We often encounter such a phenomenon as menopause. More precisely, representatives of the weaker sex clash. Everyone has heard about female menopause at least once; the female half often jokes about it in many humorous shows. With a person, everything seems to be clear. What is the situation with our four-legged friends?
Dogs spend most of their time with us. Often we eat together, watch TV, wallow and walk. People tend to “humanize” their favorites. Some attributed qualities include menopause in dogs. But is it? Are we mistaken when we forget about precautionary measures in the elderly age of the pet? And is there a menopause in dogs?
Estrus
Let's start small. Women have normal menstrual cycles before menopause, and dogs have estrus.
The first estrus is a bell that your four-legged girlfriend is ready for pregnancy. Rather, her puberty signals this. However, the body is still too young for puppies. Therefore, it is better to bitch a bitch after the third estrus.
A healthy dog’s estrus passes one, two or three times a year. In small dogs, it can manifest itself more often. And it lasts no longer than three to four weeks.
There are cases when a dog gave birth at the age of six to eight years. And here the question arises, when the estrus ends.
Menopause in women
Now it’s worth a little more to find out about menopause in order to understand whether menopause can begin in a dog.
Climax is a constant natural state, indicating a loss of the ability to give birth to children. This inevitable “curse” is completely natural.
Menopause has its own consequences. What happens to the female body? The skin ceases to be elastic, soft, capillaries come out, the skin on the hands (and not only) hangs a little. Also, a woman may feel discomfort and experience emotional depression.
The body is aging. Our favorites also do not grow younger over the years. Does this mean that they may have menopause?
Is there a menopause in dogs?
And here you have the answer to your question.
The answer may shock inexperienced owners. A dog is able to give birth almost to death. That is, menopause is completely absent. Yes, such a bitter truth awaits those who have not taken care of sterilizing an old bitch. Then it makes no sense to ask whether there is a menopause in dogs or not. The result is one - a pregnant poor dog is not able to give birth and even bear puppies. Unfortunately, the owner most often remains without offspring and without a dog.
Before buying a new puppy, it is very important to consult with the breeder about all the nuances of raising and caring for the baby.
However, the dog may slow down estrus, leak less frequently, but not stop. If this happens, then not for normal physiological reasons.
Anostria and pyometra
As you know, menopause is definitely absent in dogs. However, estrus can still stop, which will be a signal for you about the disease. Immediately show your pet to a good veterinarian.
Among the possible ailments may be anostria and pyometra.
Anostria. In fact, this ailment is not as terrible as a pyometer. It may be congenital or acquired. The main symptom is the absence of estrus in the female. This is due to the fact that the thyroid gland and the anterior pituitary gland produce few hormones. The cause of this disease can be the terrible content of the pet.
Pyometer. Pyometra is an inflammatory process that occurs in the uterus of a dog. Inside it are abscesses. It exists in both open and closed form. Risk group - pets over six years old. Most often, it begins after a pet's estrus.
The closed form is characterized by the following symptoms: unwillingness to eat, lethargy, drowsiness, a dog drinks large quantities of water and often asks for a toilet, body temperature reaches forty degrees and above, a bloated stomach.
The open form is characterized by an increased, but not much, temperature, decreased appetite, from the loop (the sexual organ of a bitch), foul-smelling purulent discharge oozes.
If your pet has the above symptoms, immediately make an appointment with your veterinarian.
The answer to the question is, is menopause in dogs or not. It is better to take care of the dog’s health and carry it to sterilization at the age of seven to eight years, so that there is no unwanted pregnancy that could end in the death of a four-legged family member. The dog is already experiencing tremendous stress and strain on the body during the gestation period of puppies, even at a young age.