|
Dog Pregnancy: Reasons Why Your Dog May Fail To Conceive
If the female dog is a working animal, hard physical labor may prevent the retention of zygotes (early embryo) before uterine horn attachment becomes possible. The zygote (early embryo) may also simply fail to attach to the uterine horn wall. In some cases of pregnancy failure, the eggs die shortly after fertilization occurs. Causative factors can be physical or emotional stress or result from a genetic defect. Certain medications, such as various flea agents, are known to cause a variety of birth defects.
Having conceived, it is also possible for a matron to "withdraw" her pregnancy through either a spontaneous abortion or absorption of the fetuses during a relatively early stage of development.
Lack Of Nutrition: Physically, the dam may lack a diet adequate to nurturing the production of a healthy litter. Or the female can appear to be pregnant one day (with visible and palpable physical swelling of the abdominal area), and not appear to be pregnant 24 hours later. It is also possible that the dog is in a false pregnancy, has been misdiagnosed as being pregnant, thereby reabsorbing her litter!
Bacteria Problems: Bacteria are always present to some degree in the orifices containing mucus. Many are ingested and transferred by licking, migrating through the intestines. Most bacteria are harmless, neither preventing nor interfering with a healthy pregnancy. Bacterial infections from the vagina are too often credited with traveling through the cervix to foster pregnancy failure. This is, however, an infrequent occurrence.
Brucellosis: Brucellosis prevents pregnancy and causes sterility in both the dog and female dog. A dog who has brucellosis will spontaneously abort, should fertilization occur. Testing for the presence of brucellosis in order to prevent further spreading of this contagion is critical to the sire and matron dam and success of the breeding.
Never hesitate to call your veterinarian for a consultation should your female dog exhibit any suspicious abnormal signs during any portion of her term. Your veterinarian is your best friend, your ally in helping you to construct and maintain all forms of supportive therapy throughout all phases of your dog's pregnancy.
Many products are available that do not offer adequate consumer information, and too few can safely be utilized directly before breeding and during pregnancy. The best rule is, therefore, one of chemical abstinence and moderation in all other areas.
|
