Post by Admin on Oct 23, 2008 8:53:29 GMT -5
Canine Heat Cycle
The Canine Heat Cycle will occur every six months or so for the life of the dog. It will usually last three weeks. She will bleed or spot and this can become a bit of a mess. Some signs to watch for.
The symptoms that the female is coming into heat:
1- She will clean herself more than usual
2- Her vulva will become swollen
3- She will begin to spot blood
4- As it progresses she will curve her tail over to the side
5- She will urinate often to spread the word that she is ready
You must keep her confined if you don't want her to mate with any male dog within a mile her. When she goes into heat, they will come.
To avoid her spotting all over the house, you may want to get some training panties for her or disposable diapers. You will need to cut a hole in them for her tail. See Washable Diapers ----> ProCare Doggie Diapers
Understanding the canine reproduction cycle
Reproduction is a complex series of natural events. For pregnancy to occur, everything must be just right. By understanding this natural cycle, you can have a better appreciation for the miracle of canine life.
Stages of the Canine Reproduction
In dogs, the reproductive cycle varies a lot. A bitch can begin her first estrous cycle (heat cycle) at 6 months or as late as 2+ years. Generally though, puberty in canines begins at around 12 months, but in larger breeds it is usually at about 18 months to 2 years. A normal healthy bitch will usually cycle on a regular basis, every 4 to 12 months. This is largely breed dependent, for example the German Shepherd will cycle every 4 months. As they get older, bitches will cycle less frequently.
There are four stages in the canine heat cycle (estrous) in dogs:
* Proestrus: Getting Ready
Proestrus is the time when a bitch's reproductive tract is preparing for the possibility of breeding with a male dog. This lasts an average of about 10 days, but can be as little as 3 or as long as 3 weeks. Its onset is usually accompanied by a bloody discharge from the Vagina as well as swelling of the vulva. A bitch that cleans herself can be hard to detect for a few days, so it is a good practice to lift her tail and check every day. This seems strange, but will become habit in time, and is the only way to be sure you have got the first day of her heat cycle.
Dogs will become attracted to a female during proestrus, but she’ll show little interest in the male at this stage. The walls of the bitch's reproductive tract thicken during proestrus and you can use a cotton swab to collect epithelial cells (cells from the uppermost layer of the skin) from the reproductive tract of the bitch, to view under a microscope. This is used to see how long she is into the cycle.
The epithelial cells size and shape will change as the estrous cycle progresses. In the anestrus stage of the canine heat cycle, the epithelial cells of the reproductive tract are small and round with a dark spot in the middle (the nucleus). As proestrus ensues, these cells become larger, more angular and have little staining of the nucleus and they increase in number. Under a microscope, many red blood cells and some white blood cells, which were not present in the previous stage, can be seen in proestrus.
Hormone levels also change during proestrus. Although estrogen levels rise in anestrus, they stay relatively low during the early part of proestrus. As the bitch enters the later stages of proestrus, however, estrogen levels continue to rise, reaching their peak near the end of this stage. Estrogen begins to fall as progesterone levels begin to rise. Progesterone remains high throughout the next two stages of the heat cycle, and is the hormone routinely used to test for when a bitch is about to ovulate and, therefore, should be bred.
* Estrus: She's Ready
Estrus is the second stage of the estrous cycle. It also lasts an average of 9 to 11 days, but can vary from 3days to 3 weeks. This is the time when the bitch accepts the male dog for breeding. During this stage, she sometimes exhibits a behavior called "flagging." This involves the bitch standing in one place, maybe shuffling her feet, while at the same time, lifting her tail to allow the male to sniff her hind end.
During estrus, the Vaginal discharge decreases, becoming less bloody in many dogs. The discharge will become a straw color. None of the small round epithelial cells that were typical of early proestrus can be seen under a microscope in estrus. Rather, a lot of angular platelets can be seen, stacked on top of each other.
The progesterone level continues to rise. Near the onset of estrus, there is a very short rise in another sex hormone, luteinizing hormone (LH). Once this has peaked, ovulation usually occurs within 24 to 48 hours. The prime time to breed the dog is approximately 2 days after ovulation or 4 days after the LH surge.
* Diestrus: Progesterone Dominates
The next stage of the heat cycle, diestrus, is considered the period when progesterone dominates the hormone scene. Diestrus lasts from 60 to 90 days in a dog that doesn’t become pregnant or approximately 63 days in a dog that does become pregnant.
In diestrus, the Vaginal discharge will stop and the epithelial cells of the reproductive tract quickly appear small and round again. White blood cells can be seen in very high numbers during the first few days of diestrus. This is normal, since their function is to clean up the cellular debris left behind by estrus.
* Anestrus: The Final Stage
The final stage of the heat cycle is called anestrus. Anestrus lasts an average of 4 to 5 months. During this time the sex hormones are at very low levels, although they do continue to have small rises and declines throughout this stage. If a swab of the reproductive lining is taken and viewed under a microscope at this stage, very few epithelial cells can be seen.
www.training-dog-breeds.com/canine-heat-cycle.html
The Canine Heat Cycle will occur every six months or so for the life of the dog. It will usually last three weeks. She will bleed or spot and this can become a bit of a mess. Some signs to watch for.
The symptoms that the female is coming into heat:
1- She will clean herself more than usual
2- Her vulva will become swollen
3- She will begin to spot blood
4- As it progresses she will curve her tail over to the side
5- She will urinate often to spread the word that she is ready
You must keep her confined if you don't want her to mate with any male dog within a mile her. When she goes into heat, they will come.
To avoid her spotting all over the house, you may want to get some training panties for her or disposable diapers. You will need to cut a hole in them for her tail. See Washable Diapers ----> ProCare Doggie Diapers
Understanding the canine reproduction cycle
Reproduction is a complex series of natural events. For pregnancy to occur, everything must be just right. By understanding this natural cycle, you can have a better appreciation for the miracle of canine life.
Stages of the Canine Reproduction
In dogs, the reproductive cycle varies a lot. A bitch can begin her first estrous cycle (heat cycle) at 6 months or as late as 2+ years. Generally though, puberty in canines begins at around 12 months, but in larger breeds it is usually at about 18 months to 2 years. A normal healthy bitch will usually cycle on a regular basis, every 4 to 12 months. This is largely breed dependent, for example the German Shepherd will cycle every 4 months. As they get older, bitches will cycle less frequently.
There are four stages in the canine heat cycle (estrous) in dogs:
* Proestrus: Getting Ready
Proestrus is the time when a bitch's reproductive tract is preparing for the possibility of breeding with a male dog. This lasts an average of about 10 days, but can be as little as 3 or as long as 3 weeks. Its onset is usually accompanied by a bloody discharge from the Vagina as well as swelling of the vulva. A bitch that cleans herself can be hard to detect for a few days, so it is a good practice to lift her tail and check every day. This seems strange, but will become habit in time, and is the only way to be sure you have got the first day of her heat cycle.
Dogs will become attracted to a female during proestrus, but she’ll show little interest in the male at this stage. The walls of the bitch's reproductive tract thicken during proestrus and you can use a cotton swab to collect epithelial cells (cells from the uppermost layer of the skin) from the reproductive tract of the bitch, to view under a microscope. This is used to see how long she is into the cycle.
The epithelial cells size and shape will change as the estrous cycle progresses. In the anestrus stage of the canine heat cycle, the epithelial cells of the reproductive tract are small and round with a dark spot in the middle (the nucleus). As proestrus ensues, these cells become larger, more angular and have little staining of the nucleus and they increase in number. Under a microscope, many red blood cells and some white blood cells, which were not present in the previous stage, can be seen in proestrus.
Hormone levels also change during proestrus. Although estrogen levels rise in anestrus, they stay relatively low during the early part of proestrus. As the bitch enters the later stages of proestrus, however, estrogen levels continue to rise, reaching their peak near the end of this stage. Estrogen begins to fall as progesterone levels begin to rise. Progesterone remains high throughout the next two stages of the heat cycle, and is the hormone routinely used to test for when a bitch is about to ovulate and, therefore, should be bred.
* Estrus: She's Ready
Estrus is the second stage of the estrous cycle. It also lasts an average of 9 to 11 days, but can vary from 3days to 3 weeks. This is the time when the bitch accepts the male dog for breeding. During this stage, she sometimes exhibits a behavior called "flagging." This involves the bitch standing in one place, maybe shuffling her feet, while at the same time, lifting her tail to allow the male to sniff her hind end.
During estrus, the Vaginal discharge decreases, becoming less bloody in many dogs. The discharge will become a straw color. None of the small round epithelial cells that were typical of early proestrus can be seen under a microscope in estrus. Rather, a lot of angular platelets can be seen, stacked on top of each other.
The progesterone level continues to rise. Near the onset of estrus, there is a very short rise in another sex hormone, luteinizing hormone (LH). Once this has peaked, ovulation usually occurs within 24 to 48 hours. The prime time to breed the dog is approximately 2 days after ovulation or 4 days after the LH surge.
* Diestrus: Progesterone Dominates
The next stage of the heat cycle, diestrus, is considered the period when progesterone dominates the hormone scene. Diestrus lasts from 60 to 90 days in a dog that doesn’t become pregnant or approximately 63 days in a dog that does become pregnant.
In diestrus, the Vaginal discharge will stop and the epithelial cells of the reproductive tract quickly appear small and round again. White blood cells can be seen in very high numbers during the first few days of diestrus. This is normal, since their function is to clean up the cellular debris left behind by estrus.
* Anestrus: The Final Stage
The final stage of the heat cycle is called anestrus. Anestrus lasts an average of 4 to 5 months. During this time the sex hormones are at very low levels, although they do continue to have small rises and declines throughout this stage. If a swab of the reproductive lining is taken and viewed under a microscope at this stage, very few epithelial cells can be seen.
www.training-dog-breeds.com/canine-heat-cycle.html