# Heat. How often?



## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Gucci is just finishing up her first heat. Boy, what a fun time! lol not.

Seriously though, DH and I are looking at the calendar wondering when to schedule her spay and the next 4-5 weeks are CRAZY chaotic, we have trips, friends coming to visit, relatives coming to visit..on and on, actually the whole summer is sort of crazy with 7 kids and all their camps, etc. But I do NOT want to go through another 'heat'. How long do I have on average before it hits again? I want to do it when we have no company here and I just can dote on her and nurse her back quietly, that's ideal..but if its not possible..I'll work with what I have.

Kara


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## MopTop Havanese (Sep 25, 2006)

Typically they go in about every 6 months or so~.......and I say typically because it can be every 5 months, or every 7 months, or 9 months, or.....well, you get the picture! :biggrin1:


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Ditto to what Katie said.

Six months is what is expected, but you can't depend on it. Some are a bit earlier, and some are a LOT later.


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## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

You also want to wait a few weeks after a heat before you spay so you can go ahead and plan for early fall as soon as the kids go back to school. You are an amazing woman with seven. I can't imagine more than my two.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

What was it our mother's used to say "Oh my little Gucci has "become a woman" haha - I too am planning anything important for the fall, when the kids are all away at school!! Kisses to Gucci!!


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## EstrellaVila (Nov 30, 2007)

I have a boy, and a fixed female so I have no clue about this. I just wanted to applaud you for having seven kids and a dog and not going crazy. I am impressed.


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## Doggie Nut (Oct 20, 2006)

Laurie, you are a hoot! I'm sure you've heard the old one..."Aunt Flo came to visit"! Sorry Kara....I'd get it done before her next visit too!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Thanks!

Laurie, LOL! We have been telling Gucci she has become a 'lady' too. What is hilarious..she is at the very end of it, it will be 3 weeks on Thursday and the last few nights she has been humping her bear, but we aren't calling it that. ound:

She is down to just barely spotting, and there was a time when she would literally WHIMPER for me to wash her off. She was doing an excellent job at keeping herself clean, until she started bleeding pretty heavily and I think she was overwhelmed. She just gave me that look like "Mommy, what the HELL is going on?!" haha. So I took her to the sink and cleaned her up, I'm thinking that was a mistake because after that...she slacked off on cleaning herself and started whining for ME TO DO IT! lol Of course, I kept telling my husband it had to be a coincidence, but ****ed if she didn't STOP whining and act happy after her girly baths. ound:

And matting? OMG..she's matting terribly down there. Her fur also felt more dry last week, and I had changed nothing in the grooming dept. Poor girl, oops...lady! 

I am just really overwhelmed with this summer's schedule. This weekend is a playdate at my house for the havs/silks. Next week, I'll be in Mazatlan on business, then the in-laws come..after that we are keeping 3 havs for a week while their parents go out of town (I'll post pics!), after that some friends from Michigan are coming to stay for a week, and then the camp starts, and family vacation, and my DS's eagle scout ceremony (which we have relatives coming from all over for) and my daughter is off the Virginia Tech! ARGH!

Crazy!

Kara


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

awwww. sweet little Gucci!!! Kara you were very brave to go through letting her have one or two heats (didn't she have one once before?) I can just imagine her "mommy I'm dirty!!!! clean me!"


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

If this was Gucci's first heat she was pretty late, isn't she over a year. You should have plenty of time to have her spayed in the fall. I have just about run out of time with Smarty, she was in heat at 9 months and at 15 months I am expecting it anytime. I just hate to have to put her (and me) through the operation.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Missy, I had forgotten about the first cycle.

Kara, since Gucci's last cycle was 8 months ago, you should be fine within the six month period. She may have had a longer cycle since the last one was her first, but in general terms, six months does sound like it is most likely a good window of opportunity. Keep in mind that a lot of us have scheduled sterilizations and had to reschedule. (Melissa had to reshedule more than anyone I know! LOL)


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Awww, poor Gucci! I can just picture her looking up at you to bathe her. Cute !

O.k., so maybe not so cute when you have so much going on. Sheesh! And you're taking in 3 Havs at once! :jaw: Should be a hoot, but you'll be on your feet all day! lol 

Oh, you MUST tell us all about the playdate at your house this w/e! Take a ton of pics, or better yet, have one of your kids do it since you'll likely be busy. Hope you have good weather!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Honestly,

I am not sure if she was in heat before?!

I mean, she spotted a few times over 3 days and then...nothing. 

THIS TIME, it was full blown heat (much heavier bleeding) and her thingy swelled up. That didn't happen last time, so now I wonder if that was just some pre-heat spotting but not actual 'heat'. On a 1-10 scale, this heat would be a 10 and that spotting at 10 months would be a 1!! lol That was about 6 months ago.

Marj, I will have FOUR havs on my hand. lol 2 boys, one is 2, one is Gucci's age, a little girl puppy that will be about 5 months and Gucci. I will take as many pictures as I can!  I know they'll keep me busy since they probably have a different routine.

I'm just wondering if they are going to want to ALL sleep in my bed!!! lol

Also, I'm a little worried about marking and then Gucci regressing and marking OVER their marking. I need to buy another baby gate and keep them a bit more confined. Family room during the day (and outside of course) and then our bedroom at night. I think too much can happen if they all 4 have free run. But I plan on taking them on lots of walks and playing outside and keeping them busy so they sleep well! 

Kara


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Sometimes they don't show a lot on their first cycle, and from your other descriptions back at the end of September, including the Dobe showing up at your backyard, as well as Gucci's desire to lay around and feeling miserable, it sounds like it was probably just that very first cycle kicking in. This one sounds like the full blown maturity and if the bleeding is slowing down, you'll start seeing a straw-colored discharge and this is her most fertile time - the time when the other dogs are really drawn to her (and she is drawn to them).

The 3 visitors sounds like an interesting adventure to come! Hopefully, they will all have fun together and keep each other busy.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

I had forgotten about the Dobe!

I guess it was a 'mild' cycle, I don't recall the swelling. She is just now starting to act 'normal' again. She hasn't really wanted to play the usual games and has slept a LOT. I guess they feel crummy like we human gals' do. Oh and her appetite! lol Wow. Who is this dog? ound:

Kara


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Exactly! Tinky acts a lot like you have described Gucci. She was so cuddly and didn't want to leave my side during that first cycle. Her second cycle was full-blown with major swelling and a huge appetite. Cravings, anyone?


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Our girls vary from around 6 to 9 months. Razzle didn't have her first heat until after she was a year old.


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

So, Kara? How did the puppy-sitting go? You didn't have intact males, did ya?


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

someone explain this to me . . . why do the females not get fixed at 6 mo like the boys> I had female kittens that were fixed. . . .


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

gelbergirl said:


> someone explain this to me . . . why do the females not get fixed at 6 mo like the boys> I had female kittens that were fixed. . . .


Here's a study that might answer your question http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

Kara, Bandit comes into heat whenever she feels like it. The longest she's gone between heats is 6 months, the shortest was 3 months.
It sounds like you're going to have your hands full!!


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