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Season of the Bitch
The trials and tribulations of a dog in season
We’re back here in the land of Canine. For yet another tale of idle doggerel.
Moth is in season. It usually lasts 3–4 weeks so we have another 1–2 weeks left. This means she is strictly confined to lead walks only. It also behoves us to be constantly vigilant of any unneutered male dogs amorously roaming these parts. Her ‘come-get-me-boys’ smell is likely to reach far and wide. Fortunately most dogs these days have been deprived of their manhood so we’ve no pestering from potentially fertile suitors.
Moth with a belly full of pups is unthinkable. I understand a Rottweiler litter can be especially abundant — with as many as 16 puppies at any given procreation. Okay, if you have a ranch or large property of any kind. Ours is a modest three-bedroomed terrace. Certainly not designed to manage a sudden and copious influx of pissing and defecating, fat, little puppies.
In this case, it is reasonable to wonder why we haven’t arranged for Moth to be spayed. Job done, you might think. End of problem. We agonised over this for a while. And after much research, it appears that female Rottweilers without their reproductive bits have a significantly increased risk of a nasty type of bone cancer. One that is fatal in the extreme. I know there are also health risks…