# First heat questions



## NotAMuggle (Dec 4, 2020)

Piper is 5.5 months old today. I’m not planning on spaying her until after her first heat, but i’m wondering WHEN female havanese puppies typically start going into heat. I guess i’m afraid of somehow missing the signs? Is it possible to not notice? Once she hits 6 months in a couple weeks should i stop taking her to play at the small dog park? Will i have to be on high alert during walks from 6 months on or will it be obvious when she enters heat (and then i can just sequester her for the time period of her cycle)?


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

She might be a year, or a little older, before she has her first heat. Your first notice will probably be a drop of blood on the floor, and there would be a little swelling before then. She wouldn't be breedable until a little over a couple of weeks after that first spotting. I would think it would be pretty hard to completely miss it.


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## NotAMuggle (Dec 4, 2020)

Thanks Tom! That makes me feel better lol!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

NotAMuggle said:


> Thanks Tom! That makes me feel better lol!


It may seem a little “gross” if you aren’t used to it, and if you are squeamish, you can use a tissue. But get in the habit of feeling her “girly bits” NOW. You will find that they get noticeably larger and softer as she approaches her heat, and the tissue first thing in the morning will also show you her first spots of blood.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Truffles first heat was at seven months. I first noticed it when she jump up and I saw a sprinkling of blood on the floor. I did get her some panties, but really she didn't need them. I waited until after she turned one year to have her spayed. At the time I was concerned she might go through another heat before turning one year, but she didn't.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Heather's said:


> Truffles first heat was at seven months. I first noticed it when she jump up and I saw a sprinkling of blood on the floor. I did get her some panties, but really she didn't need them. I waited until after she turned one year to have her spayed. At the time I was concerned she might go through another heat before turning one year, but she didn't.


It would be EXTREMELY unusual for a girl to have two heats 5 months apart. It can happen, but it’s really uncommon.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

They all vary in when their first one comes. Most of ours are 13 to 15 months, when they are fully mature.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tom King said:


> They all vary in when their first one comes. Most of ours are 13 to 15 months, when they are fully mature.


That’s exactly when Pixel had her first heat… 14 months! Panda was earlier… 10 months.


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## MMoore (Aug 20, 2020)

Finley was about 7 1/2 months for her first heat which started 2 months ago. She's scheduled to be spayed this coming Friday, and I'm hoping her recent whininess and slight swelling isn't a sign she's going into a second heat this soon after her first one. I know it's extremely unlikely, but crossing my fingers!


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## [email protected] (Apr 25, 2020)

Coco went into heat when she was nearly 8 months old. She sleeps on a small bed in her cage and I normally have it covered with a pillow case. I noticed a small drop of blood one morning. She also needed to potty more frequently. The whole thing lasted about 3 weeks.

As to spaying, its a personal preference but after reading a lot of literature and talking with my breeder, I decided to wait until at least 3 months after her first heat to give time for things to return to normal and also to allow some more time for the growth plates to close which typically occurs about 1 year of age. I just had her spayed last Thursday (one week before her 1st birthday) and she is now recovering.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> Coco went into heat when she was nearly 8 months old. She sleeps on a small bed in her cage and I normally have it covered with a pillow case. I noticed a small drop of blood one morning. She also needed to potty more frequently. The whole thing lasted about 3 weeks.
> 
> As to spaying, its a personal preference but after reading a lot of literature and talking with my breeder, I decided to wait until at least 3 months after her first heat to give time for things to return to normal and also to allow some more time for the growth plates to close which typically occurs about 1 year of age. I just had her spayed last Thursday (one week before her 1st birthday) and she is now recovering.


Yes, most vets prefer not to spay much before mid-cycle after a heat, when the reproductive tract has had a chance to settle down and become less full of blood. It is a much more difficult surgery (and a little more dangerous) when closer to or during a heat cycle.


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## ahbiehabibi (Apr 30, 2021)

All these pieces of information are very helpful. I'm just reading in case Cayenne goes into her first heat. She's 10 months old.


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## UrsaMinor (Jul 4, 2021)

@krandall and @Tom King 
Thank you for sharing your experience. 
A couple of weeks ago, while washing Ursa, I noticed her vulva was soft and a little enlarged. At that point, I had a feeling it was swollen but wasn't sure if that was her normal "bigger girl" size. Concurrently, she started licking herself quite often. 
So I followed your advice and kept checking for the size and for any tinting. 
Today I saw a hint of blood for the first time. 

I just wanted to say thank you because your advice made me feel more confident about the situation. 

Well, if I'm being honest... Maybe I also wanted to share with folks in the forum because I feel a little celebratory: I may or may not have actually congratulated her--as if she could understand what this means for humans... 😂

(Ursa will complete 7 months in one week.)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Pro tip - don’t buy panties! Many girls do a good job keeping themselves very clean. But if you do need to put some protection on her, baby diapers are the BEST!!! Put them on “backwards”, so that the tapes are on the top of her back, and cut a hole for her tail. They absorb beautifully, fit snuggly, and are comfortable for the dog. Size 2 is PROBABLY the right size for a 7 month old puppy unless she is quite large. Panda wears size 3.


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## UrsaMinor (Jul 4, 2021)

krandall said:


> Pro tip - don’t buy panties! Many girls do a good job keeping themselves very clean. But if you do need to put some protection on her, baby diapers are the BEST!!! Put them on “backwards”, so that the tapes are on the top of her back, and cut a hole for her tail. They absorb beautifully, fit snuggly, and are comfortable for the dog. Size 2 is PROBABLY the right size for a 7 month old puppy unless she is quite large. Panda wears size 3.


Thanks, Karen! 
Ursa is almost (or maybe already) 10 lbs. Her face is tiny and very narrow, but her body seems super long. 
So far, she has been keeping herself clean, lots of self-grooming going on and I haven't seen blood anywhere other than on my hand when I checked and on the towel where I brushed her today. If it gets worse and she needs to wear something, I will get the baby diapers (I love it, I wouldn't have thought about it).


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

UrsaMinor said:


> Thanks, Karen!
> Ursa is almost (or maybe already) 10 lbs. Her face is tiny and very narrow, but her body seems super long.
> So far, she has been keeping herself clean, lots of self-grooming going on and I haven't seen blood anywhere other than on my hand when I checked and on the towel where I brushed her today. If it gets worse and she needs to wear something, I will get the baby diapers (I love it, I wouldn't have thought about it).


Her length shouldn’t matter, it is more her girth that makes a difference in diaper size.


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