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Spay and heat cycles
- Thread starter Ravenbird
- Start date
MichiH
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Oh wow ok thank you. First time I have noticed this it’s stopped completely and she is super swollen down below.
I call it the baboon look.
And yes, that is usually what they look like when most receptive to breeding.
MichiH
Hot Topics Subscriber
Here we are in false pregnancy number 4. This time Pepper is very sleepy and doesn’t want to do much. I get her outside still to walk and play and she does have fun!
Today I noticed her shaking and her hackles going up down her entire spine. I felt so bad for her as I’m assuming it’s the hormones?
I cuddled her and she relaxed and then we quoted up for a cold walk and off leash time.
Praying that February spay will go well no issues for her.
Today I noticed her shaking and her hackles going up down her entire spine. I felt so bad for her as I’m assuming it’s the hormones?
I cuddled her and she relaxed and then we quoted up for a cold walk and off leash time.
Praying that February spay will go well no issues for her.
Poor Pepper! I am not smart enough to know if the shaking and hackles are from hormones, but I know I have learned that Z can sure show me lots of unexpected things around heats and false pregnancies. I suppose Z won't be far behind Pepper for the false pregnancy. I wonder if this one will look different than her last one.
Hope Pepper's February spay goes off without a hitch!
Most likely, even though I'm sure they all vary in reactions.
Me too!!
I'm still waiting for Annie. This time last year it started right after Thanksgiving. I know the timing isn't going to be the same but I'm kind of surprised that she hasn't started yet. Of course she will be wearing panties at Christmas.
last year I got away with it because she had it right between the two holidays! I think Christmas day I was finally able to take off her panties for good. Oh well it's going to be the last time. Once she's done I'm scheduling her spay for the end of March.
last year I got away with it because she had it right between the two holidays! I think Christmas day I was finally able to take off her panties for good. Oh well it's going to be the last time. Once she's done I'm scheduling her spay for the end of March.
That should be pretty good timing.Once she's done I'm scheduling her spay for the end of March.
Had Zastava gotten pregnant during her last heat, her due date would have been Thursday-ish. Friday she blew two new bald spots, symmetrical, on each back leg. I used to think i was going to be able to fix the balding with diet and environmental changes, but i no longer think so. I am going to look more into red raspberry leaf tea treatment and how thats best done.
MichiH
Hot Topics Subscriber
I am so sorry about this. Although, now you know what is causing it and it seems that is hormones. Is there anything else that can be done for her herbal or medical? I would think once she’s spayed this will stop. I hope so.
MichiH
Hot Topics Subscriber
Maybe?
naturesfarmacy.com
Dogzymes Gro-Hair
🐕 Dogzymes Gro-Hair Advanced Coat Support for a Fuller, Healthier Look – 10 oz Dogzymes Gro-Hair is a premium, targeted supplement crafted to promote the growth, thickness, and overall health of your dog’s coat. Whether you're preparing for the show ring, managing seasonal shedding, or helping...
naturesfarmacy.com
Well, so far, what I have done is try to find out what other things in her life and diet might be out of balance, and get those corrected or removed or changed. I did the 5strands hair test (it's supposed to check for and identify things that she is intolerant to or that don't agree with her body. it did identify lots of things that she is highly and moderately sensitive to. I had changed her diet a while back to a Salmon and fish meal diet, and the test results showed that was a good change, so her main kibble is a good fit. She is fine with polyester, so no change needed in our current choice of linens. Plastic was a huge red flag for her, and that's hard to eliminate, but, at least there will be no more using empty water bottles as chew toys. Cotton fabric is a bad one, and there's no getting rid of that. Black walnut trees are bad, and our neighbor has one, but at least I can chuck walnuts back over the fence when I see them in our yard. But, I am making efforts to get as much balanced as I can, in the hopes that the changes will help her hair loss.
I have read on here that red raspberry leaf tea can turn hormone spikes into more of a curve, and that might help. Yes, I do think, and her vet agrees, this wouldn't be happening if she were spayed. So maybe that will happen some day. She is at least unbothered by the hair loss. No itching at them, and she's no itchier than Katyusha or Toby.
I mean that might be worth a shot? I can try it out soon, although I think we are over it until her next heat cycle at this point, unless something more comes if she has the false pregnancy that I expect to see in a few weeks. Thanks for the share of this product. It is very helpful!Maybe?
Dogzymes Gro-Hair
🐕 Dogzymes Gro-Hair Advanced Coat Support for a Fuller, Healthier Look – 10 oz Dogzymes Gro-Hair is a premium, targeted supplement crafted to promote the growth, thickness, and overall health of your dog’s coat. Whether you're preparing for the show ring, managing seasonal shedding, or helping...
I used the red raspberry for two of Ashas heat cycles and they went much smoother and lessened the false pregnancy symptoms quite a bit. I haven't used it the last two times though. This time she didn't have much a a false pregnancy but she did have about 2 weeks of extreme thirst, hunger and general agitation. This is what Reckless did and was diagnosed with Progesterone Related Diabetes Mellitus - and the only cure is to spay. Ashas symptoms were comparatively mild, and went away in a couple of weeks. Reckless had to be spayed and she leveled out in less than a month. I'm definitely leaning toward spay now. It isn't natural for them to go for this many cycles without getting pregnant. A couple of years is one thing, but not 6.
This is what hormones do every 6 months, and that huge spike & drop evidently starts wearing on them.
Whole article here:
Progesterone-Related Diabetes Mellitus in the Bitch: Current Knowledge, the Role of Pyometra, and Relevance in Practice - PMC
Canine diabetes mellitus (CDM) is a multifactorial condition caused by insufficient insulin secretion, inadequate insulin action on peripheric tissues, or both. This scenario leads to increased blood glucose levels, which causes excessive urine ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
It's nice to know your experience with red raspberry. I would have used it this time around, but her vet asked me not to, so we could see how her second heat would compare to her first. Next heat should be her pregnancy heat (pending all the OFA required tests are complete and looking good), so I want to study if it should be used or avoided during that. From the little I can find on it, she shouldn't use it leading up to getting pregnant, and then I see lots of owners giving it shortly before birth to help with labor. But I will have to dig more. I can also definitely see why you would lean spay at this point, too, for Asha.I used the red raspberry for two of Ashas heat cycles and they went much smoother and lessened the false pregnancy symptoms quite a bit. I haven't used it the last two times though. This time she didn't have much a a false pregnancy but she did have about 2 weeks of extreme thirst, hunger and general agitation. This is what Reckless did and was diagnosed with Progesterone Related Diabetes Mellitus - and the only cure is to spay. Ashas symptoms were comparatively mild, and went away in a couple of weeks. Reckless had to be spayed and she leveled out in less than a month. I'm definitely leaning toward spay now. It isn't natural for them to go for this many cycles without getting pregnant. A couple of years is one thing, but not 6.
This is what hormones do every 6 months, and that huge spike & drop evidently starts wearing on them.
View attachment 157768
Whole article here:
Progesterone-Related Diabetes Mellitus in the Bitch: Current Knowledge, the Role of Pyometra, and Relevance in Practice - PMC
Canine diabetes mellitus (CDM) is a multifactorial condition caused by insufficient insulin secretion, inadequate insulin action on peripheric tissues, or both. This scenario leads to increased blood glucose levels, which causes excessive urine ...
But WOW that chart sure hit me in the face, because if I had to guess on drawing a chart of her hormones based on what I see surrounding her hair loss and cycles, it would look exactly like that. Some bald spots right before her heat, and then worse ones right after it, and I am guessing the green line of Prolactin is what made her bag up to what I would call extreme after her last heat, and right when her puppies would have been needing lots of milk (about 3 weeks old). So this chart really even cements the idea of hormones winning the hormone vs. diet/environment down even harder for me after seeing it. So thank you so, so much because it's really quite relieving to see everything drawn out like that. Of course, I don't regret the sensitivity test for her and am happy to keep things she is sensitive to out of her life as much as possible just for her own health and quality of life, and hopefully longevity, and who knows, maybe those changes can provide enough balance in other areas of her life that maybe it will ease the balding, too.
@Rits is the one who recommended it, and she's had two litters now. This is what she recommended and what I used:
naturesfarmacy.com
As you will see in the link, it's actually recommended for use in breeding bitches, so I'm sure it would be safe the heat before breeding.
Also, yeah. That chart blew my socks off.
Organic Red Raspberry Leaf Powder
Used as a traditional herbal remedy for the symptomatic relief of problems associated with whelping and an aid in the prevention of false pregnancy in dogs and cats. Due to its action as a uterine tonic, this well known birth aid has been used for hundreds of years to help ensure an easy and...
naturesfarmacy.com
As you will see in the link, it's actually recommended for use in breeding bitches, so I'm sure it would be safe the heat before breeding.
Also, yeah. That chart blew my socks off.
Well, I will be using that for her then. It's not even that expensive. I will buy it and start her on it like the label says, 30-60 days before her next heat. Thank you!
Years ago I remember Cesar Millan saying something to this effect for both male and female. That it wasn't natural for them to not mate and/or produce a litter. I never forgot that but I didn't truly understand it until your post and that chart. Makes a lot of sense.
Another thing I've heard in the last 5-10 years is that if you do plan to breed a female, it should be consecutive cycles for 3 or so litters, then retire them. Skipping a cycle used to be recommended since it was believed it was too hard on the female to have back to back litters.
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