10 month old English Bulldog pregnant. Little worried...

Question
QUESTION: Hi Ms. Renee, thanks so much for taking your time to answer me. This website is amazing! Anyway, my english bulldog is pregnant, to our surprise, and my husband and i have never bred a dog before. I looked online for some tips to make sure her whelping process was safe and it really scared me! I saw so many people say how dangerous it was for puppies this young to give birth. She's my world and i would be devastated if anything happened to her bc of my stupidity (i brought her to my dads house while she was on her period. My dad said she couldnt get pregnant while she was on her period and i believed him...ugh, i know, you dont have to say anything haha)

My other dilemna is that we are very very broke...I know if it came down to it, my mother could lend me some money. but is it true that most bulldogs need c-sections? or is there some way we could prevent it?

I could just use some helpful tips and advice. I'm so worried about her that I can't be excited :( and i really really want to be. I think of her as my own daughter and i think of her future puppies as my grandchildren... I really cant wait to see them. But thanks again! hope to hear from you soon.


ANSWER: Hi Amanda. It's true, your girl is super young to be having puppies at this time. But, there are somethings that you can do to keep her healthy. Make sure she's on a good quality feed, make sure she gets plenty of exercise, and keep in close contact with your vet through the whole pregnancy. Bulldogs usually do end up needing a c-section. I'd talk to your vet about it, and see how much it costs. Some vets will let you pay on it monthly instead of coming up with it all at once. I'd ask him about payment plans and how much it costs, because more than likely, you'll need one. It's just the way the breed is made that causes the need for c-sections. They have large heads and small pelvises. Did your dog's mom whelp naturally or need a section? After day 50 you can have an x-ray done, I suggest doing this because it will tell you about how many to expect, and if there are any really large ones in there that may cause trouble. There's not a whole lot that you can do to prevent one, especially in a breed that's known for needing them, and at her age, she may need it even more. What was she bred with? If she was bred with a much larger dog, then that may increase her need for a section even more. A lot of Bulldog breeders go ahead and schedule a section, some don't even let the dog try to whelp naturally because whelping usually happens in the middle of the night when it's hard to get hold of a vet.:-) I have some good links on Bulldogs and whelping. Let me dig around for them, and if you want them, I'll be happy to send them to you.:-)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Wow thank you very much! I will definitely talk to her vet about the payment plan. You shouldve seen my husbands face when i told him that. he looked so relieved haha! And yes, i would like those links, please. i just want to make sure i know what to expect. She was bred with a beagle that was actually smaller than her, so thats also a relief. And i really don't know about her mother. my husband bought her before we met. as a matter of fact, her breeder never even sent my husband the papers saying that she was a pure bred.... maybe i should look into that considering he paid 2500 for Koda lol.

Just one more small question...Whats the best way to make sure the puppies go to good homes, without over stepping out boundaries. If it was up to me, i would ask the people for their address so i can see their living quarters and do a follow up on them after they buy the pup. The beagle daddy happens to be my dog that i had to leave at my dads house. He was the best dog i ever had :) just a pure sweetheart. These puppies are a mix of my two favorite dogs in the world, and i want to make sure they are going to be treated very well, ya know?

well thanks again, Ms. Renee!!

Answer
Hi Amanda. Please forgive me for taking so long to get back to you. I would definitely be asking some questions to the breeder. That's a lot of money to pay for a dog that isn't papered, and not really knowing it's background, pedigree/health. I'd look into that if I were you guys.

As for finding homes for the pups, my motto is the pups are here because of me, so they're my responsability for life. Each puppy buyer signs a spay/neuter contract if it's a pet quality puppy. I usually offer the new owners part of the purchase price when I'm shown the neuter cirtificate. I always have potiental puppy buyers fill out a form, asking: how many in the house, what ages. Other pets, sexes neutered, have you ever owned a dog before, if so what happened to it, have you ever given a dog away, if so what reason, where will the dog spend it's day, how long will he be home alone, where will he stay if left alone, who will be the one taking care of him, vet refences...ect. This will give you an idea of if the person is an experienced dog owner, and what his expectations are for the dog. Definitely get an address, phone number. Ask the person to send pictures and updates, if you use a contract, make sure you put in it that if the new puppy buyer will return the dog to you if he ever has to rehome it. Feel free to e-mail me if you want to to talk more about this. I'll give you my e-mail address. As for the links, I'll find them in the morning and send them straight out. I have a ton that I have went through for other people.:-)

my e-mail is vvvzena@yahoo.com (that's 3 v's)