Ooops!

I'm still trying to figure out how one doesn't know that one's female dog got "knocked" up?  


We see this in cats ALL the time. Intact (unspayed) female cats that go out will INVARIABLY be found by an un-neutered male cat. These cats may or may not be close family pets but often we find the pregnancy at the time of spaying. There are some cases where it is obvious and they are basically ready to pop but still, many times, no one has a clue and understandably so.


Dogs, however, are a whole different story. To get pregnant, dogs need to be in what is termed a "tie" which lasts at least 5 minutes if not longer. This is when the male dog actually is turned facing opposite the female dog (not on top of her). It is pretty obvious and because it's not a quick thing, would be difficult to miss. And while many people let their kitties roam, as first class citizens, dogs are given far more attention. 


In the past week, I know of two cases where a dog came in for a spay and the owner had NO clue that the dog was pregnant. It was early on in both situations, so did NOT happen too terribly long prior to presentation.

This dog had 8 babies total

So we are often surprised when we find the above after the owner said "there is NO possible way my dog is pregnant." Why does this matter? Well, it is a little more involved and definitely costs more. We would prefer to let you know this upfront. AND in case someone questions MY veracity on it, I take pictures! (that situation happened to a VERY trustworthy veterinarian I know - the client actually didn't believe her and wanted to see the uterus..insulting I know).