Female Dogs in Heat & Reproduction

Female Dog Reproduction: People usually think that the female should breed once in their life to avoid health problems. Actually, nothing is farther from the truth. Science has shown that, just like with women, female dogs can have a perfectly healthy life without giving birth at any point. What's much recommended is to practice total sterilization between their 6 and 18 months of age. Hence, it's advisable that at no point in their life, should the female dog be forced to reproduce unless a serious, strict, and responsible plan is created for the dog and for the future puppies.

Keys on pseudo-gestation or psychological pregnancy
When does the female dog get in heat? It will occur necessarily during the phase after zeal, when the dog has ovulated

How long does it last? The same as a real gestation: 63 days, and in the most serious cases, after this period of time comes a phase of lactation (real production of milk), that needs to be immediately interrupted through a specific treatment to avoid the risk of infecting the mammary glands

How does it manifest? By general rule, the stomach grows proportionally, as do the lactating glands, and even the real production of milk in some cases as explained above. Females can even show some fixation to some object which they "adopt", even showing their maternal protective instincts when they feel their object is under hazard.

What's the cause? Excessive sensibility to their own hormonal activity during their zeal period, the excessive production of prolactine.

Is there a genetic factor? Undoubtedly yes. In fact, psychological pregnancies are usually transmitted from mother to daughter in the case of dogs.

What are the consequences? The animal animal takes the risk of infectious diseases in the reproductive organ.

How can it be avoided? When the animal doesn't respond to a specific hormonal treatment, the only solution is to go through a surgical procedure. Due to its big genetic factor, in no case should a female dog with consistent pseudo-pregnancies be bred. The female dog does not "cure itself" with a real pregnancy. It's extremely important to know that the female dog that's either a toy, small or medium breed should not even think about reproduction during their first zeal, and the same thing should be taken into consideration with female dogs of large breeds during their first 18 or 24 months of age, because by skipping this step their development can be risked and their health too. It helps avoid the risk of the feared piometra, a condition that affects female dogs, which in its most serious cases may even cause death. Sterilization should be avoided with dogs that are older than 5 years, otherwise there's a big chance that some secondary effects like obesity, urinary incontinence, among other mild conditions that don't jeopardize your animal's general health. Dog optimal pregnancy