Pets and Else...

I was shocked just a few months ago, that my bitch (a female dog) is bleeding. At first I did not mind what it was. I was ignorant, after all. But, I noticed day after day that there is blood coming out of her part. I was not sure what it is, I think my barely a year dog is in heat. I really don’t have any idea when female dogs are in heat, or how a dog in heat may look like. I was really, totally, naïve about these things.

Just when does it occur?

As I was caught in surprise about what is happening to my dog, I came across looking for answers about this. Well, for starters a female dog may start to be in heat when she is about 6-12 months. This is because at this stage she may start to have her first estrous cycle. Although this is not always the case for all dogs as some larger dogs may start to have estrous during 12-24 months of their lives.

I noticed also that my dogs are bleeding much similar to a female human being. It may take about 2 weeks or so before being “in heat” subsides.

Tell tale signs

A female dog in heat may be recognized by the bleeding of her vagina. Also you will notice that the vulva is swelling. Aside from this, if you try to press her back, she may instinctively raise her tail in anticipation of a male dog embarking. You might have a little problem for small dogs as it is not easy to spot whether she is in heat or not.

During this period, female dogs can become pregnant that is why if you want to breed your dog always do it during her estrous days. In this manner, you increase the chance of her getting pregnant.

But whatever you want with your dog, always take care of your her and never forced her to mate just so you can have her litters. Just remember a dog is a loyal and sensitive pet.

The symptoms associated with parvovirus are very broad. And most infected dogs show any symptoms at all. Because of this most dogs that contracted parvovirus die because the owners do not detect the illness early on.


Parvovirus affects mostly dogs less than 6 months of age with the most brutal cases affecting less that 12 weeks of age. There are also significant differences in response to parvovirus infections and vaccines among different breeds of dogs, with Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, and Labrador Retrievers being more susceptible than other breeds.

The most common form of the disease is the intestinal form known as enteritis. Parvovirus enteritis is characterized by vomiting (often severe), diarrhea, dehydration, dark or bloody feces, and in severe cases, fever and lowered white blood cell counts. Acute parvovirus enteritis can be seen in dogs of any breed, sex, or age. The disease will progress very rapidly and death can occur as early as two days after the onset of the disease. The presence of gram negative bacteria, parasites, or other viruses can worsen the severity of the disease and slow recovery.

A less common form of the disease causes myocarditis (inflammation of the heart). This disease is very fatal to very young puppies, less than 8 weeks old, since it inflames the heart muscles and necrosis which causes breathing difficult. Older dogs that survive this form have scarring in the heart muscle.