of each day the bins in the parks and on the streets start over flowing with left over  picnic food that consists of tubs of hummous, pork pies, bread and the dreaded chicken and lamb bones, plus all the other detritius that well brought up, tidy minded folk have  stuffed into the bins before they go home. By the end of the day, the bins are so full, that bags are piled on the ground.

The sight of an overflowing rubbish bin first thing on a sunny morning makes every dog owners' heart sink, because we all know that you have to be extra alert and have the quick reflexes of Superman to stop your dog from scoffing all the bits that are strewn around.  The strewing around is first done by the urban foxes at night, who tear open plastic bags and cherry pick what they want. The rest is left scattered around for the pampered pooches to feast on.

Please don't get me wrong. I am not implying that the park bins are never emptied but merely pointing out that early in the morning, dogs  can suss out food that is left lying around.  It doesnt just have to be the bin areas, they can sniff out a discarded sandwich at 500 paces. Have you ever heard a dog say "No thanks, I cant eat that. Ive had a gastric band fitted?"


Non-dog owners are puzzled by the reactions of near-hysterical dog owners who are trying to wrestle food out of their dog's mouth.  They wonder what all the fuss is about. I'll tell you why we get fussed folks!

We know that the moment the dog slurps up rancid taramasalata, hummous, chicken bones and pork pies, they will go home and start throwing up on the living room carpet, possibly have a chicken bone stuck in the gullet, followed  at 3.00 am by a chronic case of "garbage gut" or diarrhoea, keeping you up all night and an expensive visit to the vet the next day. The result is 24 hours of worry and expense and a very miserable dog.  Im afraid dogs never  think "Uh oh! maybe I shouldn't have eaten that lot, but what can I do, it was there begging me to try it out."

My short term remedy for easing the dog's discomfort is to give it a small bowl of  plain yoghurt or one of those probiotic drinks to settle their queasy stomachs.  Take up the water because the more water they drink, the more they vomit.  After 24 hours the dog may feel better.  But if it is acting  very dull and listless,  still off its breakfast,  then its a visit to the vet.

Dogs in the wild were conditioned to eating anything on offer to survive, but modern day dogs dont have the same constitution for eating garbage and  usually end up with a chronic bout of "Garbage gut."

Dog owners also despair of the dear old but lonely, well meaning ladies and gents, who carry copious bags laden with bread, nuts, cakes and other stale stuff to dispense to the birds and wildlife in the parks.  A dog that eats bread can end up with painful bloat and need a visit to the vet.  Trying to talk these people  out of throwing it around is uselesss as they are convinced that without their daily help, all the birds and smaller animals will die.   They are the park equivalent of those street "Pigeon ladies" who leave piles of bread and nuts on street corners to attract the pigeons.

For many years we had an elderly neighbour living next door to us, who fed all the neighbourhood cats, pigeons, rats, mice and foxes and it was quite unpleasant for those of us who lived on either side of her house. We nicknamed her house  "Pigeon Palace".  Environmental Health officers issued her with  several warning letters  but right up to the day she passed away, she refused to stop feeding everything on two and four legs.  Her house was infested with fleas and one room was being used as a den by a family of foxes, pigeons were nesting everywhere, mice and rats were in abundance and there must have been over 35 mangy moggies wandering around. The stench was over powering and at night we could hear sounds of  scrabbling, scratching and running around with the occasional yowl. At dawn, the noise from cooing pigeons was so loud that the only way to reduce the noise was to wake yourself up at 5 am and bang on windows to make them fly off.  This went on for years.

So forgive me if I get ratty when meeting an old dear hurling handsful of bread, biscuits and nuts into the wind because I know that my dog eating nuts can choke on it or the bread and cake can give him severe  and painful bloat with flatuence. There is also the added attraction of rolling in fresh bird poo near where the food was thrown.

That's it for this week but I thought you would love  to see this video sent to me by David Evans (www.dwmanagement.co.uk), friend of mine and super agent for makeup artists and stylists.  His pug, Albert and another named Dexter, (belonging to restauranteur, Tim Mason), are both exactly like the one in the video. 

                                       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQEbqKmuDzM
                                                (Don't you just love the snoring! )


Enjoy!

It would be nice to hear from you,  please feel free to leave a comment in the box  at the end of this page then I will know for sure that you are reading my blog.

Keep warm, dig out the wellies (some terrific dog patterned ones on the Joules site, (www.Joules.com/wellies). I noticed they also had some lovely dog patterned sweaters and tee-shirts.

Until next week's blog,

Cheers,

Dawn    ('-')