# 1st heat? Is this normal?



## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

Hi, Isa just turned 8 months old. For the last 3 days she has refused all food, except for a few hand fed treats. She seems to be drinking fine. She also has still been playful. 

I took her to vet yesterday. In the morning she had some blood on her hair in the nether regions. The vet expressed her anal glands which were very, very full and swabbed her vulva which was positive for blood. She had no fever and everything else checked out fine. After cleaning her up yesterday, there has been no further visible blood. This morning she still refused to eat a bite.

Anyone else had this experience? I am concerned about the eating. I hate to make her a "picky" eater by trying to entice her with delicacies. And actually vet said not to do this, but to call him back on Thurs if she still wasn't eating.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

Females do some weird things during their heat cycles. Some come off food. I've heard of males refusing food when females nearby are in heat. My female is in heat now and acts like eating is a chore. She usually gulps down her food, but is very disinterested now. I wouldn't worry too much. Especially for the first heat, they tend to do odd things.


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## jaggirl47 (Jul 18, 2009)

Did the vet do any lab tests? Besides just swabbing her?


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

My female will not eat when she's in heat which lasts about a month so get used to it. Feed her as normal and let her eat how she wants. My female tends to lose a few lbs, but quickly gains it back the fifth week when her appetite comes back with a vengeance. It is completely normal though and no reason for concern. She may also be whiny, clingy, and extra sensitive


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## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

Thanks for replies. No, the vet didn't do any other tests. I guess maybe if I call back on Thurs he will want to investigate further?

Yes, Isa usually gulps food....even bought her one of those slow feeder bowls. 

Though I have had dogs my whole life, I never had a female go through heat...always spayed before then. But those females were all small breeds. Vet was adamant that with GSDs he wants them to at least go through one heat. Particularly Isa, as her vulva was "tucked up there tight". Plus something to do with building muscle and perhaps protecting hips later?

Do they sometimes only bleed one day in a first heat? Or can they stop and start over a period of time? Geez my boys were much easier


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## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

Zoeys mom, guess I had better get used to it . I think I am comparing to me, and if I was refusing food for days, you can bet I must be on death bed!!!


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

Their bleeding is off and on, then on, then off and on, and then done


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## Mary&Stella (Jan 1, 2011)

Stella also will not eat properly when comming into heat, she has had 2 so far and the symptoms are the same, first we think she is sick, of course worry like crazy and then once in full heat it all seems to go back to normal. She is more cuddly when in heat as well, I guess we all feel like having extra attention sometimes.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

Yeah the first time I added stuff to her food thinking she would starve, but our vet told me to cut that out. You don't want to spoil her into thinking she can live off of treats because you'll give in just ride it out she'll be fine


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

That first heat is a PAIN. Jinx's lasted around 7-8 weeks and while once it started it stayed however after about 4-5 weeks she would go a day or 2 without bleeding thought YAY it's over then what do you know I start seeing blood again. Was a total pain. I have been told by EVERYONE most females tend to go off their food or just seem to lack interest in it. Jinx just went through her second heat and each time she gets RAVENOUS during her heat. She has huge food drive in general and always is crazy for dinner time but during her heats it's ridiculous she will even wake me up in the middle of the night freaking out like she's about to have an accident in the house so I rush out to let her out and she runs to the cabinet where I keep her biscuits. Some dogs because major pains and moody some are more cuddly Jinx needs CONSTANT affection during her heat cycle and can not possibly get close enough to us she literally lays in our laps pretty much the entire time. 

Honestly I don't think there is a "normal" for a first heat besides the fact all sorts of crazy stuff can happen.


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## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

Isa only had the one day of bleeding a week ago and nothing since. Do I consider this her first heat? I've kept her away from any potential suitors just in case


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## dsanders460 (Feb 13, 2012)

If you decide to take her back to the vet, they can do a urinalysis screen that can tell for sure if she is in heat... I just took my 8.5 month old in thinking that she had an UTI or something due to the frequency of potty trips, and a sudden re-visiting of having accidents in the house... Turns out my girl was in a silent heat. According to the vet, frequent urination can be a side effect. I am hoping that is exaggerated for her first heat, because her pottying in the house less than 2 hours after having gone out is for the BIRDS! Good luck!


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## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

Had her back to vet today as she went another 2 days without eating and vomited this morning. He said based on the swelling of her vulva and her nipples, she is definitely in heat. He said many do have very short bleeding or as you said "silent" first heats. 

Since she is down about 5 lbs from a month ago, he wanted to go ahead and treat conservatively for a GI infection. She's on flagyl, probiotics and pepcid. Plus on GI food for a few days (which she wolfed down!). Her office fecal didn't show anything, but I am to take in another stool sample tomorrow.

Gosh, I run to the vet a lot quicker with her than I ever did with my kids!


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Zefra bled for a few days and then stopped and about a month later went into full blown heat where she bled for two weeks, and my male was going nuts, the whole nine yards.

It is very possible she could be going through a split heat like my Zefra.

Zefra who is my foodie and super crazy wild child was very mellow, super clingy and refused a couple of meals during the second phase. She also got weird about new equipment which she usually would just jump onto without thinking twice. After she bled for a week or so, she went back to her normal self.


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

Interesting that so many girls go off their food. My Shasta ate like there wasn't enough food in the world when she was in heat.


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## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

paulag1955 said:


> Interesting that so many girls go off their food. My Shasta ate like there wasn't enough food in the world when she was in heat.


LOL. I know!

Both my girls (Shepherd and Leonberger) have never missed a bite!


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

paulag1955 said:


> Interesting that so many girls go off their food. My Shasta ate like there wasn't enough food in the world when she was in heat.


Thank you so much for posting this! I no longer feel like an odd ball lol. Everyone talks about staying the same or going off food no one I talked to heard of a female getting a bigger appetite during heat however with both heat's Jinx was STARVING at all times no matter what. She always is a bottomless pit but when she is in heat it's ridiculous how starving she acts.


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## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

Now today Isa has started bleeding again. It's been about 3 weeks since the one day show. This is heavier and she is wearing her diaper. I can't wait to get the spaying done. The vet said he would like her to go through one or two heats. I don't know if that first one day thing was actually a heat cycle. If so, then this one came about awfully soon.

This is my first experience with a female allowed to reach sexual maturity. So far, not impressed with the experience


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