Mastiff that hasn’t been spayed will go into heat most probably every 6 months. The heat cycle usually lasts around 3 weeks during which your Mastiff girl would need special care.
Give more time and attention to your Mastiff during her heat cycle (she might become clingy and demanding). Keep your dog away from male dogs especially during walks. Walk your dog on a leash only. Feed her with more apeling food ( tastier cuts of meat, toppings, etc) since she may suffer from appetite loss. Keep all areas in your home as clean as possible.
If you want to get more details and tips about taking care of your Mastiff during the heat cycle keep reading this article.
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How Do I Comfort (Care) My Mastiff While in Heat?
The heat period is quite a special one and your Mastiff may behave much different than usual due to hormonal level changes. Of course, every dog is a different story.
Some Mastiffs may become more clingy during the heat period while others will be very agitated and possibly aggressive towards people. But all these changes are normal.
Another behavioral change you may notice is that your dog will be aggressive towards male dogs before she enters the fertile phase. Once she becomes receptive to males ( the most fertile phase) she will be aggressive to female dogs that she sees as competition.
During her heat cycle, your Mastiff girl may become needy, but also nervous sometimes. Take a little more time than usual to cuddle her. She really needs that.
Your dog may experience sudden changes in mood. Some days will be good while others will be bad. The best thing is that this period will come to an end and you will get your lovely puppy back! Just hang on
Distract her by providing some new and interesting toys
During her second phase called Estrus, she will have only one thought on her mind- to mate! In order to distract her and make her focus on something else, a new, interesting toy or some safe chew toys would be perfect.
Mastiff dogs in heat may feel more tired and sleepy. Provide a safe and calm zone, where she can rest as much as she wants.
Your dog may feel some pain due to cramps and aches, so gentle massage of her belly and the legs may physical discomfort.
During the first stage of the heat cycle, called Proestrus, your Mastiff girl will have vaginal bloody discharge.
Dogs usually lick themselves intensively during these days so most probably you won’t find any mess on your floor but still, if you do, don’t yell at her, just comfort her gently while you clean the mess.
Also, you may notice that your Mastiff pees more often than usual. The main ”culprit” for frequent urination are hormones. Your Mastiff girl leaves pheromones wherever she can, to inform males that she is ready to mate. Don’t worry, she hasn’t forgotten good potty break habits.
How To Walk My Mastiff While In Heat?
Some people mistakenly think that they shouldn’t walk the dogs in heat. On contrary, dogs in heat do require some physical activity. Although your Mastiff girl normally doesn’t need a great amount of exercise she still needs to go out.
When you walk your Mastiff girl while in heat, you need to take precautions to avoid any unpleasant situations like unwanted litter.
Did you know that Mastiff that was bred earlier may hold the semen for up to 5-7 days and wait for ovulation? That means that you need to be very careful and attentive right from the beginning of the heat cycle.
Although the most fertile period is when the discharge changes from bloody red to a more colorless, clear you have to take precautions before that.
First, make sure that the ID tag and microchip information is correct and up to date. Dogs in heat usually have a strong urge to escape so they can find a mate so this way you will find your Mastiff easier if she runs away.
Another thing, you can invest in a GPS tracker for even better results.
Never leave your Mastiff girl without supervision while outside. No matter you have a big yard with a tall/strong fence. You won’t believe what males are capable of when they smell the female in heat.
It’s recommended to walk your dog at the time of the day when is highly unlikely to meet a lot of other dogs – very early in the morning and late in the evening.
Don’t go to dog parks, dog shows, or public events where you think other dogs will show up. Choose some less busy place/park/path for a walk where you won’t be meeting other dogs.
It’s recommended to mask the scent of your female in heat. One of the popular solutions is to put some Chlorophyll liquid solution in your dog’s drinking water. It’s said to reduce the smell of Mastiff in heat. It seems that female canine in heat urine smells less intensive if this solution is used.
Giving your dog Chlorophyll tablets may also reduce the odor but you should consult the vet about the exact dosage. Never give any medicine to your dog before consulting the vet.
Some dog owners apply a tiny amount of Vicks VapoRub cream on the tip of her tail that should keep the males away from her but cause.
Dogs dislike menthol scent but you should be careful and do not let her lick the area you applied the cream as this product contains menthol and camphor among others and these are toxic to dogs.
Another solution is to use diluted essential oils that are safe for dogs, like tea tree oil. If you don’t have diluted tea tree oil you can make it by yourself. Every one drop of essential oil has to be diluted with 12 drops of carrier oil.
This is the safest proportion. If you have never used diluted essential oils, apply a tiny amount on your Mastiff’s body and check if it’s going to be any reaction/irritation. If not, you can use it carefully the same a Vicks Vapo Rub cream to mask the scent of the dog in heat.
You should try stopping male dogs to track her scent all the way from the park or some other spot to your home.
Males can detect the scent of a female in heat up to 3 miles. So they know that there is some female in heat even if they don’t see her.
They can track her smell all the way to your home and then hang around trying to get to her. This is a possibly dangerous situation that should be prevented.
If possible, take a car ride from to the place where you will walk with your Mastiff and then ride back home, males will have no chance to track your girl.
Don’t forget though that your Mastiff in heat should be always on a leash while outside. No matter how trained she is, her natural instincts would win in this situation, so keep her tight and never let any intact male come near her.
How To Keep Clean My Mastiff While In Heat?
Like we said in the beginning, the heat period is a bit different than anything else so different rules apply when it comes to hygiene as well.
As you know, the dog should have several baths during one year. The general rule of thumb for Mastiff is one bath per 2-6 weeks depending on your dog’s activity level and lifestyle.
Even though Mastiffs like other breeds maintain their intimate area really clean by licking themselves more than usual, they might need your help in order to keep a good level of cleanliness.
During the first phase ( around 7 days ) of the heat cycle, you might be able to see the bloody discharge. The amount of discharge varies from dog to dog but still, it can make a mess.
So some extra baths won’t cause any damage to your dog’s skin and fur. If you don’t feel the need to bathe your dog you can only wipe her intimate area on daily basis. This will keep her clean and will reduce the scent.
Many Mastiff owners use either disposable or washable diapers for dogs in heat. This can prevent a mess but never consider these items as contraception for dogs ( as some owners do) as males will easily find the way even if a female wears diapers or heat pants. The main downside of doggy diapers is that they prevent normal airflow so your Mastiff may catch some bacterial infection.
You can also place disposable absorbent pads on the place where your pet sleeps. Other options are pale-colored blankets that are easy to wash and bleach. You would need a couple of them, since you may need to change them 2-3 times a day. You can also use washable pee pads.
What To Do If My Mastiff In Heat Won’t Eat?
This is a completely normal thing. Especially for the second phase ( Estrus). Your female canine friend has only one job to do and that is to find the mate and breed. Nothing else matters, not even the food.
Luckily the appetite loss during heat doesn’t last long enough to harm your dog but still, you have to do your best so your Mastiff gets all nutrients she needs.
No matter how well she usually eats, during those days she may become a fussy eater. That means that she likes one food today but totally dislikes it tomorrow. As a good dog parent, you have to cope with it.
- Offer her favorite food more often than you usually do.
- Bribe her with some tasty treats.
- Give her tastier cuts of meat.
- Put some delicious topping over her regular food. That can be a healthy and tasty fish or coconut oil or even peanut butter. You can always purchase ready- to use toppers or cook a delicious unsalted chicken broth and soak her kibbles in it. It will give her a different texture and improve its dry food taste.
- Treat her with some tasty fruits like blueberries, strawberries, or bananas.
- If she used to kibbles, mix them with some wet food
Always make sure your Mastiff drinks enough water to keep her hydrated.
If she refuses to eat, try hand-feeding, in some cases, it helps since she needs more of your attention and affection.
Your Mastiff girl won’t be so interested in food during the first and second phase of her heat cycle ( around 2 weeks ) If her appetite doesn’t recover and get back on track after the heat cycle symptoms are over, you should consult the vet.
Conclusion
Your Mastiff will go into heat every 6 months or so, will stay in heat for approximately 3 weeks, and during that period she will require special care and attention.
The most important thing you need to do is to give her more cuddles and more of your time if she asks for them.
Another equally important thing is to keep her away from an intact male. This means that you should seal up your house, don’t let any intact male come in, always supervise your girl while outside, walk her on a leash and never let her go near males.
I really do hope that you find this article helpful and that you will find some tips on how to handle and properly take care of your Mastiff female in heat.
