BREEDING DOGS AND CATS

 

The decision to breed is not one to make lightly. Please contact us to learn what may be involved before you breed your pets.

 

BREEDING:

Most bitches come into heat twice yearly, on a spring/fall basis, though some cycle summer/winter. Queens (female cats) have "breeding seasons" where they will repetitiously come into heat every 6 weeks until they get bred. Queens are induced ovulates, in other words, they ovulate when bred, and not before. These "breeding seasons" occur approximately every six months, and can last quite a long time, sometimes until the next breeding season. The veterinarian can induce ovulation in the queen if necessary to stop the heat cycles, though a false pregnancy may follow.

 

Felines usually take care of breeding themselves if allowed access to an intact male. Rarely is supervised breeding necessary. Canines, on the other hand, are more domesticated and often require assistance in both timing and breeding. With hand breeding it is often a good idea to muzzle the bitch if she is being bred to an unfamiliar male.

 

WHEN TO BREED:

The bitch initially shows that she is coming into heat when the vulva starts to swell. The owner needs to watch closely for this, as the female may be ready to breed within 9 to 11 days. The rule of thumb is to breed a bitch starting day ten (10) and again on day twelve (12) after she starts showing any blood in the vulvar discharge. This should be checked with a Q-tip as soon as vulvar swelling is noticed, and every day after that until a blood tinged swab is seen. This day is considered day 0. If the female has been bred before, she will know more when she is ready to breed than anyone else. It is best to breed the female twice, once on day 10, and once on day 12. A "tie" of 10 to 20 minutes is preferable. A "tie" is when the male and female are literally locked together, and often turn tail to tail. Be sure to monitor the animals during this period, and comfort them if they do not understand what is going on, or are uncomfortable. Other signs of readiness to breed include:

    

        1. Standing for the Male to mount

        2. "Flagging" the tail when the male approaches the hind quarters (the female actually holds                      

               the tail up or to the side)

        3. Multiple male dogs crowding around your house.

 

The female will be fertile for up to 4 days, in which she will stand to be bred, etc.

 

Some bitches have what is called a "silent heat." This is when the dog shows no signs of heat. Usually, the vulva is swollen, though in long haired breeds, this is often missed by the owner.

 

Should you be unsure when to breed the dog, or if you don't know if she is still in heat, a vaginal smear can be checked by a veterinarian and an estimation of when to breed, or whether the dog is still in heat can easily be made. Some bitches with silent heats require daily vaginal smears to determine when to breed, etc. If you have any further questions, give us a call at 444-8387. We would be glad to help.