I have been reading some of the topics on here and i have been reading about bitches absorbing their puppies. Would someone please explain what this means? why its done? is it common in certain breeds? at what stage of the pregnancy is this done? and what can prevent this happening.
Thanks

It happens more than was previously thought. Years ago, before scans, it was thought that the bitch had just missed. Now that we can scan the bitches it is found that a bitch will be pregnant at 4 weeks, but by the time she is due to give birth there is nothing left. This happened to me and my bitch earlier this year :-(

There are many reasons, but I think that the main one, at least in my case, is that the bitch doesn't give off enough of the correct hormones at the time that the pups would be attaching themselves to the womb. The bitches own body will then reabsorb the litter and there is usually no sign of this happening. Infection, or letting the bitch get too hot/cold at the wrong time, too many eggs fertilised can also cause a bitch to reabsorb.

It depends on the cause. If there aren't enough hormones in the first place I wouldn't try again as this may be carried on to her offspring, if you ever get her pregnant. Any other causes need to be looked at individually and discussed with a vet. Antibiotics may help, or keeping the bitch at the right temperature (not letting her go swimming on a hot day/leaving her in a car, etc) may need to be looked at.

It is also for a way for nature to reduce numbers, if there is something amiss with the foetus etc, without necessarily terminating (wasting) a whole pregnancy.

In fact it is thought far more eggs are fertilised, then implant, and of those that implant some will fail to establish sufficiently good placentas etc.

In animals that usually have only one young you simply get a miscarriage if things go wrong.

It is a survival mechanism.
First and foremost, it prevents new lives being born into difficult circumstances, like a drought or a lack of food.
Mainly it protects the mother - who, if she hasn't got to compromise her own health by bringing up babies in less than perfect circumstances, she can hold off til things get better. It is a huge investment on her part to raise babies and it always carries the risk that she may not live long enough to get them on their road to maturity if food sources are scant or if there is an unusually high threat from predators.

Almost all small animals have the ability to reabsorb - when I say small, I am talking about those who have large litters born relatively helpless. The reason the litters are so large is because they need to have that many to ensure even one gets to maturity to carry on the line.

Times vary, but there is one cutoff - when the growing foetus/es starts to develop a skeletal system. Once this has happened, reabsorption is not possible. Rats and mice can reabsorb up to birth since their tiny, naked, foetus-like babies actually don't have a hardened skeleton just cartilage that develops post-natally.

Puppies are born with full skeletons so the cut-off point for reabsorption happens earlier in the pregnancy. There is a definite time after which it's not possible. I know in rabbits (gestation period 31 days) they can only re-absorb until the 19th-21st day. There's a cut off date for cats (gestation 9 wks like dogs) and I did once know when it was but off-hand I can't remember! If the pregnancy can no longer be continued after the time for reabsoption is past, then a miscarriage/abortion follows because the foetuses cannot be reassimilated once the skeleton has started to develop.

As to causes, sometimes comditions in the uterus mean that a litter is reabsorbed... or through infection or incompatibility.... the reasons are as varied and as unfathomable as in human pregnancies that never get properly started.

BTW: Brainless: often the extras - as in too many in the womb - just don't develop and get absorbed early on especially with overcrowding, while the others that are well implanted get on with it. I don't know if this is ever seen in dogs - and it is extremely rare in cats - but sometimes a cat will deliver a tiny mummified foetus when giving birth - it is one that failed to develop but was preserved in the body fluids nonetheless. I had this in one of my cats once.... it was atonishing! if a little gruesome.

I've had the odd mummified cavy born too, it is pretty gruesome...

Are there any vitamin suppliments anyone suggests to prevent reabsorbing happening? I know in Cavies I give some suppliments but not until the last 2 weeks/10 days

I wouldn't have thought there were any supplements as such, just a balanced, good quality diet and strees free environment.  My scanner says approx 5 weeks is the cut off but not sure exactly.

I had a bitch scanned at 4 weeks +3 and she scanned 4 smaller and one larger pup, scanner said we were seeing absorbtion happening, she went on to have one good sized healthly pup.

Her 2nd litter scanned two and she had two, 3rd litter she scanned 3 and I was told she would have a mummified pup and or yuck of some sort as well.  The scanner was right enough 3 live pups, 1 mummified and some yuck to follow.

None of her off spring had any problems whelping and none have reabsorbed.

>None of her off spring had any problems whelping and none have reabsorbed.

When I mentioned not breeding I meant it to be from a bitch with hormone problems, not a bitch that reabsorbed her litter :-D My bitch will be spayed as soon as possible.

How do you know if your bitch has reabsorbed?

Unless she's been scanned and puppies counted, and fewer are born, then you can't know. It's only the advent of scanning that proved absorption truly occurred and wasn't just an old wives'/breeders' tale!

> It's only the advent of scanning that proved absorption truly occurred and wasn't just an old wives'/breeders' tale!

And yet it has been known for many many years in other species without scanning. It's possible for an experienced person or a vet to palpate animals and feel the babies from an early stage, they feel like a string of beads and it's something I can do/have done in cats and other animals. The female shows all the other signs of pregnancy and then suddenly the beads are gone. Or, in smaller animals, regular weight checks will show a gradual gain as expected, then suddenly the gain just drops slowly day by day, and by the time the litter was due the mother is back to roughly pre-pregnancy weight.

>And yet it has been known for many many years in other species without scanning.

Absolutely. But scanning has been the proof that was needed to convince the unbelievers.

She has been scanned at 33 days and showed 6 pups. She is now 7 weeks from 1st tie, i am a bit worried as i still cant feel pups moving, is it to early to feel them yet?. She is fine in herself, eating, although she is always cleaning and licking her vulva.
Any advice appreciated, thanks.

> i am a bit worried as i still cant feel pups moving,

Maybe it's just me, but I have very rarely been able to feel pups moving in my girls, who have strong muscles. 

I very occasionally see a little movement if they are asleep.

The only time I feel movement is during birth. 

usually around 50 days you can start to feel them/ see them moving... just keep looking everyday, it is truly lovely to feel the movement when it comes (just like in the human pregnancy!) it is easiest to feel the movement when the bitch is relaxed and laying on her side.
edited to say, that my bitch has a short smooth coat and had a large litter of 10 so i don't know if that would affect the timings?

Thanks, you have put my mind at rest now.