[Konotashi]

I was sitting there thinking (I know, dangerous), and something hit me.

When someone's dog gets knocked up, and they KNOW that their dog is pregnant early on, is an emergency spay an option? Or is that dangerous?
If it is an option, do people not do it because they don't know it's an option? Do they not want to pay for it? Do they not think of the consequences? Or does it put the dam's life in danger?

I'm just wondering, because if it was safe to do an emergency spay very early on, you'd think more people would have their dogs spayed, rather than having the 'accident' litters if they know the dog is preggers.

 

[RogueRed26]

We are all flawed. I personally think accidents can happen. Even if you plan to fix your dog, sometimes nature can take it course against your plan. I am not saying it happens all the time, but there are occasions and situations.

I have heard of certain veterinarians who will terminate a pregnancy for an extra fee (I tell you, there are many money hungry people out there) and spay the female at the same time. In my personal opinion, I think it is morally wrong and dangerous to do that to your female dog. If maybe she was accidentally impregnated by a very large dog that could result in water babies, maybe. But honestly, in all respects, I think its a highly moral question: whether or not you want to put your dog's life or even the lives of other unborn puppies in jeopardy.

 

[middleofnowhere]

You can do a spay/abort procedure. "Why" people don't do it I cannot say. Perhaps they do not want to spay the bitch or they would have had her spayed before she got pregnant. The term "knocked up" is offensive, btw.

 

[Konotashi]

I think I worded my question in a confusing way. If someone's bitch breeds with a random male, and the bitch's owner knows this, but doesn't intend on having puppies from her, why wouldn't that person get her spayed immediately, especially if that person already had intentions on spaying her? Unless the procedure was dangerous to the dam. Basically, spay her before the puppies develop. And I know a lot of people don't know that their dog is pregnant, but some do.

If it were my dog (I might sound like a horrible person for saying this) but I wouldn't care about the puppies, I would care about MY dog. And I suppose it could be looking out for the puppies by taking them out of the world before ever bringing them into it, because who's to say that those puppies wouldn't grow into dogs that would be starving on the streets or go to abusive homes?

MiddleOfNowhere, I apologize for offending you. It's too late for me to go back and edit that post now, though. :/

 

[shannonrae]

I have heard of certain veterinarians who will terminate a pregnancy for an extra fee (I tell you, there are many money hungry people out there) and spay the female at the same time.

The reasoning behind the extra fee is . . . . a "pregnant" spay will need more instruments (hemostats) that cost money to be sterilized, extra suture material (costs the clinic about $20.00) and it takes the doctor more time to perform the operation, additionally a surgical tech must be paid to stand there and assist. So it actually costs the clinic more to perform such a spay.

There is added risk, that vary depending on how far along the bitch is.

 

[SchDDR]

Spay isn't necessary to abort the pregnancy, if you get the dog to the vet within the first 24 hours or so.

They can give the dog a shot of hormones that prevents the pregnancy from being viable.

 

[Castlemaid]

My take on it? The owners may not have had any plans to breed their dog, but now they are secretly delighted and excited that they will have puppies! Or they are in denial about the whole thing, why pay for a vet visit, for a shot or for the spay procedure, when maybe, there is a chance, because who knows, let's keep our fingers crossed, she is NOT pregnant. Could be.

An emergency spay may be a bit more risky than a regular spay, I don't know, but allowing the pregnancy to go through also has its fair share of risks.

 

[SchDDR]

I have to agree with you, Castlemaid.
If your dog has been knocked up, chances are, you weren't overly concerned with it in the first place.

I liken it to "accidental discharges" of firearms.
There's no such thing as an accidental discharge. It's a negligent discharge.

 

[onyx'girl]

I just met someone who visited my training group. Her 13 month old male sired two litters while she was out of town. Her dog sitter let him out with one of her females(not knowing she was in heat, then did it again with her other female/who sitter knew was in heat!) I was just shaking my head when she was telling the story....now she has two litters on the ground(a week old) and the male hasn't had any health testing(supposedly the females are nervy, so shouldn't be bred anyway. One is a showline/working line mix and the other a WL. The male is DDR.
Not sure why on earth she didn't get the shot, I think it is exactly as Lucia wrote, secretly happy...and probably didn't have the funds to spay two if that was an option.

 

[SchDDR]

If she was out of town, she likely didn't have the option of the shot. It generally needs to be done within 24 hours of the tie, as I understand it.

 

[vomlittlehaus]

If the bitch was not spayed at the appropriate time to prevent puppies, chances are the owner doesnt have the funds to get her spayed in the first place. Or they were hoping she would just get pregnant because they have an intact female dog and they can. That would be the random person.

You also have the accidental breeding that occurs with purebreds, at breeders homes. If the bitch was purchased or retained for breeding in the first place, you would not want to spay her.

Spaying can be done at any stage of the pregnancy. The later in the pregnancy the more costly, especially if you have to euthanize each individual pup, because now they are viable. And it does take a lot of extra time on the surgery table, extra supplies, extra people assisting. There is a drug out there that can be given to prevent implantation of the eggs into the uterine wall. Implantation doesnt occur until around days 17-18 of pregnancy.

 

[SchDDR]

I wouldn't say all that.
My bitch is, and shall remain [barring pyometra] intact for the duration of her life.

I have zero plans of ever breeding her. One, she was purchased on a limited registration, so unless I wish to violate the contract I signed, I *cannot* breed her.

Two, she was not purchased to breed. She is a companion and a working partner, not a brood bitch.

My reasons for leaving her intact were solely based on heath and temperament considerations, and my ability to prevent unwanted breedings from occurring, thus rending spaying a non-necessity.

I believe we're referring to the same drug, although I was under the likely mistaken impression that there was a smaller window of time for administering it.

 

[middleofnowhere]

I have heard that the pregnancy prevention/abort shot is tough on the bitch. Therefore less than desirable. To add to the spay/abort discussion, spaying during heat is dicy because of the increased blood flow around the reproductive organs.

 

[SchDDR]

If you *did* opt to spay during pregnancy, I'd go with a vet who is associated with a Trap/Neuter/Release program. They typically have extensive spay experience [thousands], many of them on pregnant animals.

 

[Konotashi]

Is the shot similar to the 'day after pill' for people? It sounds like it. If it is, then isn't the pill hard on a person? But what's harder, the shot or the pregnancy and raising the pups and the possible problems that can arise with having the pups?

 

[SchDDR]

I'd wager in the long run, the cautions about the shot center largely on not wanting people to consider it a replacement for exercising good pet ownership, and not allowing their dog to be accidentally bred in the first place.

I can't imagine that the shot is tremendously harder on the dog than either a spay [and the long term effects of hormonal deprivation that result], or the pregnancy, nursing and weaning of pups.

 

[sagelfn]

In the case of a breeding bitch tieing with a male unplanned would the shot have any impact on her ability to produce future litters?

Selzer had made a post a while back about spaying pregnant bitches and the best time to do it. I will see if I can find it.

 

[Zoeys mom]

I think your average person with an oops litter probably did not have the money to spay their dog in the first place, and therefore is not going to have the extra money to pay for a more expensive spay after fertilization. I highly doubt most are worried about the females health or the potential puppies. If it were me I would have it done in a heartbeat to prevent an unwanted litter, but some have a moral objection to this as well. It's a matter of opinion and available funds to cover the surgery in the end- the risks are not increased by much early into gestation

 

[sagelfn]

Too late to edit my post. Here's the thread I mentioned http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...y-german-laydi-might-pregnant-ten-months.html

 

[onyx'girl]

If she was out of town, she likely didn't have the option of the shot. It generally needs to be done within 24 hours of the tie, as I understand it.

She was only gone for the day, at a club trial. Actually her and her friend were bragging about the potency of the male! She knew it happened when she returned home, but probably hoped the ties weren't successful.