What is the best time to inseminate or put a female dog to breed? To answer this question, this post will talk about the estrous cycle of female dogs. Let’s talk about the most fertile period of the female dog and the relationship of this period with bleeding, finally it will be discussed how the correct reproduction of dogs should be done.
When can a dog get pregnant after bleeding?
According to Leitao, who presented in his 2018 work that female dogs can be mated or inseminated from the 10th day after the end of bleeding. Care should be taken as some animals may bleed even after ovulation. So, if the tutor waits for the bleeding to end to perform the copulation, he may miss the appropriate moment.
The best way to know how many days after the onset of bleeding the animal can be reproduced is through vaginal cytology tests and hormone measurements made by a veterinarian. Through these tests it is possible to determine whether the animal is ovulating or not, thus performing the copulation at the exact moment for the dogs, having a greater guarantee of pregnancy.
The female dogs estrous cycle
To talk about the moment of reproduction it is necessary to understand a little about the estrous cycle of bitches.The estrous cycle in female dogs is divided into 4 phases:
- Proestrus;
- Estrus;
- Diestrus;
- Anestrus.
Proestrus
In proestrus, the female canine body is preparing for ovulation and pregnancy. In this phase, hormones make the females have vulvar swelling, bleeding and become more attractive to males. However, at this stage the female still does not accept the male’s copulation.
It is the phase of the “dating” of the dogs, it involves games of attraction between the dogs. Female dogs can be more agitated during this period and even run away. It is important to beware of unwanted leaks.
Bleeding occurs due to the increase in uterine vascularization due to the action of the estrogen hormone, prevalent in the proestrus of dogs. At the end of proestrus, estrogen reduces in the blood circulation of female dogs, giving way to progesterone, which prepares the uterus for pregnancy, so some animals reduce bleeding.
Estrus
Estrus, also known as heat, is the period in which the female accepts the male dog’s copulation. It is at this stage that ovulation of the female dog takes place. So only copulations in this period will make the female dogs get pregnant. Estrus can be shorter in some animals as well as longer in others, ranging from 7 to 21 days on average.
In female dogs, the vulva remains swollen, but the bleeding may stop. Care must be taken, as many owners think that the heat is over because some dogs has stopped bleeding. But many times, she is just going through her most fertile period.
Diestrus
The diestrus is the phase in which the uterus prepares to receive the embryos, it lasts from 58 to 68 days. Female dogs reduce vulvar edema, and may present translucent secretion in the vulvar region. It is at this stage that many bacteria can develop in the uterus of female dogs resulting in pyometra. And when female dogs reproduce in estrus, diestrus becomes the fetal developmental stage of pregnancy.
Anestrus
Anestrus is the longest phase, lasting up to 4 months in some animals. In this phase, hormonal quiescence occurs in female dogs. Normally at this stage, female dogs do not accept the mount, much less the male’s copulation, and thus can be quite aggressive. The vulva returns to its normal size which makes copulation even more difficult.
When is the best time for a female dog to become pregnant?
Female dogs are monoestrous, typically non-seasonal, polytocous, spontaneous ovulators animals, meaning they only come into heat once or twice a year. The best time to inseminate or reproduce a female dog is at the time of estrus, or heat. At this stage the female dogs will have already ovulated, the eggs will already be matured, just waiting for the spermatozoa for fertilization to take place.
Pregnancy care for females dogs before breeding
Breeding dogs should always be accompanied by a veterinarian. Only healthy dogs should be bred, so blood tests and tests for sexually transmitted diseases in dogs should be done.
Healthy female dogs must be vaccinated before mating and a deworming protocol must be carried out to avoid contamination of puppies intrauterine or after birth.
Some animals should receive vitamin supplements before and in the first days of pregnancy to avoid malformation problems in dogs. Female dogs must be at the ideal weight for the species, it is not desirable for obese or very thin females to breed. The diet of the pregnant dog can also change, so that the animal does not lose so much weight at the end of pregnancy.
Some female dogs can become very aggressive with males when the correct time for breeding dogs is not respected. Many times, animals can end up injured.
Also, it is not advised to leave the male and female together during the entire time of estrus. Because dogs can spend hours trying to copulate, thus stressing each other. In addition to having the possibility of getting hurt from trying so hard to copulate.
Conclusion
Only proestrus bleeding is not enough to define the exact moment for the female dog to mate and become pregnant. Other techniques can be used to identify the moment of ovulation of female dogs, indicating the exact moment for insemination or for natural copulation with the male dog. Several precautions must be taken before breeding dogs, so it is recommended that the animals be monitored by a veterinarian.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): When can a dog get pregnant after bleeding?
Is it possible to manipulate a female dog’s estrus with drugs, as in cows?
Yes, it is possible, but it is not so used because many female dogs also do not respond to hormonal protocols, so few animals go into heat. Therefore, it is recommended to let the animal come into heat naturally and the tutor will be accompanied until the exact moment of reproduction.
How long does pregnancy last in female dogs?
On average, the duration of pregnancy in female dogs is 63 days, ranging from 58 to 68 days from the day of mating. Veterinarians can dose hormones that will give a more accurate date for parturition. In addition, there are imaging tests that can indicate approximate parturition dates in female dogs.
Can female dogs have more than one heat per year?
Yes, some dog’s breeds can come into heat every 4 months. However, care should be taken as constant repetitions of heat can be a sign of endocrine diseases, so a veterinarian should be consulted to avoid health problems in dogs.
Reference
de Souza Teixeira, E. (2001). Princípios básicos para a criação de cães. NBL Editora.
Leitão, I. P. A. (2018). Manual básico para criação de um canil comercial: da legislação ao registro e manejo dos cães.
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