hi all im not after advise but being nosey.my freinds x girlfreind bumped into me today in asda and we went for a coffee.

she went on about how shes moved on ect and that tequila her toy bitch is pregnant.i said to her oh got chatting and shes planning on this bitch just giving birth.she hasnt taken her for any check ups or nothing,worst of all shes not walking her.shes pregnany she said so i said yea pregnant not dying.

when i tried to tell her that for starters the bitch needs certain foods and at least a walk a day to be able to keep up with the fitness ect she shrugged it off..

what are the chances of this bitch having these puppies naturally,i feel so sorry for her now shes such a lovely dog and i know shes not got two pennies to rub together (cos she told me over coffee)what if this bitch needs a c section.......do u think i should let her get on with it or try getting her to understand......i take it if the bitch needs a c section and she leaves it too late all the puppies AND the bitch could die??

First off, is it a breed KNOWN to have problems giving birth? Otherwise I'd  say exercise or not depends on so much, such as the size of the bitch and the size of the garden. My Papillons have such a big garden to them it's like a field and they can and do race around in it and get plenty of exercise without being on an actual walk. Now had it been a Malinois in the same space things would have been different. So not going for walks isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's how much exercise the bitch is able to get. As for food, I also wouldn't say a pregnant bitch needs special food, some do well on the puppy version of their normal food, others do not and need to stay on what they are used to, however of course they need extra feeds from 6 weeks onwards.

So can't really answer the question without more info. :)

> ......i take it if the bitch needs a c section and she leaves it too late all the puppies AND the bitch could die??

Yes, you have that right.  But if she denies veterinary care, then she is not providing for the welfare of the bitch.  Surely she knows about the Animal Welfare Act that covers pets.

The most I have paid for a C-section on one of my toy breeds is £1,086.  You might advise her that she needs to be ready financially.  One of my breeds is very difficult to whelp, and I know what I'm doing!

If she has mated a bitch without any thought to how she is going to help when the time comes, I despair! 

I agree with Marianne about exercise in toy breeds.  I have plenty of space for mine to run like maniacs without taking them out for walks.  But, naturally, one lone dog will not exercise itself the same as a gang of them playing chase.  My pregnant bitches run and chase my Border Collie.  I reckon that if their pregnancies worried them, then they wouldn't run.

But I do understand your worries about your friends silliness.  If it is a very tiny toy breed, a Caesarian is almost guaranteed.

> But I do understand your worries about your friends silliness.  If it is a very tiny toy breed, a Caesarian is almost guaranteed.

Pregnancy is not an illness.... any pregnant wild animal still has to find food, run from predators or chase and hunt... even more so really to get enough nourishment for the growing young, or run faster from predators, to ensure the survival of the species! I just get the feeling that this little dog is being cosseted, perhaps overfed as well. Her muscles will not be as toned and she will not be as fit, ergo may not have as much stamina for a difficult birth as one that is treated normally, kept very fit, toned, fed sensibly and allowed to be itself - most important of all.