Is she pregnant?

S

showjump26

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 November 2010
Messages
64
Location
Somerset
Visit site
Hello,

I know none of you will be able to answer this for sure but any advice would be great! The next door farm's collie dog somehow broke into our garden to find my lurcher bitch who was on heat, I have no idea how long he was in there with her but he was there when I got home from work! So I am guessing it could have been up to 7 hours. This was nearly 4 weeks ago, and now my lurcher is looking fatter (but I’m not sure if I am imagining it) and over the last day or two she has gone off her food a bit - which she's never ever done before!!

Does this show classic signs of pregnancy?
 
Good luck, it's a rubbish time of the year to be trying to move pups - you can talk through options with the vet in terms of having her spayed once they're born as it will no doubt happen again if the male dog has easy access.
 
Thanks - Luckily we have a few friends who know her and love her so are keen to have a pup if needed! Yes she will be spayed after!! Still have no idea how he could have got in.
 
showjump26 said:
Thanks - Luckily we have a few friends who know her and love her so are keen to have a pup if needed! Yes she will be spayed after!! Still have no idea how he could have got in.
Click to expand...

Collies are known for it, in one village near me all the local bitches not spayed have been caught by one Collie, they are the most intelligent breed after all.

A few years ago now one of our hunt terriers came down the chimney to get at a bitch, he was covered in soot(it was summer luckily), determined little blighter but a good worker.

Its a pity you didnt get your bitch to the vet for a mismatch jab to be on the safe side, it would have worked out cheaper in the long run and just hope your bitch do'sn't need a C section.
 
I've know a collie jump through a (closed) window. Things males do for some rumpy pumpy!! (he cut his nose and a paw, but it didn't stop him).
 
It sounds suspiciously like she is pregnant, but only a scan at a vets will confirm this. It's not too late for the alizin mismate injections, speak to your vets about it.
 
Patterdale said:
What, even if she's full of well developed puppy foetuses? Nice!

OP, how did the scan go?
Click to expand...
Why not? They will be mouse sized at most and it will be less of a strain on the poor bitch than whelping & rearing unplanned puppies.
She won't miss them & no poor vet will have to put them down when they outgrow the puppy cuteness.
 
s4sugar said:
Why not? They will be mouse sized at most and it will be less of a strain on the poor bitch than whelping & rearing unplanned puppies.
She won't miss them & no poor vet will have to put them down when they outgrow the puppy cuteness.
Click to expand...

Well I think it's barbaric. They're half way there or more now.
OP has also already stated she has good homes waiting so I'm not sure the alternative will be putting them down!?
Plus, I'm not convinced that an op under GA to remove her womb would be any less stressful than the natural process of whelping, but we will probably agree to differ.
 
From experience, I would be having a serious talk with the vet about this. There is no guarantee that the birth will go to plan. Or that the dam will cope - she may become ill, she could die. She could reject the pups. She will probably lose a lot of hair, and her bone structure could suffer. Mastitis is also a concern, and eclampsia. Google the risks involved when birth halts prematurely too. (Memorise the symptoms, please, if you do nothing else, know these.)

No guarantee that the father was healthy. No guarantee that all the pups will be homed - what if it is a huge litter? Fifteen or more - what then? And what happens when someone backs out, or can't manage their pup? (This will happen. It always does.)

Can the OP afford all of the potential vet bills for the dam, and her puppies? Emergency caesarian if the birth goes wrong? The cost to raise them? Have they looked at microchipping and vaccinating? Worming, etc? Early socialisation and care - can they get by on two hours sleep a day for the first three weeks? Can they provide forever homes for all of them themselves?

In my opinion, it is not worth the stress on those involved for an unplanned litter. Sorry, I have been there. I now have one dog who has brain damage due to birth trauma, he is blind and will never have proper bladder control. He cannot be off lead, unless in a secure place. He has seizures. Sometimes his other senses leave im temporarily too and then he panics. He is 25kg now, and still growing. His brother was returned due to new owner finding their child tormenting him with a hammer. Yes, they paid the vet bills, yes the child is in therapy. Said dog will never be rehomable, and cannot be allowed off lead at all. He is not aggressive, but is perpetually terrified. And we cannot explain that he is now safe. So he barks at whatever scares him. He is also 25kg and still growing. Four other pups are happy and healthy elsewhere - and still growing - and the last three were stillborn.

We spayed the dam involved, by the way. And we love her pups, but life would be a lot easier without them. Looking back, yes - we should have terminated the litter. Instead, we tried to manage, and nearly bankrupted ourselves to do it. Emergency caesarians are expensive. Steroids to attempt to repair damaged optic nerves are expensive. Birth defects are uninsurable. Little blind dog can never be insured. His brother has to be booked into a private appointment slot for veterinary treatment, to avoid meeting strangers.

This is merely my opinion, but felt that I should share some of what can go wrong. I wish the OP the best, and hope her bitch is well. I have no further comment, and do not wish to enter a debate.
 
She's pregnant! The vet and I saw 3 pups in her scan but I expect there will be more. He said she is extremely healthy and fit, and luckily he knows the dog (the dad!) and he says he is very fit and healthy too. At the moment we have found lovely homes all with friends and family and if she does happen to have a large litter then we will make sure we find some more lovely homes. She means the world to us and I would do whatever it takes to make sure she is healthy and happy. I can be excited now :) Even if this wasn't what I had in mind! She is due on the 16th of Feb :) !
 
showjump26 said:
She's pregnant! The vet and I saw 3 pups in her scan but I expect there will be more. He said she is extremely healthy and fit, and luckily he knows the dog (the dad!) and he says he is very fit and healthy too. At the moment we have found lovely homes all with friends and family and if she does happen to have a large litter then we will make sure we find some more lovely homes. She means the world to us and I would do whatever it takes to make sure she is healthy and happy. I can be excited now :) Even if this wasn't what I had in mind! She is due on the 16th of Feb :) !
Click to expand...

V exciting for you :)
I would bet on 5/6 pups; OH scans dogs aswell as sheep and there are usually 2 or 3 more than you can see.
Glad to hear you've got good homes waiting :)
 
I'm sure she and the pups will be fine, that's a nice cross in my opinion. Good luck with the birth and the pups, an exciting time !
 
Just as a matter of interest, for those on here who work within veterinary practices, would a Vet consider aborting a bitch, and at 4 weeks plus, by injection and as a convenience, as has been suggested as an option? Were I a vet, I don't think that I would.

OP, you now know what you have to deal with. Puppies are fun, so I hope that you enjoy the experience.

Alec.
 
Alec Swan said:
Puppies are fun, so I hope that you enjoy the experience.
Click to expand...

They certainly are!
A word of warning though - if you rear them anywhere but your kitchen (with good view of washing machine) then don't, whatever you do, post about it on here ;) :D


Another warning - don't go anywhere near the puppy pen when you have things to do. There's no time waster like a load of puppies!
 
Arizahn said:
From experience, I would be having a serious talk with the vet about this. There is no guarantee that the birth will go to plan. Or that the dam will cope - she may become ill, she could die. She could reject the pups. She will probably lose a lot of hair, and her bone structure could suffer. Mastitis is also a concern, and eclampsia. Google the risks involved when birth halts prematurely too. (Memorise the symptoms, please, if you do nothing else, know these.)

No guarantee that the father was healthy. No guarantee that all the pups will be homed - what if it is a huge litter? Fifteen or more - what then? And what happens when someone backs out, or can't manage their pup? (This will happen. It always does.)

Can the OP afford all of the potential vet bills for the dam, and her puppies? Emergency caesarian if the birth goes wrong? The cost to raise them? Have they looked at microchipping and vaccinating? Worming, etc? Early socialisation and care - can they get by on two hours sleep a day for the first three weeks? Can they provide forever homes for all of them themselves?

In my opinion, it is not worth the stress on those involved for an unplanned litter. Sorry, I have been there. I now have one dog who has brain damage due to birth trauma, he is blind and will never have proper bladder control. He cannot be off lead, unless in a secure place. He has seizures. Sometimes his other senses leave im temporarily too and then he panics. He is 25kg now, and still growing. His brother was returned due to new owner finding their child tormenting him with a hammer. Yes, they paid the vet bills, yes the child is in therapy. Said dog will never be rehomable, and cannot be allowed off lead at all. He is not aggressive, but is perpetually terrified. And we cannot explain that he is now safe. So he barks at whatever scares him. He is also 25kg and still growing. Four other pups are happy and healthy elsewhere - and still growing - and the last three were stillborn.

We spayed the dam involved, by the way. And we love her pups, but life would be a lot easier without them. Looking back, yes - we should have terminated the litter. Instead, we tried to manage, and nearly bankrupted ourselves to do it. Emergency caesarians are expensive. Steroids to attempt to repair damaged optic nerves are expensive. Birth defects are uninsurable. Little blind dog can never be insured. His brother has to be booked into a private appointment slot for veterinary treatment, to avoid meeting strangers.

This is merely my opinion, but felt that I should share some of what can go wrong. I wish the OP the best, and hope her bitch is well. I have no further comment, and do not wish to enter a debate.
Click to expand...

those 2 pups don't sound like they have much quality of life from what you have written.
 
twiggy2 said:
those 2 pups don't sound like they have much quality of life from what you have written.
Click to expand...

I have to admit, that was my thought when I read about them....I consider animals to be lucky that we, as humans, are able to make the choice about quality of life. I hope that by the time I am old enough to lose my quality of life, it will be legal for someone to make that choice for me and be brave enough to do it....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top