General Care and Nursing - Care of the house pet in season

The care of the house pet in season presents certain problems. Some females, especially small ones, flow so little that heir discharge is hardly noticeable; other flow enough to stain furniture, floors, and coverings.

Your furniture, of course, can be protected with covers, which is not too difficult a task when the female is kept in a single room. When she has the run of the house, however , she can be dressed in commercially available sanitary panties. There also is a type of canine chastity belt to avert mating. But the vigour of male dog makes such contraptions not altogether safe. They cannot be completely relied upon. Neither can ointments or pills taken internally, advertised as protective for females in season, though they are helpful in masking her scent.

The sensible procedure is to imitate the practice of the professional kennel owner, who shuts the female in season securely in a separate room. In the home, windows, and other enclosures should be locked or otherwise safeguarded against accidental opening. Screened or storm doors leading to the yard or street should be carefully latched lest the female push them open and slip out.

Remember, wherever your female sits down and whatever the amount of her discharge, the scent will advertise her condition until a rousing good rain wipes it out. And when the female has returned to normal, that is, after three full weeks, give her a thorough shampoo-and-water bath to remove all traces of scent.

Caring for a female in season is not too difficult a task, but if you decide you would like to have your dog spayed you can still have it done. The operation is not performed during a seasonal period. Wait until about midway between seasons.