A dog’s menstrual cycle is not related to the human menstrual cycle, but it does have a roughly similar cycle. A period in a female dog lasts about six weeks and typically occurs twice a year. The average age at which a female dog starts having periods is 6 months old, though the age can range from 3 to 5 months based on the size and breed of your pup. Dogs that are spayed do not have periods at all because they have undergone surgery in order to prevent them from getting pregnant.
When Do Dogs Get Their Periods?
Just like humans, dogs undergo hormonal changes which cause the period and the length of time it lasts depending on the type of hormones that are released into their system. This is why some dogs can have a normal monthly cycle during certain times of the year and then go months without menstruating during other times of the year. If the dog has not gone into heat yet, this can indicate that she is either close to 2 years old or that she may be pregnant.
Dogs usually come into heat twice a year, once in late winter or early spring and then again in autumn. Dogs who are older tend to go into heat every 6 months while younger dogs enter into heat twice per year due to their hormones being imbalanced.
How to tell if your dog is in heat? Signs include restlessness, excessive salivation, urinating frequently, and roaming.
It is also worth mentioning that female dogs will bleed from the vagina as well as from their rectum at this time. For about 10 days, female dogs experience bleeding due to an increase in hormones. The blood can be different colors depending on the type of discharge: red (this just means the blood hasn’t clotted yet), dark brown, or black (this means that there are no eggs left). The color of the blood varies greatly and it is also possible for this blood to be pink or brown instead of red. This bleeding should stop after a couple of days and should never last for more than 10 days.
If this bleeding is not handled properly, it can cause an infection in the female dog’s reproductive system.
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When a female dog is in heat, it can be difficult to tell when she is fertile and when she is not. A dog’s fertile period only lasts for about 3 days, which means that during these few days, she can get pregnant. If the female dog cannot get pregnant at this time, then the next best time to get her pregnant is approximately two weeks later. A female dog will return to her normal state after about seven days. However, if she gets pregnant, she will continue having this type of bleeding for the entire pregnancy period.
Conclusion
A female dog will typically have her heat cycle twice a year. Due to the changes and different types of hormones released into her system, her menstruating cycle can vary. If your dog is not in heat or pregnant and you notice bleeding, you should bring your pet to the vet immediately because it could be an infection or some other health issue.
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To explore more, here are other articles that we have covered on dog periods.
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