After a recent and significant experience at the vets with a very poorly pregnant dog, I decided to reflect on the situation and collate a checklist for consideration for any future scenarios.
I had a female who's health had deteriorated rapidly in 48hrs. She was approx 52 day gestation and very comfortable. Full details are in the video but ultimately I decided to c-section at 53 days. The results 8 dead pups, 1 spayed bitch and a £3,000 vet bill due to suspected Canine Maternal Hydrops, would I make the same decision again? YES!
Points to consider when making difficult health related decisions about your dog:
Time seems to go so slow once you've mated your female until the point pregnancy is confirmed (or not!). This video talks through pros and cons of the following pregnancy detection methods:
During the video two ultrasounds are conducted on two separate dogs, whilst I talk through how a correctly, skilled technician should conduct the scans.
To me ultrasound scanning when operated by a trained and experienced individual is by far the best method of detecting pregnancy and giving an idea of litter size. To find out why check out my video! |
AuthorI'm Sara otherwise known as 'Canine Family Planner' who founded HomeScan Breeder Services a premium pet-care business in 2014. I am an experienced and educated breeder, who specialises in domestic animal reproduction. I bred my first litter 20 years ago whilst in my teens and tend to breed annually. Breeding is pretty much in my DNA – a way of my life if you will! I've started this blog to share some of my knowledge and if possible help out a few like minded animal owners! Archives
May 2019
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