Last Updated on September 29, 2024 by admins
After maturity, Yorkies in heat symptoms start to show up to give us a sign of breeding and pregnancy time. If you are planning to breed your Yorkie, you should look for these symptoms. Additionally, you have to learn how to deal with your female during this stage. The heat cycle consists of four stages, pay attention not to introduce the male to your female during all the stages. In this guide, I will take you through Yorkies in heat symptoms and what you should do in each stage.
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What Are The Yorkies In Heat Symptoms?
Yorkie females usually experience heat symptoms as early as four months or as late as 18 months of age. Moreover, the average age is 10 to 12 months, this is the age that you can expect Yorkies to go into heat. Heat symptoms are signs that let you know that your female is ready for mating and pregnancy. The following are Yorkies in heat symptoms;
Swollen Vulva
The vulva becomes large and soft in the first stage of the heat cycle to return to its normal size by the end. Additionally, the color of the vulva may appear darker than normal.
Appetite Change
Sometimes the Yorkie female eats more than normal and other times she eats less. Furthermore, during the heat cycle, she experiences hormonal changes making her tired so she may eat more or less than normal.
Vaginal Discharge
The amount and color of vaginal discharge differ depending on each stage. In the first stage, you will see a bloody dark discharge. However, in the last stage, you will notice pink discharge with a lesser amount.
Change In Her Mood
The heat cycle is a tough period for the female Yorkie with lots of hormonal changes. That is why she may have some mood changes. For instance, she can be aggressive sometimes, however, after some time she may become social.
Nesting Behavior
She might bring some toys to her area and treat them as her babies. This is the natural instinct of motherhood, however, not all dogs show this behavior.
How Often Do Yorkies Go In Heat?
Yorkie females go through their first heat or period within the age of 10 to 12 months on average. They go into heat two to three times per year, however, senior females may have just one heat per year. The number of heat cycles decreases within age though they do not experience actual menopause.
Keep in mind that it is not recommended to conceive your female in her first period as her uterus is not ready well to carry babies. Furthermore, senior females usually can not tolerate pregnancy at this age, her body is tired enough from previous pregnancies and age health conditions.
How Long Do Yorkies Stay In Heat?
Female Yorkies stay in heat for about two to four weeks depending on each cycle and age of the female as well. The heat cycle consists of four stages are Proestrus, Estrus, Diestrus, and Anestrus. The cycle repeats itself every five to six months.
The first two stages of the heat cycle (Proestrus, Estrus) last between 14 and 21 days and are called the bleeding stages. However, the last two stages (Diestrus, Anestrus) are rest and recovery stages for non-pregnant females. Moreover, the female can be pregnant in the last two stages.
Learn more about Taking Care Of A Yorkie Puppy.
What To Do When Your Dog Is In Heat?
Do Not Let Her Alone In The Yard
Be vigilant not to let her alone outside the house because males can identify female Yorkies in heat from their pheromones. Additionally, if you are planning to conceive her, introduce the male just in the estrous stage when she is ready for that.
Provide Her With A Quiet Place
Make sure to provide her with a quiet place away from children as she is exhausted and needs some rest. Furthermore, if any one of the children annoyed her, she may behave in an aggressive way.
Be Careful From The Discharge
Try to use disposable or washable diapers to prevent staining your furniture and house with her vaginal discharge. Additionally, you may find sticky discharge into her hairs so use some wipes to remove it or give it a bath.
Exercise
Do not quit exercising her, however, you can make some slight changes to accommodate this stage. You can exercise her frequently for shorter periods like a walk for 10 minutes to be 3 times per day.
Nutrition
Ensure feeding her high-quality food that does not contain lots of fillers or preservatives. I advise you to go for organic food that contains mainly proteins with some vegetable and carb sources such as Hill’s Science. Additionally, ask your vet to prescribe some vitamins and minerals for her during this critical period.
What Should I Do If I Am Not Planning To Breed My Yorkie?
If you are not intending to breed your female Yorkie, opt for spaying her. First, you should wait till ending her period and make sure not to let any male stay close to her. Then go to the vet to spay it, in other words, the vet will remove the ovaries and uterus of your female in order not to get pregnant.
Although some doctors recommend spaying the female before getting her first period to avoid mammary cancer, you can go to the vet and discuss with him the appropriate age or time for your Yorkie.
When To Start Using Yorkie Pregnancy Calendar?
The 100% proof that your Yorkie is pregnant is ultrasound checks and lab tests. However, there are some signs that make you figure out that your female is pregnant. These signs start to show up from the end of the fourth week of mating.
Your female may become sleepy and tired with some appetite changes. Additionally, her nipples and abdomen start to grow. Furthermore, frequent urination, vomiting, and body trembling may occur.
Learn more about Yorkie Pregnancy Week By Week.
Final Thoughts
Female Yorkies are exactly like female humans, both go through periods. If your female reaches the age of 10 to 12 months, you should expect her heat anytime. However, if she doesn’t get her first heat by the age of 18 months, go to the vet to check her. For further questions, please keep me posted in the comments below.