my peekapoo

Question
QUESTION: i have a 7 month old peekapoo (will be 8 months in a few days) but she is pregnant by a doxiepoo....do you think she can safely deliver her pups? Both dogs are about the same size. I was just afraid because of her age.

ANSWER: At only 7 months of age I would personally not continue with the pregnancy -- although she is sexually mature she is not emotionally or physically mature enough to handle the demands of whelping & rearing a litter. You may encounter a number of problems, such as a necessary C-section to deliver over-sized puppies, a lack of proper care for the puppies on her part, which means you would have to take over the responsibility of tube or bottle feeding (approximately every 2 to 3 hours around the clock) and you'd have to provide a heated area for at least the first 3 weeks as puppies under 3 weeks are unable to regulate their body temperature & lack the ability to even shiver, which can cause illness or even death. I would urge you to speak with your veterinarian about having the pregnancy terminated & this would also be an excellent opportunity to have her spayed at the same time.

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QUESTION: awww, that wasn't the answer i was looking for! lol
My brother had a husky who gave birth at 7 months old and she is the best mother ever. I hate to say I would be willing to feed them around the clock and buy whatever I needed to provide them heat also. I just cant stand the thought of making her have an abortion when there is a chance that she will be fine and be a wonderful mother. But thank you for your answer.
ANSWER: Believe me, I DO understand your feelings. However, I just wanted you to know the worst case scenario. It's possible she'll make a good mother & remain healthy throughout the pregnancy & rearing of the litter. I would advise you to have your vet examine her ASAP to give her the best possible chance to do so. Also begin feeding her a high quality puppy food about midway through the pregnancy. Average gestation is 63 days but can vary several days plus or minus. If you talk with your vet & decide to go ahead on this, be sure to read as much as possible about whelping so you'll be prepared for the event. The new Mother will need a post-whelping check-up & your vet may opt to give her an injection of oxytocin, which helps the uterus to contract & will help to expel any retained placentas or puppies and will also aid in milk production. Also the puppies will need their first worming at 3 weeks of age & again at 6 weeks. They'll also need a parvovirus vaccination at 5 weeks & their first set of puppy vaccinations at 6 & 8 weeks of age. Your vet may recommend a slightly different schedule but this is the norm. I'm including some links you should find helpful. Wish you the very best of luck!

http://www.pets.ca/articles/article-dogpregnant.htm
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_care_of_the_pregnant_dog.html


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QUESTION: I do understand where you were coming from i am just such an animal lover! Thank you for the links and i promise i will read up on anything i should read up on! I want the best for my baby girl and her babies! She will be exactly 27 days pregnant tomorrow...i called my vet to ask about checking her pregnancy (to make sure she was indeed pregnant) and he said he couldn't i would have to take her somewhere else. I can't afford the others so is there anything I could do to tell if she is for sure pregnant before i go buy anything?

Answer
I hear you -- I'm an animal lover too & HATE the thought of terminating a litter; however, I wanted to warn you because breeding can be extremely taxing on any mother, much less such a young one. Remember that you do run the risk of losing your little girl by breeding, especially at her age. Deaths do occur even in the best of circumstances. I can't imagine why your vet is unable to confirm the pregnancy. At this stage he should be able to palpate her abdomen & feel the fetal sacs. But if he's unfamiliar with reproductive science maybe that's why he's unwilling. Ask him to refer you to a vet that at least has minimal knowledge of breeding & reproduction. At 25-30 days gestation an ultrasound can usually distinguish fetal heartbeats & at 50+ days fetal skeletons can be seen, which is also a good way to get an approximate number of puppies to expect. The links I sent you can tell you some of the signs to look for if she is indeed pregnant -- some obvious signs include her teats becoming more prominent & darker in color by around week 3 to 4, and you may notice "morning sickness" very similar to that in humans around this time also but it should only last a maximum of a few days. She will probably also exhibit a marked change in personality, becoming more "clingy" & seeking more attention from you & family than usual. Toward the latter stage of gestation you'll begin to notice her abdomen becoming larger & rounder & by day 55 you should be able to feel movement from the puppies. If you can find a vet that is more familiar with reproduction, he should be able to do a simple blood test to confirm pregnancy. I know it's expensive to conduct all these tests but trust me, it's far less expensive to do so now than to risk a problem which could jeapordize her life as well as the puppies' -- for example, if the puppies should be over-sized & a C-section is necessary you can easily expect that alone to cost upwards of $1000. But by having her examined beforehand you'll be much better prepared for this scenario. Another possibility is she may not be pregnant -- you may notice some or even all of the symptoms yet she could be having a "false" pregnancy. This is why it's a good idea to find a vet who can do the blood test to be sure she truly is pregnant. Everyone thinks having puppies is wonderful & it is -- but it can also be both extremely financially & emotionally taxing. I would recommend finding a way to be sure your girl can have a litter safely, in a vet's opinion after examining her, & planning ahead for the possible & definite costs. It's more than just puppy food! But I'll be happy to help you as best I can throughout -- just let me know if you have any specific questions.