Went into heat 3 days before being Spayed

Chloe is 6 months and 2 weeks old. I had her sced. to get spayed Tuesday morning. Yesterday she wasn't eating much and she is normally a pig. Then today I noticed blood on her bottom and on the kitchen floor. I'm heartbroken that I let her have her first heat and not getting her spayed in time. She still isnt eating much and kind of fussy. Is this normal during first heats? When can I get her spayed now? I'm going to have to call and cancel her appointment. I'm so angry with myself for letting this happen. How long do they bleed for? Will she get her appetite back? Am I awful for being to late in getting her spayed? Is this going to affect her badly? Sorry for all the questions...I should of sced. her for last week, then this wouldn't of even happened!

Hey, dont beat yourself up about this! :flwr:

Personaly (& is only my opinion!) I believe that they should have a first season before they are spayed anyway, when I was first learning about dogs (& small animals in college) I was taught they should have a season to sort out hormones & let everything grow into place properley - this was 16 years ago & attitudes have changed but if I had a bitch puppy I wouod still let her have a season before spaying - I did with Cass & she's 11 & has has no problems because of it.

The season cycle is 28 days - although she may not bleed as long being her first season & all. When Cass had her one & only season I put a pair of knickers on her so she didnt drip (although she kept herself very clean anyway) - you can get hygenic pants (made my Miki I think) specialy for dogs from pet shops.

I would book her in for spay aprox 3 months after she stops bleeding - I did this with Cass & she's 100% fine!

Hi

I totally agree with Dublin the optimium time is half way between the end of her first season and the start of her next ,about 6 weeks ,my three girls first season was about 3 weeks from when first noticed ,but they were all light.

We have Amie booked in for Friday, and I'm hoping she doesn't go into season before this. We were originally going to wait until she had her first season, but then a lot of people were saying we should do it before the first season. It is hard to know sometimes!

Hi Kristy, Dont get yourself in a panic, everything is going according to Mother Natures plan !! Our Amber has just started her 1st season at 8 months, she has also gone off her food (organic beef mince n kibble) and suddenly prefers the cats tinned stuff.

The 'messy stage' lasts only about 7 or 8 days, then the discharge will go clear. Between 14 and 21 days the clear discharge begins to dry up and the swelling goes back to normal. The whole thing takes about 21 days.

Please note: During the 'season' even the sweetest, cutest little Cavvie becomes a sex godess to any un neutered male in the area. She will
try to get out and mate. You must be very careful and extra vigilant for the next few weeks, especially when letting her out in your garden .

Tip: When taking her out for walks etc carry her to the car or park. Otherwise you will have a whole gang of unsuitable suitors hanging around outside your front, as they can smell an in season bitch miles away.

I'd echo what Dublin says about the right time to get her speyed.

Dont get in a state about it. You had your plans, and dear old Mother Nature had hers - she beat you to it! Personally I believe its always best to let a bitch have her first season b4 having her speyed.

Don't worry. It happened with Pixie, too, though I wasn't worried about it. I had already read some cavalier literature that said spaying at closer to a year would allow them to develop into a more "correct-for-their-sex" type shape. Girls will look more "girlish" and boys more "boyish" due to the hormones they have while filling out and growing that second half of their first year. It might be a good thing.
With Pixie, she had her first season at just barely 5 months (she might have been just under 5 months!) I was really shocked and not prepared. and yes, my sweet little dog who never needed a leash to come when called and stay right with me spent her heat cylce (after the first few days) trying to dash off and find love. Use a leash!

People will know I take a firm stance on this issue but will argue the point again. I strongly believe that setting minor changes in a dog's appearance against an increased lifetime risk of mammary cancer or a possible coat change is a discussion that HAS to come down on the side of health, not appearance. Think about what is being discussed! -- how are such decisions any better than what many here rightly condemned about dogs bred for appearance, not health?

A 7% lifetime risk is a very significant risk and the highest health risk factor in the debate, such as it is, between spaying or not to spay,or to delay spaying -- the risks associated with neutering are TINY compared to the 7% risk for females after first heat and the whopping 25% risk after two heats! -- a one of four chance of cancer -- far higher than the lifetime risk for woman of breast cancer. The change in appearance is highly subjective anyway -- females don;t change much at all to become 'more feminine' -- set against the fact that male cavaliers are not the most masculine looking male anyway, and I've had intact males referred to as 'she' by people that meet the dogs, so who cares? Not the dogs :lol, At any rate your dog's appearance and how 'correct' it appears is almost entirely going to depend on its background and lineage, and whether the breeder is a show breeder, not whether it gets spayed or neutered at any particular age. And only a tiny proportion of the world is going to know what a correct female or male head or body should look like in the breed -- and this too is highly subjective and has changed utterly over time (I have a 1960s book in which the breed looks far more springer-like!) -- so does this truly matter?

The idea that females benefit from a first litter hasn't been taught in vet schools in well over a decade now because cancer risks are better understood. In addition the mortality risk from a pregnancy is perhaps the highest death risk a female dog can suffer. And as any unexpected pregnancy is likely to produce cross puppies that just add to the roster of unwanted puppies that can be very difficult to rehome, that's a death risk to the puppies as well -- or a burden to a rescue or pound that is left trying to home them or putting them to sleep as unhomeable.

Most of the dogs that I and friends in rescue have had come in with serious medical problems (that are not heart related, in my case) are directly related to the fact that they are intact still --cancerous testicles, prostrate problems needing surgery, mammary tumours. Most of the serious problems I have known in females outside SM or MVD is pyometra. According to one Swedish study of insurance records, the risk for pyometra in this breed is considerably higher than normal -- over 40%.

Six months is the generally recommended age at which to spay and most females won't come into heat at this age, so there's no fault or blame for a dog that surprisingly goes into heat -- just be sure to manage it carefully, then arrange for a spay three months after it ends.

There is no right or wrong answer. And it has more health consequence than an increase in mammary cancer. Bitches spayed early are more prone to bladder cancer, incontinence, being hypothyroid or heaven forbid bone cancer (which is difficult to treat).
My cavaliers come from show dogs-- that are left intact for breeding until as late as 7 or more years old, so far cancer isn't an issue.