Complete Information Regarding the Pug Dog
A reader asks a question regarding their female Pug dog' and the issue of the heat cycle. This is a very important subject, as one must understand the cycle and how it affects a dog's health.
Q: Will my dog menstruate? And how do I get ready for it? ~ Neil.
A: Hi Neil. This is an important question! Yes, if you have a female Pug she will most certainly menstruate. This is what is called the canine heat cycle. There are several important facts to know about this.
Your Pug will begin this any where from 6 months old to 15 months old. If your Pug does not show the signs of heat after 16 months, you must take her to the veterinarian for a thorough checkup to see what is causing the delay.
A Pug dog will enter approximately twice per year. Each time she enters it, it will last for 2 to 4 weeks long. There are not many signs to notice before she enters heat; you will need to estimate when she is due. Since the times that this lasts for can be so different for every dog and twice per year is an approximate cycle, it may take a year or so to know your particular dog's timing.
When your Pug is in heat, you may choose to put a doggie diaper on her. This is becoming a very popular method to keep both dog and house clean. Little dogs like the Pug will bleed a lot less than a larger breed, however each dog is different and the diaper is a great way to not find a mess on your floor or furniture.
Because the discharge of blood may be small and not immediately noticeable, the other signs that a Pug dog is in heat are:
- Enlarge vulva
- Male dogs will be strongly drawn to her
Be careful when you take her outside for her to use the bathroom; it only takes a minute for a male dog to grab a hold of her and then you may find yourself with a pregnant Pug. Any stray male dogs in the area will know exactly where to wait; they will be able to smell small amounts of her blood that mixed into her urine when she eliminated and they will wait in that area.
Unlike humans, dogs can enter heat for their entire lives! It would be very unhealthy for an elderly Pug to be carrying puppies.
If you are not planning on breeding your dog, it is very strongly recommended to have her spayed. There are several very good reasons why an owner should do so:
- Spaying your dog will stop the heat cycle
- You will not need to worry about her becoming pregnant
- Spaying a female greatly reduces the chance that she will get ovarian and/or mammary cancer; the odds are almost cut in half
