My baby girl

Question
I have a boxer and she is 10 months old and she went into heat at 9 months, on the 14th day of heat she did breed with a rather big breed of dog, he lives at the same house as her. The swelling has not gone down and its really big I have never seen a dog get so swollen, is that because he is in the same house as her? or is it because shes pregnant?

Answer
Hi Michelle,

She is swollen because of the heat cycle only most likely. I would bet 99.99% she is pregnant if he breed her on the 14 th day of heat. Heat cycle will last approximately 28 days during which she can still conceive. If after 28 days the swelling hasn't gone down you should take her to the vet for evaluation as the large male could have injured her internally. You do not need to let him breed her anymore as it takes only one time to conceive. She is too young to have puppies as the boxer breed doesn't mature as fast as other breeds, the best time to breed a boxer is two years of age or older. She may not be a very good mother to the litter and you might have to hand feed the puppies for the first three weeks of life then they can be on soft food.You should enquire about the possibility of her having a c-section with your vet as the puppies may be too large for her to have them since the male is so large and she is so young. Hope this helps. Thank you for your question.

Angela Donald
Canine Behavior Consultant
Hi-Tower Boxers
http://www.hitowerboxers.com