Dog Abortion (Lost Pregnancy)
Introduction
Abortion in Dogs Guide: Here you'll find in-depth information on abortion in dogs including its causes, symptoms, and treatments.
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Definition of Abortion
Abortion is defined as the death and premature expulsion of one or more embryos or fetuses before they are viable. In real-world terms, an abortion is when one or more puppies in a litter are born before they are ready or able to live in the outside world. A normal pregnancy for a dog lasts about 63 days after the bitch ovulates. This is not necessarily 63 days after she was bred; most bitches ovulate a day or two before they conceive. Abortions are fairly uncommon in domestic dogs, but they do occur from time to time. When they do happen, they generally occur during the last three weeks of pregnancy. If an abortion occurs early in a pregnancy, the owner often will not detect it. When a bitch has been confirmed to be pregnant, either by skillful palpation, ultrasound or radiographs (X-rays), and later does not deliver puppies, one of two things has happened: either she miscarried and aborted her puppies, or the puppies were reabsorbed.
There are a number of different things that can cause a pregnant bitch to abort one or more of her puppies. These include: excessive inbreeding, poor nutrition, endocrine disorders (hypothyroidism; hyperadrenocorticism [Cushing’s Disease]), ingestion of toxic substances, certain pharmaceutical agents (including chloramphenicol), high doses of glucocorticoids (steroids), systemic illness accompanied by a high fever (distemper, leptospirosis), abnormal ovarian function, cystic endometrial hyperplasia, trauma (jumping from heights, blows to the abdomen), stress and bacterial, viral and
The symptoms of abortion can be difficult for even the most attentive of owners to detect. Usually, there are no obvious signs that an abortion has happened. Many bitches will eat their aborted fetuses or fetal tissue, especially if they abort early in their pregnancy. Abortions are not common in our domestic dogs. The more common reproductive abnormality is reabsorption of puppies. When this occurs, the bitch’s body basically absorbs the fetal tissues, leaving no
Abortion is one of the most distressing medical conditions faced by breeders of domestic dogs. Often, there are no recognizable signs that an abortion has taken place, especially if the abortion happens early in the pregnancy. The bitch often will ingest (eat) aborted fetal tissues, leaving no trace of the failed litter. Most abortions actually occur during the last few weeks of pregnancy.When an owner suspects that her bitch has had an abortion, she will
There is really no way to “treat” abortion. When a bitch aborts her litter, it usually is sudden, spontaneous and irreversible. Unfortunately, the owner often won’t even know that an abortion has happened, especially if it occurs early in the pregnancy, because the bitch probably will lick and eat the fetal tissues as part of her normal cleaning behavior, leaving no evidence of the tragic event.The normal gestation period for dogs is 63 days after