My pit bull is in heat, whats the best way to keep the mess at a minimum?

We had a rescue dog who went into heat. Her heat lasted about 10 days and the vet did ask that we wait to have her spayed until after it had ended. We have tile floor and so simply mopped behind her as she went through the house, but I know the woman across the street who breeds little tiny poodles uses those disposable doggie diapers when hers are in heat and in the house. I have seen them atPetsMart.

Make sure to keep her inside or be with her when she is outside in case a male dog finds her (and they will).

I know alot about dogs and im a dog lover but i’ve never heard of a dog who is in heat..

what does that mean? :o

@irocktheworld – Unlike people, dogs can only get pregnant at specific times during the year. When they are able to do so they bleed vaginally and every male dog from miles around comes to visit. It is called being in heat. There is more information about the whole process here.

Depends on which mess you mean. If she’s more temperamental during heat and you’re concerned about the mess she’ll make when she attacks some unsuspecting stanger who comes to pay a visit, there is a great question on here about how to remove blood from a wall.
For the serious answer… keep her confined to a room with a hard floor rather than carpet so you can easily clean up the mess. They do also make doggy diapers that you could resort to if necessary, but she may chew at these and make an even bigger mess with them. Another option (not a great one in my opinion) is to keep her in a kennel while inside. If you do that, be sure to let her out a lot more frequently.

I would go with the doggie diapers, but also confine her to areas of the house that are easier to clean (such as linoleum) in case of leaks. When I was younger I had a friend who’s family also bred poodles (strange coincidence, eh @Darwin)? and they did fine with the diapers. It looks hella weird though.

You do not have to wait until she is finished bleeding to get her spayed. I suggest taking her to a very good vet immediately so that no accidents happen and the mess is kept to a minimum

I don’t think any vet will spay a dog in heat… At least I know mine won’t. It places the dog at very high risk for permanent hormone imbalances.

@juwhite1 Your blood on the wall comment wasn’t because she’s a Pit Bull, right?

No – I was worried it would be interpreted that way. I think pit bulls (that aren’t abused or taught to attack) are very loving animals. Lots of dogs in heat, on the other hand, are much more vicious than their normal temperaments would suggest, and are much more territorial when visitors come into their space.

@juwhite1 I suspected that was the case but I just thought I’d check before the Pit Bull soapbox came out. :)

Very good point, BTW!

well her temperament hasn’t changed. shes still a sweetie.

for the time being i took an old pair of underwear and cut a hole for her tail and safty pinned it to her ass. she doesn’t seem to mind it…

@BBSDTfamily – While it is possible to spay a dog that is in heat, most vets refuse because the dog runs a much higher risk of hemorrhage during that time. The uterine blood flow is maximized and so surgery is riskier then.

@Darwin Yes I know, and if at all possible I advise waiting until the dog is out of heat, but if there is a chance she could become pregnant or has mated with a male, then I think the dog should be spayed immediately.

she hasn’t. we keep a close eye on her, not only because she is in heat but because she is a rescued pit bull….

Our vet won’t spay a dog while it (the dog not the vet) is in heat. Put a doggie diaper on her and keep her confined until it’s over. You can buy cheap panty liners to put in the doggie diaper and just change them out. I think sometimes the length of the heat cycle can vary much like a human female cycle.