Puppies are just incredibly cuddly, too cute, and completely irresistible. Howbeit, while they provide us with a fantastic amount of fun, these young canines are very expensive to maintain and time-consuming, and you must put in a lot of effort to have them stay strong and healthy. So, being the one to decide if and when your dog gets pregnant is an endeavor that is worth your while. Dog mating might be difficult to control but unwanted pregnancy in dogs can be averted.
In view of the underlying consequences of getting more puppies than you can handle, we are poised to discuss the effective ways of preventing unwanted pregnancy in dogs, including the benefits and how many times a bitch can be hit before it falls pregnant.
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Effective Ways Of Preventing Pregnancy In Dogs
Once a female dog goes into heat, the males within the vicinity will perceive the hormone and understand the telltale signs that the bitch is ready for mating. The dog mating process often takes a short while and can be accomplished without the parent knowing. Outdoor pets and those that are not on a leash while on walks are prone to unexpected mating. However, there are several steps that can be taken by the dog parent to prevent unwanted pregnancy in dogs after mating.
Spaying & Neutering
Through the neutering process, a dog’s ovaries and uterus can be removed through surgery. This can also be done in the early stage of pregnancy when the cluster of cells that are developing into puppies are removed. The possibility of complications when a dog is spayed during pregnancy is higher and costs more. Besides, it will leave the dog with a bigger scar than what is obtainable from a normal neutering or spaying procedure.
Mismate injection and Misalliance Treatment
Here, a vet injects Alizin into the pup’s neck to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. The injections are two and the second one comes after 24 hours. The name Mismate or Misalliance treatment basically involves dog mating that shouldn’t have happened. The drug targets the progesterone receptors in the uterus, and once they are blocked, the pregnancy can no longer be maintained, resulting in abortion. It is more effective if administered within 22 days of a dog’s gestation.
Oral Estrogens
Oral Estrogens are the morning-after pills that can fail if not given at the appropriate time. Most of the time dog mating occurs, the parent does not know about it which makes it difficult to determine when to give oral estrogens. In fact, they are not recommended and you can only resort to them as an absolute last option.
Estrogens can lead to infections and diseases such as infected uterus or pyometra, which can be fatal; thus, professionals don’t regard them as the preferred choice for a healthy canine abortion. The drug can fail when you don’t administer them at the right time; in fact, the risk is too much for your pooch.
Injectable Estrogens
Relative to oral estrogen, injectable estrogens are safer, however, to prevent unwanted pregnancy in dogs, it must be given shortly after mating. This is your best option when a dog is caught in the act or immediately after. Adopters who have plans of breeding their pups responsibly should use injectable estrogens as it allows the bitch to still conceive later. We have two types of injectable hormones;
Prostaglandin F2 Alpha
Prostaglandin F2 Alpha is highly effective and serves as the preferred drug for aborting pup pregnancy. It causes contraction and luteolysis, thus, aborting the pregnancy. Made with completely natural hormones, the drug is quite safe but must be administered by a professional. The dog should be kept under close watch for side effects like nausea, trembling, and diarrhea. Shortness of breath and panting may occur and you need a vet to be present to control the situation.
Dexamethasone
Though it is used for the treatment of skin and eye disease in dogs, when dexamethasone is administered under stringent medical supervision, it can lead to a relatively painless and non-complicated abortion of unwanted pregnancy in dogs. The cluster of cells is either absorbed into the body or eliminated, but this is dependent on how the pup reacts.
The side effects are not common, hardly fatal, and can range from mild to severe. You may observe anorexia and virginal discharge in your pooch, and the drug is best given within a few days or a few hours of copulation. This implies that you need to be aware that dog mating has occurred to be able to make the most of this drug.
Dopamine Agonists
Prolactin is an important hormone for maintaining pregnancy, and Dopamine Agonists suppress this hormone thereby terminating the pregnancy. When prolactin is suppressed, it leads to decreased progesterone, resulting in abortion. The drug is effective, safe, and with few side effects like nausea and loss of appetite. The administration is best done after 25 days of gestation. Thus, even if you don’t know the exact time dog mating took place, you can still prevent pregnancy with this drug.
Epostane
Epostane does not have any known side effects, it works by preventing the body from producing progesterone. Without progesterone, a pregnancy will automatically abort within seven days. In order words, you don’t need to worry about dog mating leading to unwanted pregnancy.
Enclosures and Kennels
Kennels, pet pens, and enclosures are safe for people that don’t want to sterilize their dogs and have plans to breed them in the future. Target your female dog’s heat period, which occurs every six to eight months, and keep them confined in the enclosure to prevent dog mating. Use a tiled floor for your enclosure as bitches on heat can be messy with their discharge; this makes for easy cleaning.
Panties and Diapers
In addition to being effective in preventing dog mating and unwanted pregnancy in dogs, diapers and panties are cheap, fail-proof, and clean. They contain the dog’s discharge during heat and thus are great for indoor-only pets as the blood drips won’t mess up your floor within the three weeks that the heat period is expected to last. Panties also curb the odor from the discharge, minimizing the chances of male dogs in the vicinity perceiving the scent and coming in search of the bitch.
Veterinary Abortion
Veterinary abortion is one effective and viable way of eliminating unwanted pregnancy in dogs. This should only be taken as a last resort as it comes with higher risks and complications. Besides, you can only consider abortion when it is too late to try other options and the pregnancy still has to be terminated. It can be achieved in two ways; the vet can administer abortifacient medications or a surgical procedure can be carried out.
The procedure can be strenuous and dogs that have gone through the process must be kept under observation for seven days. Though very expensive, it is effective and will still leave the dog with the option of conceiving in the future.
Read Also:Â Extinct Dog Breeds: 15 Dog Breeds That Have Gone Into Extinction
Benefits Of Controlling Dog Mating and Unwanted Pregnancy
The benefits to be derived from preventing unwanted pregnancy in dogs are quite numerous.
1. For one, you will save yourself the hard work of attending to an unwanted litter.
2. Puppies need injections in the form of vaccinations for the first two months and this will entail several vet visits; stopping the pregnancy means you have saved yourself the stress.
3. On the part of the bitch, it will be saved from the risk and stress of carrying the pregnancy full term.
4. Cost for a litter’s upkeep continues to mount when you factor in food, medical bills, and vaccinations; this can be shelved.
5. Taking care of newborn puppies is time-consuming; there are adopters that will need to take some time off work to accomplish this. If you don’t have the time and inclination, preventing the pregnancy is a good option for you
How Many Times Does Dog Mating Have To Occur To Result To Pregnancy?
We have heard a lot of old wives’ tales concerning when a bitch can or cannot conceive. There are people who are of the belief that a female dog can’t fall pregnant in its initial heat cycle. Others think that mating has to be accomplished multiple times before you even think of pregnancy occurring.
But truth be told, none of these tales is true. Once two sexually fertile dogs mate, there is always the possibility of the female coming off pregnant. Matting must not be done multiple times, just that once can be enough, especially when the dogs are one year of age and above.