# I feel like an idiot



## luv2bmomof4 (Feb 29, 2012)

How does one not know their dog is in heat. I guess I waited to long shes 7 1/2 months old and a whopping 12.3 lbs. Bella was scheduled for her spay, today- actually but when I took her to the groomers yesterday she told me she was in heat. I felt like an idiot for not even knowing. She must have just went into heat but being a first time pet owner I didn't know what to look for, So I called the vet he said he could still do it but informed me of the complications so I decided to wait until she was done with her cycle. So now I just have to be extra careful with her. So on the groomer note I had her cut a little shorter then normal but maybe shes a little to short. What do you think? My kids joke and tell me she looks like a little old man, but I don't think so. She is still my precious happy little girl.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

No clue! I prepared for a neuter as soon as my pup arrived at 6 months. Keep her protected and spay as soon as you can. She is cute in her puppy cut. Welcome to the forum!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I don't have a female dog, so no personal experience, but I have been told by friends with intact female Havanese that they can have "silent" heats, which just means they are hard to notice, and that many females are so good at keeping themselves clean that they never see any blood.

Don't feel bad... There are some very solid reasons for holding off on spaying your gal until she is a bit older... It just means, as you know, that you need to be extra specially careful that no intact male dog can get at her until she has been spayed!

And she looks cute. Even if you'd like it a bit longer, hair grows fast!


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## Rene831 (Mar 25, 2012)

Charly had a silent heat about 3 weeks before she went into season. Easily missed! My best advice for unwanted pregnancy is to make sure no male dogs can get to her form your backyard or only supervised outdoors. Do not walk her in your neighborhood either. She will mark a sent all the way back to your house for the males to follow. Do walk her though. She will start accepting the boys about a week into her heat and that could last around 10 days. Hope this was helpful.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

I just went threw the same thing with my two. Zoeys first heat I was at a dog show and my friend noticed her male being funny low and behold she noticed Zoey was in heat. My vet said to wait three mo after the whole thing last about a mo. I wish I had taken a video of Zoey because she was really funny with are neutered male here at my sisters. She did a little dance around him.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Their private parts swell up before the discharge. Sometimes a couple of weeks before the discharge.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Lucile is right about the swelling our females spay or not have female things we need to check; feeling their breast area for any small lumps, and swelling in their "female differences", there are other things it could mean but coming in to heat is a good bet in unspayed female, some females lick themselves/groom excessively also during this time.

Don't beat yourself up, it could happen to anyone, it even happens to 1st time breeders of small dogs, bigger dogs come in to their first heat at an older age so changeing to a toy can catch anyone off guard. Just keep your girl safe and know if you walk her in the neighborhood you are inviting a whole host of males to hang out.


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

The important thing is that you're a good responsible pet owner.
I think she looks sweet and adorable.


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## Tuss (Apr 22, 2012)

It must be fairly common because at the doggie daycare I use I had to sign a form stating that all unspayed females will be checked frequently to make sure they are not in heat, and if it is discovered they are in heat then they will be placed in isolation in their boarding facility and you'll be charged a day of boarding. If they have a policy like that then it must happen fairly often. Especially now that there is a trend towards delaying the spay until the pup is a bit older. My girl got spayed at 7 months and I'm glad I avoided a heat.


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## luv2bmomof4 (Feb 29, 2012)

Yes... I wish I had her done earlier, not sure if any one remembers how I got her but it was not through a respectable breeder so I had no idea of any of her flaws I was just thinking of saving her. But anyway Im not sure if its normal to have a havanese dew claws removed after their born or not but she still has hers and I wanted to have them removed at the same time so I had to wait til now for personal reasons since the cost is more to have a spay and dew claw removal at the same time. Which by the way what are your thoughts on dew claw removal? Should I even have them removed my vet suggested that they be removed to avoid snagging and hurting herself. Anyway she hates the diaper and I feel awful for having to make her wear one if I ever get a second hav (which I now want) she or he will definitely be spayed/nuetured at 6 months.


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## Tuss (Apr 22, 2012)

dewclaw removal is illegal here where I live as it's considered purely cosmetic. Since you can't even see them under all that fur I would say leave them alone. I think the risk of "snagging" is highly overestimated. Save you money and keep it in your pocket and not your vets.


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