Foster dog in heat

[Gypsyhick]

Hello!

Well, based on the drops of blood coming from my foster dog's vaginal area, I think it's safe to say that she's in heat. I've left a panicked message with the foster care coordinator at the organization we foster for but since it's so late in the day... HELP!!! We've crated her for now with a kong until we figure out what we're supposed to do.

Are their "maxi pads" for dogs? Is there anyway to hurry this along for the poor girl? I found an older post that indicated this could last up to 17 days and as much as I love Nak, I have cream coloured carpet and do NOT want her to have to spend 17 days crated or restrained to the very small linoleum area of the house.

Anyone, help! We've never had an unfixed dog ourselves so this is a completely new experience.

Note: yes, she would already be fixed if she was our dog but the organization we foster for only spay/neuter the dogs once they are adopted and right before they are released to their new home.

[coppperbelle]

A few years ago I brought home a puppy mill dog to foster. The next day she went into heat. I found a doggy diaper at a pet store and she learned to wear it whenever she was out of her crate. I used regular mini pads along with the diaper. It is important to give her time daily without the diaper on so that she can clean herself.
I don't want to discourage you but my foster bled for 3 weeks.

[Blackdog22]

Yep, doggy diapers....AKA 'bitch pants'.
I believe they sell "pads" specifically for the bp's, but I have heard you can use human pads. I would think human pads would be cheaper and more effective. Try your local pet store, I think they are fairly common items now and probably invaluable for someone fostering. Good luck with your girl!

[hazelrunpack]

Yep, panty liners work in the doggy diapers just fine--you might need two to keep the diapers cleaner, though--and if you can get two pairs of the diapers so you can wash one occasionally, so much the better And I wouldn't keep the diapers on her for more than 3 hours at a crack without at least an hour free of them--even if it means putting her in the crate for her times without the diapers on. We had one girl go into heat before her scheduled spay and develop a pyometra while wearing the diapers. We think that the diapers contributed by trapping bacteria that worked back to the uterus...allowing frequent 'airing out' should help.

For the first week or so, she'll be bleeding but not particularly receptive to males...then about day 8, the boys will start finding her unbelievably sexy, so be prepared to be very, very vigilant. Even neutered males may show some interest, so best to keep her well-supervised even among neutered males.

Also, don't be surprised if the color and amount of the bleeding varies. It can range from a blood color to almost a cream color and will gradually increase in amount over the next couple of weeks, then decrease.

Is her vulva very swollen?

[Gypsyhick]

Thanks for the input. I went to the local petstore and picked up a pack of disposable doggie diapers and yes, definitely pricey! It does take two of us to get one on her but nows she's so happy to be out of her crate that she hasn't much bothered to pick at it yet.

3 weeks - ouch! It's good to be prepared, thanks for the heads up. Best we prepare for it just in case.

Now the foster and our girl are side by side on the couch, one in a diaper and the other in a cone (face wound that isn't healing). We're the home of gimpy dogs!

[hazelrunpack]

Oy! Don't you love it when everything happens at once?

for both the girls!

[Gypsyhick]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Yep, panty liners work in the doggy diapers just fine--you might need two to keep the diapers cleaner, though--and if you can get two pairs of the diapers so you can wash one occasionally, so much the better And I wouldn't keep the diapers on her for more than 3 hours at a crack without at least an hour free of them--even if it means putting her in the crate for her times without the diapers on. We had one girl go into heat before her scheduled spay and develop a pyometra while wearing the diapers. We think that the diapers contributed by trapping bacteria that worked back to the uterus...allowing frequent 'airing out' should help.

Good to know! With that in mind, I think we'll plan to do some playtime every day outside without the diaper and then some crate time without it. She'll be crated quite a bit if it continues to take 2 of us to get the diaper on. I'm hoping the org we foster for gets back to us soon, they were looking to see if they had cloth diapers. Until then, we've got some disposables. It's such a sad sight and she needs constant vigilant supervision so she doesn't eat them!

Is her vulva very swollen?

lol! Funny you should ask - yesterday I asked my husband if all unfixed girls had such giant vulvas! He had no clue, just figured we hadn't noticed her girly parts before. We didn't realize it was a warning of what was to come! She's really swollen and pink.

Now to keep her exercised without attracting every boy dog in the neighbourhood...

[Gypsyhick]

Yeah, when it rains, it pours! Sad sad dogs:

[hazelrunpack]

Aw, they look so pathetically cute... Poor dears.

I hope the foster organization can come up with a pair of the cloth diapers--I'd mail you a pair, but it takes 3 - 4 weeks for me to get something from here to a location in Canada and by then you wouldn't need them anymore Ours have velcro attachments and a hole for the tail. Very fashionable and not too difficult to get on. (The hardest part was the tail.)

[MommaKat]

I found this to make doggie diapers out of kid swimmers. I'm not sure how much cheaper it would be though http://doggiediapers.blogspot.com/

to the sad puppy dogs