Reproduction & Contraception

Super small Spay Incision???

RubyandStewiesmom — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:47:03 GMT

Hi all!

My 1 year old pitbull Ruby Sue just got spayed yesterday. I didn't pay much attention to her incision until I looked this morning, it is SO tiny! About 5 years ago when my bff got her Weimaraner spayed, it was a HUGE long line incision, about 8-10" long, and they used staples. Ruby's incision is so small! It's a tiny little bump, and doesn't even resemble a line, it's about the size of the pad of my thumb (I have kind of big hands), and basically looks nothing like what I thought it would! I haven't had a female dog for about 15 years...so it's been a while for me to see a spay incision.

The vet isn't available to call until Monday, so I was hoping you guys could tell me if nowadays it's normal to have such a small incision site? There's very little scabbing, very little blood, nothing! It's really quite amazing if that is how it should look! I guess I just imagined her having this huge line instead of a about 1.5" little mark.

She's doing fantastic on recovery, and is eating great, and really doing better than I ever expected! I suppose I shouldn't complain that it's so tiny and neat....but just wanted to make sure they didn't give her some operation she didn't need! LOL! My vet's great so it's most likely not the case...but it was such a surprise!

Neutering

Liesje — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:13:09 GMT

Yeah another neutering thread, lol. I'm looking for something more than just the general spay/neuter vs. intact though. Is there any reason to leave a 13-16 month old male dog intact OTHER than for show or breeding? Once the dog is 13+ months is there any benefit as far as growth, hormones, maturity, etc? Any likelihood of medical problems that correlated to neutering? Would there be any reason not to neuter if OFAs will be done at 2 years?

Please, nothing about aggression or marking, as I already believe these are partly temperament and partly training issues. I'm interested more in medical reasons for/against and how it effects growth and maturity.

Zipper's going to be a Daddy again!

Kim_MacMillan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:59:10 GMT

I'm so very excited! This will be Zipper's first litter with me as legal owner, but he is a seasoned stud dog. His last litter sired was in 2006, three years ago, so I'm very happy there is finally another nice little female for him. The litter is due this weekend, so we're keeping our fingers crossed for healthy delivery. We're hoping for black and silver, salt and pepper, and the possibility of white. Zipper carries white, and the female may or may not (she has white in her history...but has never been bred to a white-producing stud), so we shall see!!

Wish us luck this weekend for the delivery of some beautiful Schnauzer babies!

Dangit incision trouble for Ellie

rwbeagles — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:26:59 GMT

Well not the incision, really...that's looking great, apparently this was there before the section. I never thought to "spread" her udders and look between. But she has some surface sloughing of the skin there, owing to a lot of moisture being trapped in her "cleavage", bucketbathing would be a likely source!

I noticed the odor today, called the vet and we're getting the antibio's I was supposed to pick up that day but forgot...so that'll help. I am to rinse her down to stimulate the skin regenerating and remove bacteria then swab with Betadine and make SURE she is kept dry between there at all times.

Her temp is good, no fever so hoping that stays the same and we don't have to remove the whelps. That'd suck...

Good thoughts that this will pass with proper management and antibioticss...it's definitely a surface thing right now...hope it stays that way. Anything anyone can recommend to speed healing that won't affect the whelps would be welcome too!

Anyone that breeds Yorkies/ or knows the answer to this question

carolkeller05 — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:40:56 GMT

I am looking for someone that breeds yorkies.

I had a litter of puppies and I am new at this. My 6 lb female had a litter of 9. The daddy is 5 lbs. The puppies are all of different sizes.

At 3 1/2 weeks now they are rangeing from, 5 7/8 oz 8 oz 8 3/4 oz to 9oz 10 oz 11 oz 13 oz and 2 at 14 ozs.

The question how can I tell how big they will be full grown? They were born on 5/28/2009 People are asking and I really cant give an hones answer.

Does anyone know the answer to this???

rw-Officially presenting,

rwbeagles — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:14:29 GMT

In honor of my girls:

Susie, Dreamsof Red, White N' No Blue, & Nonnie, Ch Wishing Well's Wild Card

The "Red Card" Litter:

Ryngwrayth's Red Card-"RC" (f)

Ryngwrayth's Man Of The Match-"Manny" (m)

Ryngwrayth's Penalty Kick-"PK" (f)

Welcome to the world babies...I so look forward to watching you grow!

The names from this litter are all taken from a game I know little about, but admire greatly for the skill and endurance it seems to take to play (or watch) it .

Soccer. It fit the bill in using both the girls registered names...as well as my tendency to use sports themes in the past, for Susie's litters...(March Madness Litter, and NFL litter).

Wish us luck these first couple of weeks, as we dribble around the possible bumps in the road, towards the goal of healthy puppydom!

Ellie is doing great so far..still VERY sore but feeding those babies and cleaning them like she should. She hasn't laid down yet, because she is worried about squishing them...very good to see. She is half the bitch she used to be size wise! Time to pack in the food!

Glucosamine/Chondroitin for Fertility?

Sera_J — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:45:05 GMT

I have heard that Glucosamine/Chondroitin (and probably MSM) can help to increase a males motility and a females fertility. I have tried to find any articles on this. The source I got the info from was highly reliable, I just can't find any articles to back this up.

Anyone know anything about this?

My dogs are all on it as a supplement for joints, but Aryn is coming into season soon (next month or so) and I was wondering how much is ideal to help fertility for a bitch (it will be her first litter).

Thanks for your help!!!

Shot to bring female in heat?

kudu2222 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:40:56 GMT

Is there a shot available to bring females into heat?

Transgender Dog

toxdoc2b — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:48:12 GMT

*content removed, inappropriate*

Hoping she's pregnant...

Poodle_luvr — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:07:05 GMT

Well, we've had Lacie and Rex together e/o day and have had 3 successful ties. We are hoping that we'll have the happy news that she's pregnant; it sure is going to be hard to wait. After reading some of the other posts I'm not sure if I should get excited or not - there are so many 'surprises' that can happen, despite good planning. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens and surround her with love and prayers.

Pregnant, no - false pregnancy - NO Miscarriage!!! UPDATED 7/21

stardancnminpin — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:45:58 GMT

When they say breeding is not for the faint of heart, they mean it! Oh what a ride it has been, and it keeps going downhill. What really sucks is I have tried to do everything right, and nothing has come out like it should!

When Piper came in 2 months early from being around another bitch in heat, I wasn't sure that breeding her would be a good thing. I should have listened to my gut! With all the family drama going on, I managed to get her to the vet and get her checked, vaccines updated and the brucellosis test done - and then to get her to the stud! We get one tie on day 11 and I'm wondering for the first 4 weeks, did we get anything? I sat on my hands and waited for her to show me that she was pregnant, but the whole time I'm treating her like she is - just in case, you know.

Day 42 I feel a puppy move, and it seems like overnight she is finally showing! I let myself breathe a happy sigh and started getting the whelping box and supplies set up. Day 56 and the x-ray shows nothing. Disappointed didn't even touch what I felt. Vet says false pregnancy and I tell the little miss she gets to go back on strict rations. Piper gave me dirty looks!

Day 59, late day 59, Piper starts having a very large amount of caramel colored, molasses thick discharge. Panic - oh yeah! A late night call to her breeder and yes we can wait till the morning for the vet. Good thing, as I'm not home and the vet at my parents is 45 minutes away. Not good! But, no temperature, she's eating and acts like she feels fine. I can't sleep and wake Piper up more than she likes!

Next morning I'm at the vet as soon as I can get there. 4 hours later I leave knowing she was pregnant and lost the litter and that I may still have to have her spayed though we avoided it that morning. Pyometra was everyone's fear. Palpation revealed a slightly enlarged uterus. Blood work shows Piper's white blood cell count to be normal, but the vaginal smear shows lots of cellular debris, some white blood cells, and lots of bacteria. Vet knows I want to keep her intact if possible for showing, and God help me, another chance at a litter from her. So, she gets an antibiotic douche that he calls a chemical d and c, and antibiotics for home. If she's still having a discharge in 7-10 days, she goes back for another douche if needed. Spaying is the other option lurking in the background.

The past few days have been stressful because I'm watching her like a hawk - she's eating and drinking fine; not happy to have her temp taken a couple times a day or being allowed out to play with the other girls; and definitely not happy having to stay in her crate due to the discharge. I'm a worry wart by nature. I tried really hard not to worry over her being pregnant and whelping without problems - lot of good that did me! Now I'm just worried that she's going to be okay and I'm not making things worse for her! Loving my girl and not wanting to worry about her being sick and wanting a litter out of her are at war with each other!

Recent research has me scared to death that the vet didn't do right by not giving her something to make her uterus contract and expel the rest of the decayed fetus. Monday is the earliest I can get her in to a vet, but which vet? The one I went to on Wednesday doesn't like to be challenged, and if he knew about prostaglandins, surely he would have done that! And the expert in the field is in Ohio and I'm ready to call and try to get a phone consult! I might try a Beaumont vet that did some of Keela's OFA stuff for me in hopes that she's more up to snuff. Not knowing what is the best thing to do is making me sick. I try to trust my vets, but I keep getting let down by their lack of new techniques.

I just want Piper to be okay.

Breeding - yeah, not for the faint of heart.

My heart - rather faint right now.

BUTCHERED LOOKING SPAY

SydneyNRiley — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:48:02 GMT

I am new to this forum, but I am doing a search for my pet concern and this site came up so I hope someone can help...

I just got my 4 month old puppy spayed today and the surgery site looked like hell! It's all wrinkled and looks like the sides were not put together neatly. I expected to see a nice clean incision line but instead its all red, wrinkled and clumpy looking. Looks like a real bad super glue job! \

Is that normal? will it end up healing normal? I have a pic but can't seem to figure out how to attach it to this.

Would you believe after the x-ray today - Update last post

stardancnminpin — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:30:22 GMT

I would like to proudly announce my first litter! BIS multi BISS Ch Windwalker Call in the Clowns and Windwalker Spellbinder (pointed) are expecting July 18th. I was waiting till we knew for sure that Piper took before I posted, and as of last Saturday, I know we have at least one wee Min Pin on its way. Piper was laying on her back and I felt the puppy kick 3 different times. And, Piper is finally showing! I was beginning to wonder if she was pregnant as we only got one tie, but she's definitely showing now! I'll try to get some pictures up later of her pregnant belly. Piper's breeder thinks we've got 2 or 3 puppies hiding in there, and I'm impatiently waiting till I can find out! We are aiming for an x-ray or an ultrasound by the 11th.

I'm nervous, but so excited! This has been over 3 years in the planning/making, and the fact that I have my dream girl for my first litter is so hard to believe! And that Emmett took his first BIS in April and I got to use him for the stud! *dancing* I'm hoping the puppies will have their Mama's funny personality with their Daddy's go get 'em attitude - as well as being sound enough to give me my first bred by champion! Happy and healthy is all that is important, but a girl can dream can't she?

I promise lots of pictures as they grow!

Amy

StarDancin' Miniature Pinschers

Baylee's home from the vet!!

ChancesMama — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:49:59 GMT

Wish Baylee luck, she's getting spayed tomorrow. Please send all the good vibes our way, i'm a worry wart cause she's my baby. I'll update when she's done with her surgery. Thanks in advance for the good vibes.

Baylee.

Is my myrtle fertile????

jeanna — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:47:17 GMT

I think my puppy might be pregnant....

I rescued Jade about 3 weeks to a month ago. The lady who gave her to me told me her husband would let the other dogs attack her and I think he might have even abused her. The lady told me they wanted to breed her and they checked every day for her heat cycle but it never came. When I took her in I never saw any signs of her period. I wanted to spay her but....... about 2 nights ago jade was laying on her back and I noticed a lot of movement in her stomach. Not your normal digestion movement. I also saw little ball like objects pushing through her belly and then when I would put my hands on them they would quickly dash away or they would push up even more. As I started to think about how she had been acting in hopes that it would help me to realize symptoms I did not notice before i then realized her appetite had increased tremendously. As of this morning she doesn’t want to eat much at all and all she wants to do is lay around, also she was shaking a lot this morning. I know she did not get pregnant here in my house so she has to at lease be a month in or so I have asked someone else about this and they asked if her nipples have grown any and yes I have noticed a little bit that they have but not too much at all.

I do have the money to take her to the vet I just wont have it till next week. Please keep in mind I am not a breeder nor do I plan to breed. All my dogs are rescues. But this is a fortunate thing I get to share with her and I want nothing more than to do so

First litter, nervous....help?

Xeph — Wed, 20 May 2009 08:50:39 GMT

I have my first litter planned for late this year.

I'm so nervous I could cry. I've never whelped a litter on my own and am Godawful terrified of doing something wrong and losing my bitch/puppies. You guys know me....I read, read, read, and study, study, study. I ask questions, take advice, ask more questions.

I also worry.

Homes are lined up for puppies (I have had people after me for years waiting for a puppy....it's strange x.x (but good)) , but I don't know how to write a contract. I have tons of sample contracts, but don't know how to alter them to fit MY puppies. I don't speak legalese.

Do you have any suggestions for an expectant grandma? The bitch hasn't even come into season yet, but this litter is happening for sure....and the second litter is 99% sure.

So, Kira's incision came totally apart!

lisa4kids1pup — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 01:18:43 GMT

She has had that E collar on and has not licked it, touched it, etc...I've watched her pretty intently except for when I had to take my daughter to the orthodontist and the other one to school, and then my hubby was here. She stood up and it came open and proceeded to bleed. The only place open was Banfield, and it was close to closing time. The vet there said it needed to be stitched and glue would not work, but there was no time to do stitching. The only alternative she gave me was to take her to the E vet and pay $500 or to put some staples in, so that's what we did. They charged us for this ridiculously large e collar which she can't even walk while wearing, so I put her old one back on, and am returning the other one tomorrow.

Anyway, I called the lady from the rescue and she is sending me to her vet tomorrow. I guess that's the best solution. She said that when they've had this happen with rescue dogs, they give antibiotics and let the wound heal from the inside out. They do try glue sometimes again, but it often doesn't hold it shut. She said to keep her crated and quiet as much as possible, which we had already been doing, but sometimes she gets energetic. I remembered that I had accidentally gotten an extra strip of Clavamox when Kira had Kennel cough, so I started her on that tonight. One of the staples is almost totally out, so I don't know what to expect by tomorrow.

Has anyone else here ever experienced something like this? The rescue lady said that sometimes the glue they use just doesn't adhere to certain skin types, due to chemical composition. It literally seemed like that glue just fell right off of her, because there was no way she could get to it. I wish I had just taken her to a regular vet in the first place. I'm just sick about this, and have been crying on and off since about 7pm. The rescue lady said not to worry, she'd be just fine...but it sure feels like it's going to be a long, torturous healing process for this.

Spaying at a young age....

jennyx0023 — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:29:42 GMT

My brother and his g/f recently got a husky/collie mix pup. She's adorable. They bought her purina puppy chow, and I then proceeded to hand them better dog food samples and told them to try these out instead. I just talked to his g/f the other day to see how Mika's vet visit when and she got a clean bill of health, but then the g/f proceeded to tell me her spay surgery is set the day of June 16. That will mean Mika will be 3 months, maybe 3 1/2 months only then. I guess the vet recommended to spay her young. I never spayed/neutered a dog earlier than 6 months. Are there any serious complications that can occur by doing this? I know shelters do this, and I didn't want to say anything to her before getting the facts.

Cancelled - Southwest Airedales Breeder Seminar 2009 - Dallas, TX

janet_rose — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:36:10 GMT

SOUTHWEST AIREDALES
presents

Myra Savant-Harris, RN
Neonatal Intensive Care Registered Nurse
Breeder of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Author of Canine Reproduction and Whelping and Puppy Intensive Care

In her books and her workshop, Myra translates her years of neonatal intensive care experience into dog/puppy terms and teaches you to function and think like an RN so you can assess and care for your bitch and her puppies.

When:    Saturday June 20, 2009
Time:      8:30 AM to 5 PM
Where:   Girl Scouts of Tejas Council, 6001 Sumerside Drive, Dallas, TX 75252
Fee:        $70 if you preregister by June 1st; $80 if you register after June 1st.
                Fee includes a morning snack and a light lunch.

Who should attend?

Every dog breeder, whether you are planning your first or your 20th litter. If you have ever lost, or fear that you might someday lose a puppy or a bitch, or if you have ever had a breeding that did not take, this seminar is for you.

What will you learn?

Common misconceptions about conception
How to maximize sperm viability and protect your stud dog’s virility
How to do artificial insemination from collection to insertion
How to care for your bitch and ensure her health every step of the way
How to recognize puppies in distress, assess their problem, and use heat, sub-Q fluids, oxygen, tube feeding and more to save what could be your BIS puppy
What you MUST have on hand to make a puppy intensive care nursery.

Myra's books and her whelping kits will be available for purchase at the seminar.

*NOTE*: There will be NO DOGS ALLOWED at this seminar

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Register early and save $10. You can register online at http://www.southwestairedales.org/swa-events.htm or you can send your check made payable to Southwest Airedales to: Michele Foley, 3812 Creek Hollow Way, The Colony, TX 75056.

If you have any questions, please call Joyce Miller, 972-248-2128.

TOTAL Fee $ ________________

Name(s) _____________________________________________________________

Address _____________________________________

City _______________________________ State_____ Zipcode _____________

Telephone: ____________________________________

Email Address: __________________________________________

Confirmations will be sent out via email unless you send a stamped, self-addressed envelope for your confirmation.

Stud needing to be stimulated

Fuzzy Dave — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:40:25 GMT

My parents breed Labradors. They are very small breeders and currently have only one senior stud dog (AKC finished champion, 8yrs old I think) and one possible stud.

The stud dog is an experienced boy and is very good at his job. He is a very laid back fellow and knows exactly when a bitch is ready. He will not even think about mounting her until she is ready and once he mounts he hits his target immediatly.

My question is this: One of the girls is in heat and quite ready (as of yesterday). He smells and licks, the bitch will lifet her tail and stand for him yet he wont mount her. He is obviously interested. We have had to 'stimulate' him (content removed) before he will mount her. Why is this?

Will he get accustomed to being stimulated before mounting the bitch from now on?

BTW He was run over by one of those things used to carry fishing boats, leaving him with a limp (he has metal pins in his leg. Could it be that it is bother him?

How common is this??

Bullymom — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 04:17:14 GMT

My aunt has been breeding Poms for several years now and she has never had any problems until this morning. Her female Pom Yodie had her 3rd litter of puppies 3 weeks ago. Her previous litters were very healthy and she gave birth without any complications. Same goes for this litter. Well, this morning, the "runt" of the littler started having trouble breathing and within a few minutes, she was dead. The vet told my aunt that the puppy's lungs "weren't big enough." Is this a common problem? I figured that since she had made it until she was 3 weeks old that she would be a happy, healthy pup. The other 2 pups are doing great. They are trying to walk around now. I just feel so bad for poor Yodie. Is there any chance that the other pups might have the same fate?

Laparoscopic spay

oranges81 — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:45:51 GMT

I've always done the traditional spay but now the vets here offer laparoscopic spay.

I was wondering if anyone has gotten this done to their dogs and could offer me some insight. Like how much shorter was the recovery time, price difference, ect. Thanks!

Bitches Not Cycling Normally?

HoundMusic — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:25:01 GMT

We seem to have a problem with our bitches heat cycles. I have 3 that are well overdue to come in, one has had her T3 T4 checked less than a year ago. She will also be 6yrs next month, and is normally so regular you can set your watch by her. She's about 2 months overdue, my other bitch who is going on 3yrs is 3 monts overdue. And the last one is a 10 month old pup who is at least a month overdue. Two of her littermate sisters have had their first cycles between 7-9 months. Normally, I wouldn't worry about a 10 month old not having been in yet, but with the other two being so late, I'm getting nervous now.

Two of the bitches are on Nutro Natural Choice L&R, the pup is on Purina. They have all been given the same coat supplement, kelp is one of the ingredients and is also in the Nutro. Curious if anyone has ever had this problem, and if so, what did you do to get the bitches cycling normally again? Can diet cause a bitch not to come into season or OTOH, bring one in?

ETA: There is no history in the bloodline for late or erratic cycles with any of these girls.

We're Pregnant!

Fuzzy Dave — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:16:15 GMT

We took Dreamer to the breeders today and he did indeed confirm she is pregnant! I had already thought the pregnancy was non-existent, until a few days ago when she started the lose her waist line.

The breeder and vet confirmed there are at least 3 pups. I have to get another appointment setup with a vet in the city to have her x-rayed. What a pain in the rear, but shes our girl and we will do what we must.

Shes up 2-3 pounds (she was 8-9 before the breeding) so at 11 pounds shes the heaviest she has ever been.

Dad is a small boy also at about 8 pounds, so we expect small yet healthy pups out of these two.

Im off to buy a rubbermaid container, so that she can get used to it as we plan to have her whelp in one of those.

How to tell if a dog has been spayed

groo — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:14:50 GMT

Hi there

I have a female that I adopted recently. She is a stray, background unknown. She is clearly an adult, but she has no nipples at all. I take this to be a sign that she was spayed as a puppy. Other than this clue, she has no scarring, no tattoo to indicate a spay, and I haven't had her long enough for her to have gone into heat. She was not in bad shape when I found her, so it is possible that she did belong to someone at some point. ( I looked for an owner, but sadly nobody was looking for her).

Any definitive way to tell if she has been spayed. I would hate to have her undergo a totally unnecessary surgery if I don't have to.

Thanks