Urgent - Heat Cycle Question

[Boonech]

OK, it's been several years since I've had one in heat...

Annie's one the backside of her cycle (she's been in about 3-4 weeks) and we've noticed that her nipples are a little enlarged. Is that normal? My son says they've been enlarged throughout her heat, but I just noticed it a few days ago.

If a male has gotten to her I would just die, but I really don't see how that is possible. But those nipples just remind me of a pregnant bitch!

[Owen's Mom]

My friend's boxer had a false pregnancy during her first heat cycle and her nipples got huge, and get huge on every heat cycle she's had since. They'll breed her on the next one (Around December) as they must, due to the contract they bought her on (She's from champion lines etc...). Then, they're going to run, not walk, to the vet and have her fixed. They hate that they can't take her anywhere, her heat is a huge mess, her temperment gets very snippy etc.

I'm wondering, are you planning on breeding or did you just want to wait to have her fixed until she'd been through her first heat?

~~Amy~~

[~8DachsieAngels~]

Its probably just a false pregnancy the nippples always look different once the female has had her heat its a sign of maturity shes no longer a baby http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif I wouldnt worry unless she has been in contact with other males... also sometimes a female can have a false preg. about 3 or 4 weeks after the heat cycle she may act and even look pregnant if this happens i would have her to the vet... because sometimes its hard to tell a false preg. from the real thing http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

Jen

[Boonech]

Uhmm, false pregnancy. I hadn't thought of that - Hope that's it.

I haven't even seen any male dogs around at any time during this month, and I've been with her when she's out (unless my husband got lazy and let her out when I wasn't around!) There is a male springer spaniel across the street but he's always on leash when he is out. My husband says it wouldn't be physically possible for her and the spaniel to mate, but I think it would be possible...and disastrous. However, I really don't believe there has been that opportunity.

I had actually planned to have her spayed before she came in, but with all we were going through with the dog attacks (female - no worries there) her first heat took me by surprise.

I'm boarding her at our vet's this weekend while we are out of town. I guess it would be too early for him to tell anything?

[wireweiners]

Its natural for the nipples to get larger during the heat cycle. Hormones, you know. It's probably too early for her to be experiencing a false pregnancy. Even if a male did get to her (which doesn't sound likely) if you spay her immediately after she goes out it will be safe and you won't have puppies to worry about.

BTW, tell your hubby it is possible. Where there's a will, there's a way. My mom and dad's old wire once bred one of his catahoula females. Fortunetly, there weren't any pups. We were sort of torn between being glad and wondering what the pups would have looked like.