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my dog is in heat

my female dog is in her first heat. up until yesterday she has been playing and eating like normal. yesterday she didnt eat anything and barely drank anything...and today same thing. she is not active just lays down all day. does anyone know if this is normal with dogs in heat????
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Avatar universal
I would like to correct something that has been posted on here. Male dogs can pick up the scent of a female in season up to 5 miles away; not just a mile. Many years ago we used to have an Airedale and when she came into season we used to be visited by a male Lab that came from 5 miles away....right up to our dogstep! He never visited us unless she was in season. Also I have had several ******* who have been in season for longer than the norm of 21 days. Get your puppy spayed so you do not have to deal with this headache, unless of course, you plan on showing her to her championship title and then breeding her.
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441382 tn?1452810569
It's not all that unusual for females to act "off" when they have their first heat.  Oddly enough, it seems to correlate with how spoiled they are, and I don't mean that in a bad way.  It just seems like the ones that are real "Mama's girls" tend to act like they just don't feel well and if they were human girls, they'd be complaining that they can't take gym class.  :)

This should pass within a few days.  Keep her inside unless she is on a leash and you are outside with her, the scent of a female in heat can be picked up by males a mile a way, literally, and depending on where you live, male coyotes can also be a problem during this time.  They have been known to actually kidnap female dogs in heat.

She will be in heat for approximately 21 days, and when she is done, give her about 4 weeks for her reproductive tract to return to normal and then have her spayed.  When she is in heat, the blood vessels around the uterus are engorged with blood, and there is an increased risk of hemorrhage during spay surgery.  Some larger hospitals with a lot of staff will do spays at this time, but they usually charge more for the surgery because of the increased risk.  If you wait about a month after her heat ends, the blood vessels will have returned to their normal size and the surgery can go ahead without incident.

Pay her some extra attention right now.  Talk to her in an "up" voice, don't dote on her discomfort.  If you do, she will come to think that the discomfort is a good thing because you'll be reinforcing her behavior with your voice, so try to get her to simply act normal.  Feed her whatever you can get her to eat.  Make sure she drinks.  Liquid is more important than food, especially during these hot, hot months.  As Ginger said, Pedialyte is an excellent idea at this time.  Please let us know how she does.  My bet is that in two or three days she will be acting more like her old self, but you will still need to keep a close eye on her as far as the boys go until her vulva returns to its normal size.

Ghilly
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675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
Oh by the way....if she hasn't drunk any fluids in a while, that in itself could make her feel quite bad, as dehydration can set in. If you can tempt her to drink, maybe she might pick up a bit? If not -she should see the vet. Dehydration doesn't sound like much, but can be quite dangerous.
If you have some meat, chicken or fish, try boiling it in some water, then cool the water, and try her with that. Or you can try Pedialyte. Another idea is a spoonful of maple syrup or honey, dissolve in about a cupful of water and add a pinch of salt.
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675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
Brandywinne has a good point there. If you are ever in doubt about your dog's health, but not sure if she needs a trip to the vet, then it's always a good idea to call them. A phone call won't cost anything unlike a visit, and they can maybe give you some advice.

It's not usual for a female in heat to behave as though sick (and laying down, and not eating are signs of a dog being unwell, or in pain.) However, as it is her first heat cycle, she may be feeling a little icky as her hormones are shifting quite dramatically right now.
I would say that if she is still like this the rest of the day, then it might be wise to take her to the vet. She could have something else wrong quite unconnected to being in heat.
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1744282 tn?1314065299
No not usually she may not know what is going on if its her first. I would have the dog spayed or nutured  spelling is poor but I try. However, Most females are looking with anxiety how to take care of the problem. She may have PMS just  kidding. lol Ok call the vet and ask they will tell you for free. I have never heard of a dog doing that in first heat no eating problem for sure.hahahhhaa Dogs always eat. I would take her if you have the money to make sure that it is happening right for the dog.  Not eating and laying down are signs of illness. If she is not back to old self soon I would go. Good luck hope this helped somewhat. I mostly work with cats and few dogs. I am more of a cat Lady lol
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