Hey everyone I'm pretty sure this question has been asked before but I could use some fresh perspective. I know every bitchs cycle is different, but on average how long is the time between each season? I thought it was an average of 6 months, and so the optimal time for speying is three months after the previous season. Today I noticed some pinkish discharge from Penny's vulva, it doesn't seem very swollen, maybe only a little? So... Signs that she's coming into season. But she just finished her last one in the middle of November. It's only been 4 months, is it possible that she could be coming in again? I will keep an eye on her for signs of pyrometra, but if this is a season and she has a very short cycle isn't this going to make it difficult to determine the best time to Spey her?
Re: Length of time between seasons Unfortunately, some bitches can have three seasons a year , it is usually every six months but like everything else, there are always the exceptions : You do right to keep an eye on her , and maybe have a word with your Vet about the spaying issues ? If she is coming into season again , he may decide that the best time is two months afterwards x
Re: Length of time between seasons Thanks Kate I've been trying to do a bit of reading about bitches that have short cycles but all the info out there seems to be aimed at breeders - there's apparently evidence to suggest that birches who cycle every four months or less can be infertile as the womb never gets a chance to properly recover between heats and so they do not ovulate. This info isn't really applicable to me as I was never planning to breed her anyway. Oh and also a lot of people seem to think this sort of thing is genetic. The one thing I was wondering though is that could this be mega messing with her hormones, and could that explain some of her behavioural issues? My mums dog gets mega PMS around the time of her season and will show aggression and has almost bitten us a couple of times - she's booked in for speying before her next season. We spoke briefly to Victoria Stilwell when we were at Crufts and she seems to think that dogs defiantly suffer mood swings in relation to hormones around their seasons. So... If Penny's hormones aren't getting a proper chance to switch off in between seasons, essentially she's just ramped up all the time, and could this explain her constant anxiety about everything? Thinking back this behaviour only started to develop after her first season... So could this be hormonal? If so, it's crucial to find the right stage of her cycle to Spey her at otherwise we could just be making things worse... Sorry, I know really I need to speak to my vet about all this, I guess I'm just thinking out loud... Your opinions would be most welcome though.
