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Pet Care Education

Practical tips and guides for caring for dogs, cats, and exotic pets at home.

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Estrus / Heat Cycle in Dogs and Cats: Signs, Frequency, and Management (Why Spaying Is Better)

A complete guide to the estrus cycle in female dogs and cats: the 4 phases in dogs (proestrus, estrus, diestrus, anestrus), the seasonal polyestrus cycle in cats, characteristic signs (vocalisation, lordosis, swollen vulva), age of onset, management without spaying (diapers, preventing escape), pseudopregnancy, and why spaying gives long-term health benefits (pyometra, mammary cancer, lifespan).

19 May 2026 12 min read