Ask the Veterinarian/pregnant dog??

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Expert: - 3/19/2010


Question
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I have a 9 year old maltese cross shih tzu, and there is a chance she may be pregnant. About two weeks ago she was 'accidently' mated with a 10 year old fox terrier. I was wondering if a male dog ever stops being able to have babies, and when that is. Also, how and when will i be able to tell that my dog is pregnant? Is there anything i can do that doesn't involve taking her to the the vet, as we can't because we don't have enough money. And if she is pregnant, will she be to old to survive the birth? Thank you for your time.

Answer
It's hard to say whether or not she will get pregnant at this age or survive the birth. Most dogs are spayed long before this age so it's not often you see an old dog give birth.

It will exhaust her, that is for sure. I would get her into the vets now and get her spayed so that she doesn't have to go through the body draining 9 weeks of pregnancy and then try to deliver puppies.

She is about as old as a 78 yr old woman. Not a good risk for pregnancy.

So get her spayed now and it's done and over with. Owning a dog costs money.
That is what our responsibility as pet owners is, a responsibility. That means we get the best health care that we can for our pets. Sometimes it's tough, but it has to be done.

I hope she does well.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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