At what age should a female start her first heat cycle?

[GraciesMom]

Hello all. Gracie has a hooded vulva. Her vet recommended letting her go through one heat cycle since a hooded vulva often resolves itself at that point. Gracie is now 10 months old and has yet to go into heat. Should I be worried about that? I thought smaller breeds started around 6 months old.

 

[2bullymama]

It can be anytime after 6mths.. [MENTION=4]davidh[/MENTION]


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[GraciesMom]

Thanks Christine, good to know she is still on track.

 

[dermich]

I have a girl that is 15 months and still no cycle, her sister was 8 months.

 

[GraciesMom]

Thank you Dermich, that will keep me from worrying if it doesn't show up in the next few months.

 

[davidh]

They can take awhile for their first heat, so I would not worry. I have seen some take about a year to get their first heat cycle.

 

[GraciesMom]

Thank you David. I'll stop worrying now. She had a rough start health-wise which makes me overly concerned about any aspect of her health. She seems to be doing well at the moment though. She weighed only 9 lbs at 6 months but now she's closing in on 15 lbs. She'll be 10 months old on 9/4.

 

[GraciesMom]

Thought I’d give everyone an update. Today was the day. You can tell by her expression how she feels about her new diaper — complete distain.

 

[2bullymama]

Thought I’d give everyone an update. Today was the day. You can tell by her expression how she feels about her new diaper — complete distain.

View attachment 12322

Lol... but she is rockin those ‘jeans’


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[Frenchie Grrrl]

Haha! So cute! Is the diaper staying on ok? Seems like it would slip right off with their tiny hips. I need to be prepared for when my Gracie's time comes.

 

[GraciesMom]

Good question Frenchie Grrrl! An emphatic NO -- they don't stay on. It didn't take me long to discover they slip right off. They have a hole for the tail but Gracie doesn't have one to hold them in place. I tried human diapers (since she doesn't need the hole), but she slips right out of those too. Just today I ordered doggie diapers with suspenders. I was persuaded by the review of a purchaser with a 9 month old, 17 pound Frenchie who said they were the only thing that worked (with a few modifications). They are supposed to arrive Thursday so I'll report back once I've tried them.

 

[Frenchie Grrrl]

Yeah, I've seen some of the ones with suspenders on Etsy and was leaning toward buying them when the time came. Let me know how they work for you. Good luck!!

 

[GraciesMom]

As promised, here is an update on the diaper dilemma. I ordered diapers with suspenders (Alfie brand). They are not the perfect solution either. First off, they are lightweight and require some type of absorbent pad. There is a mesh pocket in which to insert the pad. However, the mesh pocket does not hold the pad well -- it tends to bunch up. And the tail hole causes a problem for Gracie -- she leaks right through it. Plus the diaper runs small. Based on a review by a Frenchie owner I ordered a large. It fits, but tightly, especially around the legs. Gracie is a small Frenchie (just over 16 lbs). What I ended up doing (picture below) is first putting on a human diaper (size 2) and then covering it with the doggie diaper. She can still slip out of it but it's the best solution so far.

 

[Frenchie Grrrl]

Thanks for the update. The ones I was looking at on Etsy are handmade, so I was hoping that I could get one without a tail hole. They are pretty expensive, though, so if they didn't work, I'd be super disappointed.

 

[GraciesMom]

As long as you're getting custom, I'd ask them to make the diaper an appropriate length for Gracie. I have a hunch that one of the problems with both the human and doggie diapers I've tried is that they're too short. They sit low on the bottom. If they came to her natural waist I could cinch them in. Since her waist is narrower than her hips it would be harder for them to slide off. You can see what I mean in the picture -- how low they ride.

 

[Cbrugs]

What about putting on a onesie to help hold the diaper in place?


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[GraciesMom]

I've never thought of that Cbrugs. That could work. And it would probably be more comfortable. The suspenders are tight and bother her I think. What size do you get for your Frenchie?

 

[GraciesMom]

Who knew? In following up on Cbrugs suggestion of a onesie, I discovered a product on Amazon developed by a vet for the precise problem I'm having. It's called a surgi snuggly diaper keeper. It is a body length garment specifically designed to hold a diaper or pad in place for pets in heat or incontinant. It has pretty good reviews too. I will be passing up on this wonderful invention however, since I believe our saga is about to end -- we're in day 10 and the "flow" seems to be diminishing. I thought I'd pass it on for those of you who might have the need in the future.

 

[Cbrugs]

I've never thought of that Cbrugs. That could work. And it would probably be more comfortable. The suspenders are tight and bother her I think. What size do you get for your Frenchie?

I have a male so never dealt with this but I think I saw the idea on Facebook somewhere.


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[GraciesMom]

Of course, Jax wouldn't be needing them. But it is a great idea.