Dog pregnancy problems during gestation, causes and symptomsCanine pregnancy problems are as natural as in any other animal species.
A problem in the pregnancy can cause resorption of the fetus, either partial or complete. The fetus can either be still born or can be attacked by a colony of bacteria. The success of a pregnancy in a dog depends completely on the immuno-competence of the fetus and the mother.
Symptoms
The dog shows no difference in health.
Though there can be malaise or anorexia, it is very mild and is difficult to diagnose.
If a dog has had a spontaneous abortion, it is difficult to be able to tell so because there are no specific symptoms. There might be malaise that lasts for a very short time and therefore is not detected. However, it is rare for a dog pregnancy gestation to be so problematic that it becomes life threatening to the mother.
In a rare case though, a pregnant dog may experience shock and may slip into a coma.
Causes
The problems in dog pregnancies are due to a defect in the development of the fetus. If the endocrine glands of the dog are not functioning properly, this too can create a problem. Metabolic imbalance and infection in the reproductive canal are other causes of problems in pregnancies. Apart from this, normal pregnancies can go wrong if improper drugs are administered. Anomalies in the chromosomes can affect the course of pregnancy. However, it is very rare for such a thing to happen. Some common causes are:
Hypothyroidism - this is a condition characterized by a deficiency of the thyroid hormone. This increases the risk of a spontaneous abortion. This condition is often responsible for causing low fertility in dogs.
- Hypothyroidism - in this case, there is an excessive production of the hormone and therefore increased chances of spontaneous abortion.
- Luteal insufficiency - luteal insufficiency causes the lack of stimulation to the follicles it can be treated through injection of progesterone hormone. However, it is still considered to be one of the most common reasons for spontaneous abortions.
- Diabetes Mellitus - the litter size may be smaller for dogs who have diabetes mellitus because this disease interferes with the concentration of the growth hormone (GH)
- Hypo-Hypercorticalism - Both these dysfunctions have been seen to increase complications in dog pregnancy whelping.
- Infectious diseases of the reproductive tract are common causes of complicated pregnancies or high mortality rate among pups. Brucella infection or the B. canis infections are the commonest causes of such incidences.
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