Why hello there human. I am Dani the Samoyed. As a fluffy female dog I am here to tell you about the annoyance that is the dog menstruation cycle.
Us lady dogs don’t menstruate like you humans do, honestly we prefer our version, your version looks terrible.
We reach sexual maturity a lot younger than you do, for us, it usually happens at 6 months old, and we get our first heat cycle.
We get filled with estrogen and then emptied of it. Our cycle can last anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks, although, our first heat cycle will often last for 6 months.
When this happens for your dog depends on their age, a small dog may go into heat at four months, however a bigger dog may be waiting for two years before they get their first heat cycle.
Big dogs will go into heat less often than smaller dogs, I kind of envy a Great Dane I know, she only goes into heat once a year, whereas I go into heat twice a year.
Let me help you learn a bit more about all this now human, us ladies all have to suffer this, but our cycles are far from the same. Let’s learn why.
Do dogs have periods and bleed?
We all have to suffer the cycle that comes with having the lady parts to bear young. But between you and me, it differs. How you suffer and how I suffer is not the same.
Smaller dogs, like that Chihuahua down the street, may go into heat up to four times a year, but we do not suffer this as often as you do. Our cycles do last longer though, from two to three weeks.
We get a swollen vulva, and we get discharge, not much, certainly not like you do, we worry about you humans. We will also seem really jittery and alert.
Our discharge varies a lot, it is not pure blood either, we don’t know what’s going on with you. We might leave spots on the floor, or our beds. We don’t mean to make a mess, but we can’t help it.
Not all of us will leave a mess behind though, some of us will start our heat cycle with a heavy reddish discharge, but it can fade to pinks, yellows, or even just look like water. Some dogs don’t even get the worst of it. We are all different.
If you don’t want to have to deal with cleaning up our mess, we would help, but we don’t have useful opposable thumbs to do so, then you can always get us a doggy diaper.
Okay, we probably won’t be all that happy about it, who would be? But it’ll save the mess, just make sure to change them often, otherwise it can cause irritation, keep our skin and fur clean and dry even during this time. We will certainly thank you for it.
Do watch out for any bleeding or spotting outside our heat cycle too, because it is not normal, and we will need some medical help.
What should you do when your dog gets her period?
We don’t mean to be a pain to you lovely humans, but we can agree it won’t be a fun time for either of us when we go into heat. Our cycle is a concoction of discharge, temperamental behavior, and high fertility.
The best thing you can do, is to make some preparations, of course you can talk to your vet, but who better to ask than a dog like me!
You definitely want to get a doggy diaper, some of them are really comfortable, and we don’t mind wearing them, we especially like those cozy reusable ones you can just wash.
You should also give us a ‘menstrual blankie’ we will want to snuggle and cuddle a lot more during this time and a blankie makes it much nicer for us and gives us the comfort we want, as well as cuddles from you.
Likewise, you will also want to keep some wipes nearby, we will make a mess when we aren’t wearing our diapers, we don’t mean to but its inevitable, some good quality wipes and cleaners will stops us staining things.
Aside from that, we will want loads of cuddles, we will be needy, if you can work and cuddle us at the same time during this annoying time you will have our thanks. We will also really appreciate a chew resistant toy, it’ll give your fluffy gal a sense of security, and who doesn’t like to chew toys!
Don’t get mad at us if we make a mess, we really can’t help it, we don’t like it any more than you do. Keep us well-fed and hydrated. And make time for us to have extra toilet breaks, there’s a lot going on down there, we will need to urinate more, we know you humans are like that too.
Do dogs get period pains?
If your lovely lady dog crying while she’s in heat and you yourself are a female, you know why.
While we don’t experience cramping on the level that you do, we don’t the most comfortable during this time. Our vulva swells up and for that reason alone, we aren’t feeling our best selves.
We can get discomfort during this time, and we may whimper because of it, especially if it is our first heat cycle, its new, confusing, and we don’t like it.
Do dogs know when you’re menstruating?
While we may not see, or totally understand what is going on with you. We know something is up, and female dogs like me, can definitely pick up on this.
You also release a weird odor when you are in your heat cycles, is that what you humans call them?
We might have a sniff, but that’s just because we know something is wrong, and we are checking to make sure you’re okay. Your odors are funny, and we want to know what it is, especially if it’s a new smell.
New smells are great!
I hope I have answered all your questions today human, we both share the burden of having a heat cycle, but we are different.
I’ve got to go now, my humans putting a doggy diaper on me, is it that time already?
