Dog advice

[Lefty Guns]

My 9-month old Lab/cross bh is having her first (and last!) season.

She's been flying the jap flag for about 2 weeks now and it has pretty much cleared up but she's started pissing in the house, something she's not done, apart from the very occasional accident, for months and months.

Each night for the last 3 nights she slashed on the floor and she's done it a couple of times during the day too. Yesterday she pissed outside my sons bedroom door while my wife was reading his bedtime story and the day before she did it in his playroom, near a bunch of his toys.

She still will come and "ask" to get outside and she goes and pisses/craps outside but every so often I'll find a puddle in the house.

I was fking raging but could this be a side-effect of her season?

Apart from the piss issues, she's absolutely fine. Still eating and drinking fine and nothing in her routine has changed.

Appreciate any advice - vet is closed today and tomorrow and not convinced it's an emergency...

Cheers
Left

[V8mate]

She fancies you. She's trying to tempt you with her aroma.

[Lefty Guns]

[zakelwe]

Keep it outside.

Regards

Andy

[CCM]

From what I recall you can spay your dog around 3 months after her first season.

You will find her hormones all over the place, and she will want to drink more during the time she is season. Her hormones will make her thirsty as will her 'cleaning' herself.

This of course will mean she will require more toilet trips as she will be drinking more.

Make a note on your calendar for a trip to the vets in 2 - 3 months time if you have no desire to breed from her and want her spayed.

HTH

[Lefty Guns]

Thanks CCM, yep already made a note on calendar. I haven't actually noticed her drinking any more and, unusually, there aren't many puddles around for her to help herself from...

[CCM]

I think vets work from the date of when her season began. Most will spay after 3 months so the hormones are settled back down, though I have known a couple of people whos dogs were spayed after 2 months. Obviously down to the vet and the circumstances if the dog is having other side effects

[becksW]

She may well have cystitis, it is not uncommon for a bh in her first season, A season last approx 3 weeks judt to note she will be most receptive to a male in the mid time of this. She may need veterinary help. Try and collect a sample on mon if she is still doing it and get them to test it. This will be uncomfortable for her and she will we inappropriatrly. Also their hormones do affect them so her behaviour may be affected by this to.

[becksW]

CCM said:

I think vets work from the date of when her season began. Most will spay after 3 months so the hormones are settled back down, though I have known a couple of people whos dogs were spayed after 2 months. Obviously down to the vet and the circumstances if the dog is having other side effects

Usually 3 months as they can have false pregnancy after 9 weeks so we don't usually want to spay them at this point if they do. However there are always exceptions.

[Number 5]

I have chocolate lab (female) I didn't have her spayed because a side affect can cause them to put a lot of weight on so intead I have her injected at the vets with a "pill" type medicene that stops her coming into season this last for about four months, it could be another option for you.

ETA

I also have a black lab (male) and the injection stops him having any interest in her box besides even if he could have a spin not alot would happen because I had his wheels chopped off!

Edited by Number 5 on Saturday 4th April 21:37

[becksW]

Number 5 said:

I have chocolate lab (female) I didn't have her spayed because a side affect can cause them to put a lot of weight on so intead I have her injected at the vets with a "pill" type medicene that stops her coming into season this last for about four months, it could be another option for you.

ETA

I also have a black lab (male) and the injection stops him having any interest in her box besides even if he could have a spin not alot would happen because I had his wheels chopped off!

Edited by Number 5 on Saturday 4th April 21:37

I have to disagree with this approach completely. Weight gain should not occur with neutering. The answer is to reduce food intake straight after neutering. I know what I'm talking about this is my area of responsibility at the vets I work at.

The injection has more severe side effects long term. If you stop giving it she is almost guaranteed to get pyometra and she is very likely to get one even if you do continue with it. Women aren't supposed to stay on the pill for life, it is no better for animals

[parapaul]

CCM said:

From what I recall you can spay your dog around 3 months after her first season.

You will find her hormones all over the place, and she will want to drink more during the time she is season. Her hormones will make her thirsty as will her 'cleaning' herself.

This of course will mean she will require more toilet trips as she will be drinking more.

Make a note on your calendar for a trip to the vets in 2 - 3 months time if you have no desire to breed from her and want her spayed.

HTH

Our vet said it was entirely personal preferemce whether we waited until our GSD had had her first season or not. He said there was no real evidence to support the view that it was 'better' for the dog, or vice versa.

We didn't want red carpets, so had her neutered as soon as she reached the right age. She's been brilliant ever since, and not even a hint of excessive weight gain.

[Thevet]

Important to get a urine sample tested, and if the drinking stays elevated, it would be a good idea to get the bh checked, although as there is no suggestion that the bh is unwell, it is not an emergency requiring to be seen today. Getting your bh spayed can be done before or after the first season, although if it was my dog, I would let her have a first season as I feel it lets them mature mentally a bit more. Exactly when you can have her spayed after a season is finished, down more to personal preference than strict medical necessity, within reason. Most likely explanation for your bh's accidents is either a direct result of the disturbances of a season, or cystitis, which can be very uncomfortable sometimes. I would not recommend using the "pill" injection day, unless there is a reason that your bh is unsuitable for surgery. Weight gain after spaying is completely unnecessary, and is down to you feeding the pet more than they need, which is less once they have been neutered, male or female.

[Glassman]

V8mate said:

She fancies you. She's trying to tempt you with her aroma.

Funny and daft as it may be, it's probably true in her world.

[Mrs Grumpy]

I have seen studies linking unspeyed bhes to mammary tumours. The more times they have a season the more likely the incidence of mammary tumour.

All our dogs are speyed asap - 6 months if we have them at that age and before their first season. I have heard of bhes being speyed at very young ages. Not sure about that and not seen any studies to see the effects.

[Mastiff]

On a similar note we have just rescued a Great Dane bh who is seven (but don't tell her, she thinks she's about 2!) and has not yet been speyed.

She has not been in season since she has been with us, but the previous owner told us that she was extremely light whe she is in season.

I am unsure whether or not the risk of having her speyed so late in life outweighs the risks of pyometra or tumors as discussed above.

Our vet thinks we should have her done but I know that some people with vetinary experience have posted above and would appreciate any views on this.

thanks in advance, and sorry for the thread hijack....

[Thevet]

Mastiff said:

On a similar note we have just rescued a Great Dane bh who is seven (but don't tell her, she thinks she's about 2!) and has not yet been speyed.

She has not been in season since she has been with us, but the previous owner told us that she was extremely light whe she is in season.

I am unsure whether or not the risk of having her speyed so late in life outweighs the risks of pyometra or tumors as discussed above.

Our vet thinks we should have her done but I know that some people with vetinary experience have posted above and would appreciate any views on this.

thanks in advance, and sorry for the thread hijack....

A 7yr old Gt Dane is unfortunately past the breed average lifespan, but that does not mean that yours won't survive for several more years. But if it was my dog, I don't know if I would risk a GA/surgery if there was only a year or so of expected lifespan. You can only answer that if you know the future. Not much help, but unless there is further info on your dog such as what her litter mates or parents have suffered from in their lives, then it is not as simple as spay or not.