# Sticky  Accedently Pregnant (Information)



## Active Dog

I am not too sure how to start this thread so I guess I will just speak from the heart....

We all love our dogs, otherwise we would not be here. However there is a very common post that seems to always get brought up. *"My dog is pregnant."* To say the least this is the last post that most people on here want to see. That is because the outcome is always the same.  I recently saw a rather ridiculous post by one person, though I wouldn't consider that the norm. But it spurred me to make this post. It is an informal post and perhaps can be made into a sticky....so here it goes.

*Before Its Too Late*

Advice: Emergency spay.

This is what you are going to hear from EVERYONE (that I can think of) on this forum. So if you are unsure if your dog is pregnant or it is early on in the pregnancy this is the answer you are going to get, also if it is going to be hard on the female or pups this will be your answer.

*But Why?! Its morally wrong!*

Fact: Four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are put down in U.S. shelters each year. Often these animals are the offspring of cherished family pets. (You add up to 8 dogs to that number by going through with oops litters.)

Fact: Between six and eight million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters every year; far too many to all find homes. (How do you know your puppies aren't going to end up there too? You don't, there is no way of knowing.)

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/

Fact: The cost of having a pregnant female can be much higher than cost of spaying. (This is taking into account if the mother or pups have complications, if there is need for a c-section, health testing, x-rays, shots, worming and much, much more.)

Fact: Each day 10,000 humans are born in the U.S. - and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals. Source: Spay USA (You add more to that number by letting the pregnancy of your baby have babies.)

Fact: 'Purebreds' account for 30% of all the animals in shelters. Source: Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science (I have seen as low as 25% estimates, so again if you have a mixed breed you are adding to an already overwhelming population  )

Fact: Approximately 55% of dogs and puppies entering shelters are killed, based on reports from 1,038 facilities across America. Source: National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy - Shelter Statistics Survey (Who wants that for their dogs puppies? I know most oops litter owners just don't realize the probability so this should give a good idea.)

Fact: The public acquires only 14% of its pets from shelters; 48% get their pets as strays, from friends, from animal rescuers, 38% get their pets from breeders or pet stores. Source: The Humane Society of the United States (Adopt from shelters first!)

Fact: Some pet guardians allow their pets to have a litter for their child to witness 'the miracle of birth'. The child still may not witness this, as pregnant females often seclude themselves from prying eyes when birthing time comes. And if 'learning' is the goal, the lesson, taken to its completion, will include the euthanization of unwanted animals in the shelters, and the suffering of those abandoned. The fact remains: there are too many pets, not enough good homes, and this exercise in 'education' has served only to contributing further to pet overpopulation.

Fact: In 6 years one unspayed female dog and her offspring, can reproduce 67,000 dogs. Source: Spay USA (That is just too many.)

http://www.sniksnak.com/overpopulation.html




With so many dogs already needing homes it seems like there is no way to justify letting an oops litter happen. However it obviously happens all the time, but why? I think this is greatly due to the lack of knowledge. Most people who own dogs know nothing about them, even people who have had dogs all their lives can know virtually nothing. I know when I first got my dog I knew very little about this beautiful animal, however I made an effort to change that and couldn't be happier with being more educated on them.

However I do not think that anything I say can compare to seeing the real thing for yourself. Having to see the light go out of the eyes of a 6 month old puppy because he chewed up his owners favorite slippers is something that no one can argue is upsetting. That is why I think this story is probably one of the most moving, it is not meant to scare people but to educate. http://www.dogforums.com/2-general-dog-forum/2201-breeding-issue-his-name.html

I would personally very much appreciate any breeders who have information on complicated births. I would like to make this thread as informative as possible so any info will help! Thank you for reading and PLEASE educate yourselves on the overpopulation problem before adding to it!


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## Shell

I would like to suggest that if people are interested in having their kids witness "the miracle of birth" that they check out from their local library any number of educational specials from National Geographic, Animal Planet etc that will show it in an informative manner, with expert explanations and without putting the health and safety of any animals at risk. There are also online videos, often found on sites like the Discovery Channel and PBS online. Your child's teacher may have some recommendations also.

It will also prevent your child from watching their beloved family pet die giving birth, although some of the videos will likely show that too as it is a reality and part of nature. But the emotional difference between a lion, dog, elephant etc on screen versus their own pet in their living room is huge.


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## DJsMom

Very, very good & heartfelt post!


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## BrunosMom

Thank you for posting this, and thank you for people replying. This is SO SO important.


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## lucidity

This should be made a sticky. Include more facts, people! Where have the mods been lately? I haven't seen much from them..


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## Willowy

If someone really wants to experience an animal giving birth (overrated, IMO), they can foster a pregnant animals from their local shelter. They frequently get pregnant girls who are too far along to spay. And usually they're put down because the shelter doesn't have room to keep them until the babies are old enough. So fostering those nice girls saves a lot of lives.


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## Bordermom

The whole 'miracle of birth' routine. What about the 'miracle of death'? Take your kids to a shelter to help with putting unwanted puppies and kittens to sleep. Now if that's too horrible, keep in mind that some puppies are stillborn, deformed and the mom and litter can die in the process or from diseases. 

Lana


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## Xeph

There are many intact dogs in the world, purebred and mixed, that are very nice animals, but that doesn't mean they need to be bred. I've said it once, and I'll say it again. I have a dog with an AMAZING temperament. Absolutely solid. Bombproof. Nothing phases him.

But he's got a fault in his structure that would do a huge disservice to his breed, and that is not ok to perpetuate. A person needs to look at the WHOLE dog. Temperament, health, and structure. The dog MUST be able to offer something in ALL THREE AREAS for it to even be CONSIDERED breeding material (note the word "considered" not "automatically deemed worthy").

Breeding is not just about balance, it is about improvement. Not only in the dog's own breed, but "dogdom" as a whole. Purpose bred mixes (such as those that work on cattle drives) are useful, and even important, but if they're lacking in any area, what good are they to the ranchhand? They're not.

One must always consider the pieces of the whole, and then construct them together to make sure the whole is worth reproducing.


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## cshellenberger

lucidity said:


> This should be made a sticky. Include more facts, people! Where have the mods been lately? I haven't seen much from them..


Sticky made

We've been around, I've been having modem problems so I've had to moderate from my iPhone.


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## lucidity

cshellenberger said:


> Sticky made
> 
> We've been around, I've been having modem problems so I've had to moderate from my iPhone.


That's great!  Thank you. I just noticed that the title of this thread has a spelling error... "Accidentally" is what it should say.


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## pittsabowawa

Awesome, awesome thread.

I only have my usual tidbit to add. Think of the puppy. If you don't know the genetic background of your dogs how can you ensure that some day (if that puppy even makes it to a loving home) he won't wind up with some crippling genetic defect. A defect that can leave him either dead or with his family spending thousands of dollars to keep their beloved pet. Don't think about your cute little pookeymuffin and her cute little puppies.. think of that puppy with debilitating hip dysplasia, or allergies, or a disease that leaves him paralyzed. Why bring a helpless animal into a life full of unnecessary pain?

I challenge ANYONE who things all mutts are healthier and more sound than a well bred pure breed look at some of my threads. Look at what really can happen if you irresponsibly let puppies come into the world with God knows what genetic defects.


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## Stephie

Great post. It is well worded and not attacking anyone as some people feel the need to do on forums. But it still gets the message across in the best way possible. 

*Spay or neuter your pets please!*


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## RedyreRottweilers

So glad to see this is a sticky!


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## Bordermom

Also: If you are thinking you are a responsible pet owner because you love your dog, great. But you are NOT responsible enough if your dog got pregnant 'by mistake' in any form. I've had intact dogs of both sexes for years, and it's a pain, but guess what? No oops babies here! If I even have a concern I'd get the boy snipped, or pay to have him boarded for a week or two. If there was an oops, it would suck and likely the girl in question would either get a shot to stop the pregnancy or get spayed, no question. I know of purebred breeders who have done the same thing, because either the female didn't have clearances yet, was too young or there wasn't enough demand or time to deal with a litter.

Always love the 'she's so perfect we want another just like her/him' reasoning too. They are live animals, with different personalities. Chances of getting a clone are slim to none for breeding. You're better off going to an adult dog with the same qualities and saving a life than trying to make 5-8 babies and figure out which one will be just like mom or dad. And unless you have the setup to raise a litter (and even then) it's a LOT OF WORK and the little monsters eat, poop, pee and chew. They also bark and howl and don't care if it's 3 am and you have to work or your kids will wake up. 

Don't come on here and expect everyone to go 'oh cute, more puppies!' when many of us deal with rescue, irresponsible pet owners who dump those pups when they're no longer cute, or the vet bills are too much. Often the reason mixed breeds seem to be more healthy is because people don't expect to pay big vet bills for problems, so when they pop up they ignore them or put the dog down/dump it at the shelter and get another cheap puppy. 

Just get over the romance of cute puppies and do the right thing.


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## Active Dog

There are a few more things that I would like to add, just things that I saw posted in later threads. 

One of them is that to get an E-Spay is not more dangerous than whelping a litter of pups. Though it can be in some cases it is not commonly a problem. 

Also the argument about the vet saying she will do fine through the pregnancy and births does not mean that it is okay to go through with it. It is not always about the mother and pups making it through the birth. Even if all is fine that still means that there are up to 9 more dogs that need a home. 

I am not sure about the source considering it is from EHow, but the site kind of put the complications in an easy to understand fashion. These are things that I didn't even know could happen so I think this could be helpful to any owners inquiring about a dog birth, and that it is not always fun and games. If any breeders have better information please post up some links! 

*Dystocia*
Dystocia occurs when the puppies are larger than the mother dog's birth canal. The puppies get stuck in the canal during whelping and die. The mother dog may also die, from the decomposition of the fetuses. Dystocia happens mostly to dog breeds with big heads and narrow waists, such as English bulldogs, Boston terriers, pugs and Chihuahuas.

Symptoms of canine dystocia include the mother not being able to give birth to a puppy despite being in labor more than one hour; whining, crying and other signs of pain while she's in labor; and not whelping a single puppy more than 70 days after mating. If the mother dog has whelped one or more puppies and is still in labor after a half-hour, she probably has another puppy stuck inside of her birth canal and needs veterinary attention.

*Uterine Inertia*
According to "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook," another common whelping problem is when the uterus stops all contractions (uterine inertia). Giant breeds of dogs such as great Danes or Irish wolfhounds are prone to this problem.

This can happen during the birth of a large litter, when the mother's uterus is stretched out and exhausted. Uterine inertia can also happen when the mother is large and there is only one small puppy in the litter. It can also happen to a first-time mother who is scared of the pain and is not sure what is going on.

*Hypocalcemia*
"Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook" notes that toy or small breeds may develop hypocalcemia (low blood calcium). This can happen in larger female dogs while they are nursing, but in small dogs it can happen during whelping. The mother dog will go into seizures, uncontrollable tremors or shock.

*Early Placental Separation*
In a normal whelping, the placenta separates from the puppy right before it goes into the vagina. According to "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook," the puppy should come out of the mother first, followed by the placenta. But early separation from the placenta in the uterus or cervix can result in a puppy's death. In early placental separation, the mother dog passes only dark, greenish-black thick material (the placenta) but there is no sign of a puppy.

*Uterine Torsion or Rupture*
Torsion or rupture is a severe internal injury to the uterus during whelping. The mother may suddenly pass large amounts of blood without any puppies, placentas or discharge. She may also show symptoms of extreme pain, such as whimpering, screaming, a sudden drop in temperature, thready pulse, unconsciousness or gums turning pale.

http://www.ehow.com/list_5817166_canine-labor-complications.html


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## mom2molly

great post!!

id like to say that this is personal for me as our newly adopted rat terrier Molly just had her first vet visit and the first thing the vet said was...she may be pregnant...we got Molly Christmas Eve 2010...so if thats the case, which i believe it is because she has all the signs, she was pregnant before we adopted her. we adopted her through an ad on craigslist. The very first thing the vet recommended was to get her Spayed. which we were going to do anyway. its terrible that accidental pregnancies occur when they can be prevented...and like Bordermom said, its a pain but very do-able.

I also agree with everyone about the "miracle of birth"..there are other options out there for that then to have an unwanted litter of puppies or any other animal for that matter.


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