LoveToKnow Dogs:AllComments

From LoveToKnow Dogs

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Hi Melissa,

I did some research, but I haven't found any information that links Revolution to lowered fertility. Were the two females who had single pup litters bred to the same stud? If so, perhaps the male's fertility is the cause behind the smaller litters. As for your female that hasn't come into heat for almost a year since her litter was born, you might want to wait another month before asking your vet to examine her. That would make it a full year, and vets usually tell you to wait that long anyway before they begin investigating fertility issues in females.

Certainly there seems to be something going on here, so I recommend have the stud's sperm count checked first because that is the easiest thing to do. If he turns out to have good fertility, you'll want to see the size of the litters on your females' next breedings to determine whether this is a consistent problem.

Thanks for your question. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Hello, I raise toy/minature australian shepherds. I have had some trouble in the last few months. Two of my females just had pups and only had one pup each. One of them, it was her first time but the other one has always had litters of 4-6 pups. I have another female that had pups last nov 3 and she has not come in. The only thing that I have changed this year was that I went from feeding Purina One Lamb & Rice to feeding the Purina One Chicken. I did this because I had two dogs that had allergies and the chicken based dog food really helped them. After these two small litters I have changed back to a lamb based the Iams with prebiotics. But of course it will be a year until I breed them again to find out. I was also wondering I use the Heartworm preventative Revolution, if that would cause any problems, they have all been on that for about 3 years tho. Thanks for your time. They are all healthy well cared for and are not kennel dogs. They are house pets.

-- Contributed by: Melissa Berry

Hi Samantha,

I'm not sure that you're going to have any puppies. Given the breeding date, your dog's 63rd day would have been around May 16. However, some dogs do go closer to 70 days, so there may still be a glimmer of hope. As for those heartbeats you thought you heard, it's really not possible to differentiate them from other sounds from the mom's internal organs. This could just be a false pregnancy, or your dog might have absorbed her embryos at some point. All things considered, it would probably be worth it to have a talk with your vet about the situation and have him/her examine your dog to figure out exactly what's going on.

Thanks for your question, and I hope things turn out for the best.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Our female dog, a maltese x, has shown signs of a pregnancy, growing breast, milk, and small heartbeats that we stopped hearing about 2-3weeks ago. we can just faintly hear a heartbeat again now and she was mated around the 15 -16th of March, is this typical for a dog pregnancy and should we be expecting pups soon???

-- Contributed by: samantha

Hi Delonte, and welcome.

If your dog has a darkened lump on one of her teats, I would advise you to have your vet examine it. It could be a cancerous growth, and early treatment is usually more effective. While you're at the clinic, the vet can also determine from the blood draw whether or not your dog is also pregnant. Please make time for that appointment, and best wishes for your pet's health.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

i think my dog is pregnant but i have no way of knowing and no time to take her to the vet. The lump on her breast is kinda black and she has gain a few pounds but dont tell her i said that.

-- Contributed by: delotne

Hi Tami,

It's difficult to say at this point. Pressure from the puppies may be causing the nerves in the area to jump. The scooting may also be due to vaginal irritation rather than an anal gland problem. Some females develop urinary tract infections after the breeding.

Normally I'd recommend a trip to the vet, but seeing as your dog is due to have the pups very shortly, you may want to avoid the stress and instead bring up the problem at the post partum exam.

Thanks for your question, and good luck with the upcoming delivery.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

i am a first time dog owner. if i am right, my miniature schnauzzer should be entering her eighth week of pregnancy. she keeps dragging her rear end on the carpet and sometimes just sits and goes around in circles on the carpet. Is that normal or does it indicate that she may be having complications?

-- Contributed by: Tami

Welcome Tami,

You've come to the right place. We have a lot of info on dog pregnancy.

First, let's address the food issue. Many females go off their food in the early weeks of pregnancy. It's good that your dog is at least willing to eat ground beef, but this alone won't constitute a healthy diet. I would advise boiling the beef with brown rice and carrots to create a sort of stew. You can use the broth to soak a very high quality kibble in with the rest of the mix. Your dog should love this combination. When her appetite kicks into full gear, you may be able to switch her back to more of the balanced kibble and less of the cooked food, but don't feel like you have to because cooked foods can be good for dogs too.

As for the pregnancy issues, I think the following articles will provide a lot of useful information. Read them, and then let us know if you have specific questions about anything.

Thanks for your questions, and keep us posted!

-- Contributed by: Kelly

i am a first time dog owner. she is a miniature schnauzzer. to complicate things, she is now pregnant and doesn't seem to want to eat anything but ground beef. is that healthy for her? is there something she could eat that would be easier on her? please give me all the advise you got cause i am clueless. thanks.

-- Contributed by: Tami

Hi Nicci,

If the timing of the breeding was right, it will likely result in a litter. It's always nice to get a tie, but some females do still become pregnant without one. If you count forward 63 days from the date of this breeding it will give you an approximate due date.

I'd like to recommend the following articles in case your dog does become pregnant. I think they will help you prepare for all that is to come.

Thanks for your questions, and best wishes for a safe delivery and a healthy litter. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

hi i have two papillons male and female,she is 2 and he is 1.They tied together this morning for aroud 25-30mins,do you think that this meens that she will become pregnant,and do i count 9 weeks from today which will make the delivery around the 29th of june? thank you regards nicci.

-- Contributed by: nicci

Hi Maddy,

At this point, I would definitely consult your vet. The real risk lies in the fact that the puppies might be too big at this point to deliver naturally. The vet can perform a sonogram to gauge the puppies' size and whether they are ready to be delivered. If necessary, the vet can perform a C-section.

Thanks for your question, and I hope all goes well with the delivery. Let us know what happens. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

hey i have a maltese shih tzu that is pregnant for the second time. however she is a lot bigger then she was the first time (which she had 5 pups) and we have mated her with the same dog. she is now a week overdue but doesnt show any signs of discomfort and still seems to be such a happy dog. i was wondering if i should be concerned or can this be normal?

-- Contributed by: Maddy

Hi Chris,

Unfortunately this happens sometimes, so you wouldn't be the first owner to wind up with an unplanned canine pregnancy. It can happen to anyone. How far along she might be would depend on the date of the breeding, which you can estimate if you know when the second week of her heat cycle took place. That said, the surest way to determine if your dog is pregnant is to ask your vet to perform a blood test for pregnancy at least three weeks after the heat cycle has ended. If your dog is pregnant, your vet will offer care advice. If she isn't, you may want to discuss having her spayed so you'll have no future worries about unwanted litters.

Thanks for your question, and good luck with the situation. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

i have a 10 months old maltese shih tzu and about amonth ago she went into heat for the first time. i always hook her up outside when she needs to go potty, but my husband failed to a few times, even though i warned him what might happen!!! well about three days ago i noticed her teats were larger and the area around each of them is swollen. trying to figure out if she is indeed pregnant and how far along she is. have never had a pregnant dog and am in dire need of help!

-- Contributed by: chris

Hi, I have a nine month old female pomeranian who I think is on first heat cycle and a five yearl old male mix pitbull-labrador who is substantially larger than her. I think that he has been riding her. Is it safe for a quite smaller and younger female dog to be mating with another much larger male dog? If so, what are the chances of her getting pregnant? Thank you for your time.

Hi Jhovanny,

It may be possible for your Pit mix to impregnate your Pom, but I wouldn't advise it due to the great difference in size. I recommend keeping these dogs separated for the duration of the heat cycle. It would also be beneficial to have at least one of these dogs spayed or neutered so you don't have to worry about future breedings.

Thanks for your question.

-- Contributed by: Jhovanny

hi, i have a i a male and female schnauza the male is 1yr 6mths and the female is 1yr.5mths and this is her second time being on heat and only this time around we saw him trying to mate but i am not sure if they did but now the female is not so active and her nipples are all extended and she just want to sleep and how long do they carry their pups for and also when do i bring her for the check please advise

Hi Kathleen,

Dogs are pregnant for about 63 days, give or take a few. I usually recommend owner wait about two weeks after the heat cycle has ended before taking their bitch in for a blood test to determine a pregnancy.

Just in case your bitch is pregnant, I'd like to recommend the following articles.

Thanks for your question, and good luck!

-- Contributed by: kathleen francisco

I have a 1 year old pup that went into heat in November and she filled up with milk shortly after. She is definately not pregnant and her milkers are still full and now a lump is appearing. I believe it is false pregnancy however I am not sure if we should be take her to the vet as it has been 3 months now?

Hi Kelly,

The lump concerns me more than the actual false pregnancy. I would go ahead and ask your vet to take a look at it to make sure it's nothing serious.

Thanks for your question.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

My dog is about two and a half months into her pregnancy, she is constantly breathing heavily, more so at night. She tosses and turns and can't sleep. Is this normal? and also, could she have premature pups?

Hi Lily,

The average dog pregnancy lasts about 63 days (two months). At this point, there's no chance of premature pups. If your dog is pregnant, she's overdue. My best advice is to ask your vet to examine her and confirm if her discomfort is due to a pregnancy or something else at this point.

Thanks for your question, and best wished for a happy outcome.

-- Contributed by: lily

I have a 8-9 month old,(not sure how to spell her breed docson) that is pregnant, is that too young? The other dog is a 10 yr. old low-chien.

Hi Zonia,

Yes, honestly, this is far too young. No puppy should carry a litter. It robs the pup of vital nitrition she needs to support her own growth and healthy development. Since your puppy is so young, I believe it's very important to consult your vet on how best to care for her. Your vet will make nutritional recommendations to help her through the pregnancy.

Best wishes.

-- Contributed by: zonia

I have a female chihuahua and she is year and half old now she is gunna have babies on feb 4 and i was wondering if her milk has came earlier does that mean her puppy's are coming in earlier. Her milk has just come in today and she started looking for a place to have her babies

Hi Amber, most dogs won't deliver before the 62 day, and many do come into milk a week early. I think the best thing you can do is keep a close eye on her. Nest making is usual in these circumstances, so now's the time to prepare her box if you haven't done it already. I think you might also find our article on Delivering Puppies quite helpful.

Best wishes!

-- Contributed by: amber

I have a 3yo Dachshund and she just had 3 male pups by C-section. She doesnt want anything to do with the pups. We have to hold her down to let them nurse. She actully nibble bites at them. Is that normal? The vet said that the anastetic makes them a little out of it. The nurse said that she licked them when she woke up. What do I do?

Hi Crystal,

I've been through this same situation with a Chihuahua bitch. I recommend that you supervise mom's time with the puppies very closely. Some dogs adjust better after a C-section than others. Some dogs don't seem to recognize the pups as their own. Continue to hold her down to nurse the pups as needed. She may begin to accept them after another day or two. Encourage her to clean them, but watch closely in case she still begins to nip them. If she doesn't come around, you may have to foster the litter yourself with puppy milk replacer. If this happens, you'll also need to stimulate the pups to potty by wiping their bottoms with a warm wet cloth.

Thanks for your question, and I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that your bitch's mothering instincts kick in.

-- Contributed by: Crystal

I have a 3 yr. old neutered male and a 9 month old female who just went into heat. My question is will my male try to mate with the female? Lisa

He might try Lisa, but he can't impregnate her.

Thanks for your question.

-- Contributed by: Lisa
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