How Long Are Pit Bulls In Heat?
Heat cycle is actually a female’s reproductive cycle when she is available to mate with male dogs. So if you are excited at the idea of having little puppies in your home, then you must be also having proper knowledge of the heat cycle expected in your female pit bull. Because in this way you will be having adequate time for planning the upcoming event.
So, the question is that how long Pitbulls stay pregnant? Like all dogs, the Pitbulls will stay pregnant for nine weeks (63 days). However, there are some variables that may increase or decrease a few days. Therefore, it is necessary to get some tests run by a veterinarian to determine a more specific date of expectation for your Pitbull.
Just like human beings, a dog’s pregnancy can be separated into three trimesters. However, in the case of Pitbull, each trimester will last for approximately three weeks (21 days). However, in the starting days, it is a bit difficult to verify without running any diagnostic test, whether your Pitbull is actually pregnant or not?
If your Pitbull is presenting some medical conditions, then she will show symptoms of pregnancy even she is not pregnant.
When will my Pitbull have Her First Heat?
A female pitbull will have her first heat at any age between 6 to 24 months. During this stage, dog diapers are required. If you are worried about any fluid discharges and leave your female pitbull outside, then you must take precautions to keep the male dogs away from your dog that might come and mate, leading to an unplanned pregnancy.
Common Symptoms of Pregnancy in Pitbulls
The experienced common symptoms of Pregnancy in Pitbulls are listed as below:
- Increase in weight
- Darkening of nipples
- Swelling of nipples
- Sickness early in the morning
- Fatigue and decrease in appetite
- Discharge of milky fluid from nipples
- Swaying of Belly
- Frequent urination
- Getting alert more than usual
The up-mentioned symptoms can be confused with early pregnancy even if it is due to some other medical condition.
It can be tempting for some Pitbull owners to touch the belly of their dog to feel for puppies. But it should be kept in mind that doing so will prove to be a risk of harming the fetuses or there could be a case of miscarriage. Therefore, one must be careful in doing so.
During the pregnancy stage, it is a better idea to consult a vet for a bit of adequate advice.
What does it actually mean when a Pitbull is going through her heat cycle?
During heat, a Pitbull is fertile and becomes available and interested in breeding. During this stage, there will be a spike in the estrogen hormone, which will drop when there will be placing of mature eggs in the uterus. So, during this stage, the puppies are possible by the female Pitbull.
Female Pitbulls get into heat two times a year. Keeping an efficient knowledge about each stage of pregnancy would help you to tackle any upcoming problem.
Breeding at less than 1.5 years of age can be very hard on any dog and can even retard the speed of her growth as she is already growing a puppy in her body. It is your duty as a dog owner to make sure that she does not breed accidentally.
The word “heat” actually stands for just the part of the estrous cycle that a female dog experiences the most during her entire life. There are 4 stages of the estrous cycle. These stages are listed below with information for your guidance.
1. Proestrus
Proestrus is the first stage of the heat cycle. This stage is identified by the swollen vulva (known as female genitalia). At this stage, the male dogs will show more interest in her. During this stage, her personality will start to change a little bit. During this stage, a female dog will start playing more sexual games with others. During the Proestrus stage, mounting and chasing behavior will start to become more significant.
During this stage, there will have some slight bleeding from her genitalia. This is sometimes compared to a period in humans, but it is actually the beginning, not the end of the cycle, unlike the human females. This bleeding is actually the second physical sign of the estrous cycle and will last for 5 to 7 days.
2. Estrus
During this stage, your dog will still have a swollen vulva. However, the discharge will be lighter and will become more clear. This is the stage during which the male dogs will become super-excited and aggressive and will leave no stone unturned to mate with her.
However, the female dog will be more receptive to the male dog she likes the most and will eventually mount her. If she hates a particular male dog, she will never mount her in whatsoever condition.
The duration of this stage is between 5 to 7 days. You may confirm by the scratching of her tail that she is ready to mate. If she moves her tail to the side, then it may indicate that she is receptive to males. During this stage, never leave her unsupervised. Untethered males will do anything, jump over the fences to reach the female dog.
3. Diestrus
This is actually the period that is after the heat of your female pitbull and will last the length of the pregnancy which is about 54-60 days. Even if she does not get pregnant, this stage will still last for roughly two weeks. It is just the opposite of humans that pregnancy would not interrupt the estrus cycle. During this stage, the discharge will stop and her vulva will return to normalcy.
During this stage, the personality of the female dog will also return to normal, and male dogs will no longer be interested in the female dog.
She will experience lactation and will try to mommy any stuffed animal that she has access to. This is quite normal behavior in a female dog during this stage.
4. Anestrus
This is basically the last stage in the heat cycle. During this stage, there will be a lack of hormonal activity in your female pitbull. She will be no longer protecting her stuffed animals as the hormones which are responsible for pseudopregnancy are no longer there to kick.
However, if she was pregnant, she would be caring for puppies most of the time. This time can last for 30 to 90 days (1 month to 3 months).
Swollen Teats After Female Pitbull has been in Heat
You might be worried that why your female Pitbull’s nipples are in heat even heat has ended? It is uncommon to have swollen teats of Pitbull, but it is nothing to be worried about.
Should you get your Pitbull treated to prevent heat?
It depends entirely on the choice of an owner. There are pros and cons to getting your dog fixed. If you are getting your dog fixed just to prevent any sort of reproductive cancer, then you should keep in mind that it is not the solution. Even your vet might suggest that it is beneficial to tackle reproductive cancer, but it does not treat it at all.
According to research made by the University of California Davis, there is an increase in the risk of some joint disorders and other types of cancers than the ones that spaying may prevent. However, these disorders and problems can vary from breed to breed.
It has been evident as per the suggestions and experiences of the Pitbull owners that getting your dog fixed after the first heat cycle is the best. It is because if she is fixed before she is sexually mature then it can cause serious bone problems as she gets older. It occurs due to hormone deficiency or slow-release caused due to fixing problems.
Advantages of Spaying
There are some risks associated with spaying. However, there are some advantages of spaying that should be taken into account. One of them is that mating drive in the female Pitbulls will no longer exist. Spaying actually depends on if you do not want any extra pairs of puppies. If you have made up your mind of getting your dog spayed, then you must consult the vet for any kind of recommendations and prior tests.
Conclusion
It can be said that Pitbulls do have the same duration of heat cycle just like some other dogs. However, during this time, they do need a lot of care, love, and affection from your side. It must be made sure that they have easy access to all types of food, veterinary diagnostic tests, and a relaxing environment in order to give birth to litter without suffering from pain.
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