My 10 month old Boxer puppy started her first heat cycle 11 days ago. How long can I expect this to last?? She is taking her panties off at every opportunity.
I’ve never had an unspayed female dog before. She has her spay appointment on January 13, as both the trainer and the breeder said it would be best for her long term health to go through her first heat before the spay.
I have Ridgebacks, and find heat cycles to last about 3 weeks. You’re probably about done with the bleedy part.
Check in with your vet if you’ll need to push back the spay. All the tissue is really well vascularized for awhile. It may be better to wait until later in the spring to reduce chance of bleeding.
I can push the appointment back! How far out can I push it before she comes back into heat? Google is giving me all kinds of answers that I don’t trust.
Agreed that you are probably past the messy part and into the “standing heat” part which means be very careful and keep her on a leash when walking and out of public places where you may encounter intact males.
Also agree that I think you should push the appointment back. Most bitches won’t come back into season for at least 6 months but of course there are exceptions. 6-9 months seems to be the average for my breed.
It depends a little on breed & line! You might ask your breeder how often her girls come in?
Mine come into heat every 9 months. Some come in every 6. Little dogs may come in on a more rapid schedule!
But with no info from breeder, and given that you’ve got a pretty big dog, scheduling the spay 4 months from the start of this heat cycle is probably “safe” 
This part!!
This is an informative article
I’d agree with pushing the spay back a couple of months. After my puppy’s first heat, she had a false pregnancy, so that took some time to resolve itself.
My girls first heat was about 3 weeks long. As for spaying, my vet wouldn’t do it until at least 3 months after her heat.
Thanks for replies, everyone! I am going to call the vet today and push the appointment back a few months, as it sounds like she will not immediately come back into heat. I am really hoping the drippy phase will be over soon!
The other animals here are four spayed girl cats and two geldings. We avoid baby critters!
I was advised to have my female spayed 3 months after her first heat and she is a 65lb labx. I would think a Boxer is the same.
How long does it last? Buma was my unspayed Ridgeback and she was like clockwork. Every 10 months and about 14 days of panty wearing.
When Lilly had her first cycle, it was the same time frame. You are nearly done!!
Not to hijack, but can anyone recommend good doggy panities for larger breeds?
I’ll be in this same boat with a large dog in her first heat any day now…
These are very good but having a whole stack of whatever knock offs in this style from Amazon or wherever is super handy.
I prefer them a little large vs tight, but my short haired dogs get rubs if they’re too snug.
But honestly the bleeding is usually minimal and they do a good job keeping themselves clean. Anymore, we usually just keep them naked and wash their bedding. My husband often forgets to pull the panties off before letting outside 
I got these for my GSD, she about 75#.
They fit & stayed on well.
I only needed them for when we were training inside, as the facility required them for bitches in heat, but they held up really well.
I used the Amazon ones for my 100lb dog yearly for her heat and my 60lb for her first cycle, (getting spayed next month !!! Yea HOO!)
And I used the same size for both.
I add a panty liner to the inside so the girls wear one pair a day and I wash them a load every few days, (I have 10 or so, I line dry them so they take a bit longer to dry) I add the liner because the back end can shift and sometimes at night the liner is not where it needs to be.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
