Should You be Breeding Your Pet?

                         If your pet is pregnant, either as a result of an intentional or accidental breeding, please educate yourself to prepare for a successful pregnancy and delivery, and healthy neonates.

                        Let me first state that I am not a proponent of pet breeding.  I continue to be saddened by the number of homeless pets overflowing at rescue facilities and animal shelters.  Your veterinarian can assist you in selecting a “pre-existing,” appropriate pet for your lifestyle and family, as well as provide you with breed rescue and animal shelter information.  We need more responsible pet owners, not more pet breeders.

                        But, if you feel strongly about breeding your pet or your pet is already pregnant, I urge you to gather as much information as possible right now about pet pregnancy, normal and abnormal deliveries (including caesarian sections), neonatal care, weaning, and vaccination and placement of offspring. Start with your veterinarian and schedule an examination for your pregnant pet.  You should plan to discuss nutrition and health requirements for the mother-to-be, delivery, when to call for help, and proper neonatal care. 

                        You may want to do some research at the library or talk with a reputable pet breeder.  Purebred breeders can be located by contacting breed association groups on the internet. Be aware that raising a litter is a lot of work, especially when the offspring are getting larger and more active after two weeks of age.

                        Most importantly, when you make the decision to raise a litter, realize that you become solely responsible for insuring that every member of that litter has a good home for its entire life.  That means if any of the offspring cannot remain in the home that you have placed it in, you should be prepared to accept that pet back, even after months or years have passed. For this reason, I urge you to make the decision to breed or not to breed your pet only after long and careful consideration.

                        Please be advised that pampered, small breed dogs often want to be “the puppy” themselves rather than take care of puppies.  These dogs commonly require C-sections and will not be very good mothers. You should also know that smaller dog breeds have smaller litters.  When there are fewer puppies in the uterus, the fetuses grow to a larger size thus increasing the likelihood of a life-threatening C-section. I always ask owners of toy and small breed dogs if they are willing to sacrifice the mother’s life for a few puppies, as loss of the mother during surgery is a real possibility.

                        Furthermore, small dog breeds have an increased incidence of eclampsia, or low blood calcium, upon delivery and nursing. Eclampsia can cause inadequate uterine contractions, resulting in the need for a C-section, or a very agitated mother that may tremble, and even seizure until her calcium deficit is corrected.

                         Be informed that large dog breeds can average 10 to 15 pups in a litter.  Are you prepared to care for that many puppies, especially after four weeks of age, when their mother has decided that their needle-sharp baby teeth are too painful to permit nursing?  This is when many dog breeders realize that puppy-rearing is “work” and no longer “fun,” resulting in premature placement of newborns in homes ill-prepared for puppies with poor socialization.

                        Cat owners hoping to have kittens soon discover that their female cat is annoying to be around when she is “in heat” due to her constant wailing and rolling around on the floor.  Let’s not forget the urine marking that goes on when your female cat is in heat, and the neighborhood “toms” who adorn your door step with the pungent smell of their “proposals.”

                        The end result of this offensive behavior is the female cat gets sent outdoors when she is in heat, often for the first time. Pregnancy quickly occurs, and the bothersome behavior ceases.  However, young, inexperienced, pregnant cats frequently are poor mothers and have high C-section rates as well.

                        Please enter into pet breeding responsibly and armed with knowledge. If you don’t know what a “whelping box” or a “queen” is…if you don’t know that a bitch’s body temperature will drop within 24 hours of delivery…if you don’t know the difference between stage I and stage II delivery…if you don’t know what a normal interval between delivery of pups or kittens is…if you don’t know how a normal post-partum discharge looks…if you don’t know how to tie off an umbilical cord…I challenge you to get educated and ask yourself “should I be breeding my pet?”

 

Author:  Dr. Bonnie Jones
Photo courtesy of Mandy Price Halsey