Content
- Estrus in dogs: reproductive cycle
- How many months does the bitch go into heat?
- How often does the bitch come into heat?
- Can a bitch get pregnant after giving birth?
- How long does the bitch go into heat after giving birth?
- How long after birth can the bitch be neutered?
When making the decision to live with a female dog, it is very important to consider her reproductive cycle. Females go through fertile stages, popularly known as "bitch heat". It is during these days that fertilization and pregnancy can occur. But,how long does the bitch go into heat after giving birth? In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will answer this question. We will also learn about the characteristics of heat and the importance of sterilization.
Estrus in dogs: reproductive cycle
To answer how long the bitch goes into heat after giving birth, it is essential that you know the reproductive cycle of this species.
How many months does the bitch go into heat?
Females mature sexually at 6-8 months, although there are variations depending on the breed. The lesser ones will be fertile sooner, and the bigger ones take a few more months.
How often does the bitch come into heat?
The fertile period, in which bitches can be fertilized, is called heat and is characterized by signs such as vaginal bleeding, inflammation of the vulva, increased urination, nervousness or display of Organs genitals, raising the tail and raising the rear. . the heat occurs approximately every six months, ie twice a year. Outside of these days, bitches cannot breed.
In males, however, once they have matured sexually, which occurs around nine months of age, but can also vary according to the size of the breed, there is no period of fertility. Whenever they see a female in heat, they will be ready to cross.
Find out more details about this period in our article: heat in puppies: symptoms, duration and phases.
Can a bitch get pregnant after giving birth?
Taking into account the characteristics of her reproductive cycle, after a bitch has bred, how long does it take to go into heat again? As we have seen, the heat in bitches occurs, on average, every six months, regardless of whether or not a pregnancy occurred in one of them. So the bitch can get pregnant again after a baby, depending on when your previous heat occurred. Neither nursing nor caring for the puppies will affect this six-month period.
How long does the bitch go into heat after giving birth?
Taking into account the separation of about six months between one heat and the other, and the gestation duration of approximately two, the bitch enters heat at about four months after delivery.
Let's explain in more detail how long does it take for a female dog to come into heat after giving birth: on the days of the receptive heat, if the female dog comes into contact with a male, it is very likely that crossing, copulation and fertilization will occur. The gestation of this species lasts about nine weeks, an average of about 63 days, after which the parturition and subsequent creation of the offspring will occur, which will be fed with breast milk during the first weeks of life.
How long after birth can the bitch be neutered?
Now that we know when a female dog goes into heat after having a calf, many caregivers are considering spaying or neutering her to prevent further litters and heats. And this is a very good option, recommended as part of responsible breeding. Castration or sterilization is the removal of the uterus and ovaries. In this way, the bitch does not go into heat, which prevents the birth of new litters that contribute to canine overpopulation.
There are more dogs than households willing to take them, and this results in a very high amount of neglect and abuse. Furthermore, sterilization reduces the possibility of breast tumors and prevents the occurrence of uterine infections or canine pyometra.
Other methods such as drug administration to prevent heat, they are discouraged because of their important side effects. As we explained in the previous section, after a bitch has cubs, we have a margin of about four months before she comes back into heat. During the first two, it is recommended that the bitch stays with her puppies, and you should not interfere with their rearing by scheduling an operation.
Thus, it is advisable to schedule sterilization as soon as the puppies reach the eight weeks, weaning or moving to new homes.
If you take care of a bitch that has just given birth, we suggest you take a look at this video from the PeritoAnimal channel about caring for the puppies:
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