Expert: Jana Connell RVT, CVT - 12/28/2009

Question
QUESTION: My sister is away on holidays and I am looking after her female miniature fox terrior, Prada. I have my own male miniature fox terrior, Taj, who is actually her full brother. Prada has come into her first heat (both 9 months of age)and its hard to seperate them. I have bought her a diaper. She is only at the bleeding stage and wont let Taj do anything at present but I'm worried about when she stops bleeding. Is there anything that can help? Many thanks

ANSWER: You are going to have a pregnant dog soon if you don't keep them separated. She is just now coming in to the most prominent time for her to be bred.

A diaper won't keep her from getting a tie with this male. You need to either completely separate them or take him in to get neutered and soon!

Otherwise, there is not much else I can tell you except to really keep them separated.
Where there is a will there is a way so he WILL get to her unless they are separated.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I thought you were going to say that! I will keep them seperated. We intend to breed with him so neutering isnt an option. My Mum said she heard there was like a pill for dogs? Is this true? Am I able to get her desexed while on heat? Also how long will I have to keep them seperated?

Answer
The pill they had for dogs was so dangerous that vets here quit using it over a decade ago. I do not know of any new ones.

It is safer for her to get bred and then be spayed after she is out of heat then to take her in while she is still in estrus. This is due to the enlargement of the vessels etc while being in heat. It can be a bloody mess, so to speak, so it is preferable that you wait until she is done.

You will have to keep them separated until her swelling goes down, which is in another 8 days or so it sounds like. They are swollen for 21 days. The first 7 days she won't let him mount her. The second 7 days are when they bleed and right at the end of that- days 14-19th roughly- is when they get pregnant. The last 7 days she isn't bleeding and then the swelling starts to subside.

So make the appointment now to get her in but wait until she is through with this heat.
I am not saying to let her get bred, but spaying right now is not a good choice either.