hello my english 5 year old bull dog keeps reabsorbing her pups after about the 5th week the vet does a ultra sound on her and i see pups this time she swelled , nested and had a bad attitude to all my other dogs the day of the scheduled c section we did a x ray there were no pups again . i was so upset for a week after , this is the second time now , i bought her at 3 and she has no records of pups with akc she comes in heat every 4 months is that normal , why cant we get a live birth she just cant get over that 3 to 5 week hump , i have many other dogs can that be a factor . any help will be greatful
lisa

It almost sounds like she is having a split heat. Have you had her checked for infectious diseases (brucellosis can cause infertility and abortion, herpes can cause abortion) just a thought. If your bitch is not well or depressed that can cause it. Have you talked to other English bulldog breeders? Was she articicial insemenated, my breeder told me they always are (she breeds them) could that maybe have something to do with it? I don't know if she has ever had that problem but if I talk to her I could ask...

The moment she comes into season next time get your vet to take a vaginal swab and see what grows - if there is anything then a course of anti-biotics at this time can often help.

Might also be worth getting her thyroid function chected a couple of times over the next few months as if it is under active this can also affect fertility etc.

Christine

I agree, but I would ask your vet to take a swab the first day she is in season and then put her straight onto an A/B like Amfipen or Ceporex, just in case, as it may take some days for the results to come back. If she is started on them straight away, and infection is the problem, she may still be ablke to be mated during that season. If it is brucellosis, which is very common in the UK, you will need to put every bitch you own on the favoured A/B on the day she comes in season, whether she is to be mated or not.The bug is only active when bitches are in season and usually the bitches display no sign of illness at all and it can be passed from one in season bitch to another. I also give them the same A/B from day 57 after mating until 3 days after the birth. I dont like using A/B's routinely but my bitches dont miss/re absorb any more.

there,s a product call fading puppies syndrome which you can give to the bitch from the time of mating a half teaspoon once daily,this is a homoeopathic liquid product,or i always put my bitch on a course of anticbotic for the first 7 day of the season when you are going t mate her,plus the bitch's that come to rush my stud dog have a course as well,there was only one bitch that didnot take and she didnot go on a course,of anticbotics,and she didnot take but 6 months later there was a result,

HOW LONG DO I KEEP HER ON THE A/B AMFIPEN OR CEPOREXWHEN SHE COMES IN HEAT ? SHE WILL BE STARTING AGAIN AROUND THE FIRST OF NOV , IAM TRYING TO GET ALL THE INFO I CAN BEFORE TIME 3 TIMES SHOULD BE A CHARM I HOPE
LISA

I HAVE HAD HER TESTED FOR BRUCELLOSIS IT WAS NEG , I ALSO TESTED HER STUD HE WAS NEG ALSO ,I HAVE SPARED NO EXSPENSE ON HER AND ALMOST OUT OF OPTIONS , I A. I . HER MYSELF AND SHE TAKES EVERYTIME BUT CANT CARRY PUPS PAST 3 TO 5 WEEKS , I GAVE HER FOLIC ACID VIT C AND ON DAYS 57 I STARTED CALCIUM WHEN I WAS SURE SHE HAD PUPS AND WAS FOOLED AGAIN , I FEED HER ROAST STEAKS CARROTTS COLLARD GREENS BOILED EGGS EGG NOODLES IT WAS A FRESH PRODUCT MIXTURE I COOKED ONCE A WEEK AND FROZE IN ZIP LOCK NO SALT ADDED I DONT WANT WATER PUPS , THAT WAS A RECIPE I FOUND ON BREEDING BULL DOGS TO STOP WATER PUPS . WHAT ELSE CAN I DO ? i own a 8mo old male a 7 mo female and a 4mo female A 7 YR OLD MALE THAT IS FIXED BECAUSE OF MEDICAL REASONS CAN IT BE SHE IS TO NERVOUS IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN GIVE HER TO RELAX HER SO SHE CAN LET THE PUPS GROW , ANY HELP WILL BE GREATFUL
IN TEARS
IN LOUISIANA

Have you called other english bulldog breeders about this, since they probably could help you more since they are experienced with the breed. Tried to get a hold of my breeder for you, but she is not home at the moment, will try again later.

I read on the board a couple of weeks ago that a bitch can re-absorb her pups if there is a more dominant bitch in the home.
If you have other dogs, this may be the reason.

Just a suggestion :)

I DONT KNOW ANY E , BULL DOG BREEDERS THAT I CAN CONTACT MY FRIEND BREAD HERS AND HAD 8 FAT PUPS NATURAL NO C SECTION , SHE DOSENT TAKE GOOD CARE OF HER DOGS THAT JUST DOSENT SEEM FAIR BUT I GUESS THATS THE WAY LIFE DEALS THE CARDS I WAS SO JELOUS BUT CONGRATULATED HER AS I TURNED GREEN WITH ENVY , I THINK MY TIME WILL COME ITS JUST NOT NOW AS I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE . ANY ADVICE WELCOMED
GREEN TEARS IN LOUISIANA

Hi there:) I live in Oklahoma and I have a wonderful vet that has himself had raised English Bulldogs for years!! He has given me so much wonderful advice that I could never thank him enough:) Here is what he always told me regarding puppy reabsorbtion: Once you bred a female, any bulldog can be suspectible to reabsorbtion, especially if they get stressed out for ANY reason, some things can be (if medical reasons were already ruled out!), an Alpha female that causes her worry, getting to hot and staying hot for frequent or extended periods of time, new people or dogs moving into the home. Bulldogs get stressed easily physically and emotionally, so once bred, we always keep our bred females to their pens or in our house by themselves with no other dogs that they don't normally get along with:) These are the most main reasons that English Bulldogs absorb their pups if there isn't a medical cause behind it. Good luck! Beckie

Wasn't there someone a while back advising about Bull terriers or Staffies needing extra calcium during whelp or the bitches could reabsorb the fetuses??????? Perhaps she's going through a similar problem being a Bull dog?
good luck
toodles

I think it wise to point out at this point that i have been told NEVER to give a pregnant Stafford extra calcium before whelp as this can actually increase problems with the birth itself - but that it may be needed after. I think that it was probably in reference to an EBT, but do not know for sure...

If I remember correctly, she was talking about avoiding the onset of pre-eclampsia. Really knew what she was talking about too. She was helping out a newbie whose bitch was having problems after birth...only one pup survived, I think? It was a while back. 2 months ago or so?
Remember, I know nothing about the breeding side of the house :) I just was impressed with the breadth of her knowlege and expertise for her breed. It was either Bull Terrier or Bull Dog, I think.
toodles

I breed Bull Terriers, and NEVER reccommend giving calcium during pregnancy, except on the latter few days. This is the breed advice as Bull Terriers can suffer from psedo-eclampsia, which occurs in the breed usually within 48 hours of birth. Over dosing on calcium during pregnancy stops the body from absorbing it (it can only absorb and store so much) and after birth the body is not able to utilise it efficiently.

I have never been unlucky enough to experience re-absorbtion but I have seen an article written on it by someone who is very interested in health matters. Apparantly, diets often lack vitamin B and E, so this person always feeds these vitamins during early pregnancy.

It must be heartbreaking to have this happen. Hope you have better luck in future.
Sharon
Bullywood Bull Terriers

Hi,
It sounds like your bitch has a hormonal problem. A season every four months is not really giving her reproductive system the time it needs to prepare. If she is resorbing, she does not have the progesterone levels there to maintain a pregnancy.
I have heard of vets putting a bitch on progestrone supplement to make it through, but have no personal experience with it.
Perhaps some progesterone testing throughout the first weeks will indicate if the level begins to drop and your vet can treat accordingly.

Hi Lisa

Some dogs, like some humans are just not meant to be Mothers.

When my bitch came into season three weeks after previous season my vet told me that frequent seasons can be caused by ovarian cysts and if she had these she would either have difficulty or never have pups (and as I mentioned before it can also be caused by thyroid deficiency - get her T4's checked). Since then her cycles have been normal and I eventulally put it down to getting her litter brother back just as she finished and her wanting to give him a chance.

A book you may find interesting is Ian Billinghurst's "Grow Your Pup With Bones", I don't agree with everything he says but he does make some very good points, it covers pregnancy from well before mating till after the pups are weaned.

Christine
PS Could you please turn your caps lock off as this will make it easier to read and in netiquette all caps are considered as shouting :-)

My vet also told me NEVER to give calcium during pregnancy, but to start it as soon as whelping started. Giving it during pregnancy will tell her own body supply to stop producing, so really it's not doing any good..............this is what my vet told me, as one of my girls have had eclampsia, even with her history my vet said NOT TO GIVE calcium during pregnancy, just after as it can do more harm than good. Not sure if it's the same with all breeds though