can anyone throw some light on why bitches re-absorb. I have just had this happen i think, my bitch had 2 good matings and to all intents and purposes i would have said at 5 weeks she was definately in whelp, then just before 6 weeks she went of her food, no amount of tempting for 3 days would she eat,then overnight she had got her figure back and was back to her own normal self. just wondering why this happens

HI, what bad luck. I have limited knowlegde of this in simple terms, others may know more. At around 40 days of pregnancy the puppies are growing fast and the uterus is changing shape fast too to accommodate them. Hormone balances change to maintain the pregnancy. Re-absorbtion can take place any time up to around 45 days when either there is something wrong, maybe a problem with the placenta for example. It is said that stress or unsuitable environment can also trigger it as nature's way of preventing a litter being born in less then ideal circumstances. It could be a fight with another dog, some sort of fright or stressful experience that maybe wouldn't normally upset her. It is impossible to know what caused it , but if you mate her again, I would have her swabbed for possible infection on day 2 of her next season and after mating keep her quietly at home with no rough and tumble play or unnecessary journeys in the car and no purposeful meeting with dogs she doesn't know/doesn't like. Dont let her be hassled by any live in doggy companions or humans for that matter.

hi westie lover

thanks for the bit of insight, you have set me of wondering if maybe the thunderstorms we had and she did not like could have anything to do with it, I also have quite a dominant bitch, so next time will take extra care

thanks again

hi have spoken to people about re-absorbing and u know some vets say there no such thing........

thats all

vicki
p,s my scanning man also says there is no such thing.

Always said that Vets know nothing about dogs. They are just mechanics!

There is such a thing- I was expecting twins (children) and one was absorbed, so it happens in humans too.We saw it on the scan- bit scarey really-was paranoid about the second baby but all went fine and she is now nearly 13 years old.My doctor said it happens in about 25% of multiple births.Gail

Hi Gail, of course it happens. My daughter had 3 (IVF) all showing on the scan till about 10wks & then at 13 wks only 2 but one of those 2 hadn`t grown & remained there for a while until her body absorbed it. The one surviving is now a healthy 3yr old little girl.
Christine2

there are many reasons for this happening previous infections, vitamin E defficency....,but vit e should be given to the bitch under vets advice as to much can be just as bad,but in many cases its because the foetus does not attach it's self to the uterine wall,or maybe there was a genetic fault....its very sad but does happen.
if you have the same problem the next time you try to breed her it might be as well to give up. however to prevent poss things happening in the future cod liver oil,can help it contains many vits especially vit e,but should be given well in advance good luck.

I'm afraid I disagree with steph, as long as there is no infection present and the bitch is in good health/nutrition and happy and properly managed there is no reason to think that she will re-absorb every time. Many women miscarry more than once before they give birth succesfully. If its important to you to have a litter I would keep trying, I have had a bitch re-absorb twice and then have a big litter.I would consider using a different stud dog if it happens a second time with the same dog.

So long as the bitch is smeared at the start of her season
then you can determine if any bacterias are present.
I know of a bitch that re-absorbed and the lab results said
she had pasturella. They said this causes fading puppy
and re-absorption of puppies. It can not be seen with the
eye and the bitch is well and healthy apart from this. I have
been told that it has not been looked into well enough as
the bitch owner was first told it was nothing to worry about
but after further research it has been found out that it is
something to worry about. Especially the puppies. The bitch
owner did not breed her bitch and will do so again next year
when all infections have gone. But dont forget its not just
the bitch that should be smeared. If a dog is at stud and
has mated several bitches he too should be tested to check
he is not passing bacterias to the bitches.
Nutkin

Hi
We have a Cavalier bitch, Jenny is almost five now and whelped a beautiful first litter at 2 years old. She was left for a whole year and then we tried again to mate her. The dog used was an experienced and fertile stud, Jenny obviously was fertile (or was the previous year). She missed after appearing 'mumsie' at between four and five weeks, a repeat was done the next season and she again did not produce. The stud dog's owner very kindly agreed that we could try again with a different dog, so Jenny went 'on holiday' to ensure that at least we had the best chance of getting the correct day. Good matings were achieved on three days but she has once again not produced anything. The maddening thing is Jenny is a beautiful breed typical bitch and we are deperate to have something from her.

Jenny was swabbed clear and the dogs tested clear, she adores babies and is herself very hurt when she does not get them.

Various thoughts have been discussed :-

1. Repeat matings often spoil what is already there.

2. The giving of extra vitamins and supplements does not always help. Years ago when we first started breeding as absolute novices, we simply fed our bitch as normal and just increased her food in the latter weeks. She was given Stress after the birth and encouraged to drink lots to aid milk production.

3. Some say that it is wrong to breed from very young bitches and our breed club promotes not breeding until two and half. I have never bred until the third season or 18 months but older breeders tell me that when they used to breed at one year, they had less problems with whelping and getting bitches into whelp.

4. A Labrador breeder I know is concerned about bitches missing and reports that she had a bitch scanned at seven weeks and the scan clearly showed two puppies but none were ever born??

I should be interested in further views on this topic - selfish maybe but I want to mate my young 18 month old bitch this year if she ever comes into season. Star was almost 13 months old at her first season so if she is to be a six month bitch, something should happen quite soon.

Incidentally I am using Fit and Fertile, all my dogs have garlic oil capsules and the girls have evening primrose, my boys (husband included have zinc) ever since I read about the high incidence of prostrate cancer. Fit and Fertile is doing wonders for coat, so that at least is an improvement.

Sorry to waffle, hope we can all learn from each other.

Alice and the Brantwoods

Maud was mated 4 years ago, she has very short seasons (2 days average!) and I had a mating 'window of opportunity' amounting to hours rather than days. We got a good tie at lunch time of the 2nd day, by day 3 season had ended. I had a scan at exactly 6 weeks -= 3 pups clearly seen by vet and self. During the wait at the vet a very friendly lurcher came over to 'talk' to Maud. A couple of days later I notice some fleas on her. After consulting my Vet about the safety of Frontline (newish on the market at that time0 she said it was absolutely safe, they had just been talking to the manufacturer as about safe use in pregnancy as one of the Vets was pregnant. At exactly 9 weeks from the mating Maud produce 1 beautiful, bouncy, buff boy, and that was it (I love him dearly and still have him). No sign of the other 2. At the same time Mike (partner) had a bitch 5 weeks in whelp, frontlined her - no pups, and a friend had a 7 week in whelp (scanned) Afghan who was also frontlined - no pups. I guess I was luck to get my 1 and only:). My Vet contacted the manufacturer, who insisted there could be no connection between Frontline and the re-absorbtions. I have never used it on or near an in whelp bitch since.

All my bitches and stud dogs are on evening primrose, garlic oil and wheatgerm capsules (vit.E). One particularly hard to get in whelp bitch, who had very irregular seasons, had 1 litter and then nothing for over 3 years, had an ordinary season, mated and produced 5 lovely pups after taking daily pills of Sepia (homeopathic remedy) for 3 months.
Gwen