Can Dogs Have Abortions

As a pet owner, it is your duty to do what right for your dog in any situation you both are in. Sometimes, your dog may become pregnant by accident and you may find it necessary to get an abortion for your dog.

There are different things to consider when you decide to have an abortion for your dog things such as, the father of the pregnancy, his age, health status and breed, how old the pregnancy is, the age of the female dog, the reason or reasons you want to end the pregnancy and the best most safest method of abortion.

The procedure of abortion to follow depends on whether you still want to breed her in the nearest future, the age of your dog and her health status. In the event where a dog is too young to be pregnant, as the owner, you have to make the right decision of having an abortion for your dog or If the male dog and the female dog are disproportionate, an abortion will have to take place.

Before an abortion happens, a veterinarian will do a few tests including a pregnancy test to make sure your dog is pregnant and healthy enough for an abortion. If all is well with your dog, an abortion can take place by the veterinarian as per your request.

There are two different types of termination of pregnancy, the planned termination is known as abortion while the sudden unplanned termination is known as miscarriage. Various health issues in the mother can lead to miscarriage of the babies.

So if you plan to keep an unexpected pregnancy, you should also be able to take good care of your pregnant dog to avoid miscarriage because not only is a miscarriage the spontaneous death of the unborn offspring, it is usually painful when it happens to the mother, both emotionally and physically. In most occasions that you consider abortion and your dog is not spayed yet, you can include abortion procedures during the spaying of your dog.

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Reasons for abortion in dogs

Just as in humans, choosing to have an abortion is not a slight matter and should be done after much contemplation. Your dog bringing how an unwanted pregnancy happens during her heat or other wise known as estrous period, she is now fertile and ready for any mate in this period, she may suddenly venture out of your eyes maybe in the park or during a work.

During this heat period, it is almost as if she wants every single male dog she sees and it is also as if the male dogs know she’s in her heat period, it may just be a thing between dogs. But in this unpleasant situation, she may end up mating with the wrong breed of male dog which will definitely be a reason for abortion.

Another reason why some pet owners may decide an abortion is the best choice for their dog is; As it is in the world, not every body/ family wants a pet. And due to the carelessness of certain breeders, the population of dogs all over the world is increasing especially because almost all dogs have multiple births in high numbers, and there are no decent homes for those dogs.

So as an owner, if you do not have the space or it isn’t in your capacity to take of more dogs, it is definitely a reason for abortion.

Sometimes as an owner, you may just not be ready to mother or father more dogs in your house, but you have plans for the future to breed your dog when you are ready, but then there is an unwanted pregnancy, you may decide to eliminate the pregnancy because it does not fit your desire.

Taking care of one pet can be financially and emotionally demanding, not to talk of more pets, so if you are not capable financially capable, it is a reason to have an abortion and wait till you are okay.

Another reason for an abortion can be because you do not know the breed of male dog or dogs she has gotten involved with. If you have no idea who the father or fathers of the pregnancy, and you may fear it might be a wrong breed, it will be in the safest interest of both you and your dog to get an abortion.

You should not automatically think if your female dog has had sex during her heat period she will most definitely be pregnant, it is not so. During the estrous period of a female dog, she naturally has reception with male dogs for up to 7 days, but biologically, she is fertile for only 3 or 5 days during her heat period.

So she might have had sex in one of the wrong days, so before you decide to get an abortion it muse have been confirmed that your dog really is pregnant. If she really is pregnant, and you go ahead with an abortion, she will bleed from her vagina for about 7 days or more. Even in the event of a miscarriage, there will be bleeding for a few days.

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Important cause for an abortion in dogs

There are lots of things that may be an important cause for an abortion in dogs, either personal reasons or medical reasons.

When an already pregnant female dog mates with another male dog in a Mia match, this is a cause for abortion.
When the male dog involved in the mating is bigger than the female dog, that is they are disproportionate when compared in size.
When the female dog is too old to carry a pregnancy without affecting her health.
When the female dog is too young to carry a pregnancy, most especially with a high number of puppies.

Diagnosis of pregnancy / Abortion is dogs

Before your veterinarian will go ahead with an abortion, the vet will first have to make total sure that your dog is pregnant. As stated above, even after mating occurred in her heat period, it is not completely certain that your dog is pregnant, not even when you saw the sex happen you can’t be sure.

If you take your dog to the vet and a vaginal smear is done to check if there is presence of sperm in the vagina of your dog. If sperm is found in your dogs vagina, it still cannot mean your dog is pregnant that is you cannot be certain your dog is pregnant immediately or a few days after the mating.

A veterinarian will advice you to wait for at least 25 days after the mating/ gestation period then trough an ultrasound scan you will be able to know if your dog is pregnant for real. Some pet owners may decide that they don’t even want to wait to see the evidence that their dog is pregnant or not, and may want to terminate the pregnancy even before the foetus begins to form, but it will be best to tell your veterinarian before taking such step.

It may prove to be better for your dog if you get her spayed.

Methods of Abortion in dogs

On this matter, your veterinarian will be the one to advise you on the best method of abortion for your dog and how to go about it.

Spaying your dog, also medically known as ovariohysterectomy in dogs which can be defined as the total removal of both ovaries and the womb/ uterus. It is biologically known as the most effective method of abortion and complete prevention of pregnancy.

If your dog isn’t spayed and she gets pregnant, you can decide to have her spayed, but it will be much better to do so earlier in the pregnancy, a veterinarian will be uncomfortable spaying a child much more dogs so with the dog far gone in pregnancy.

But if you do not want to get your dog spayed, there are other available methods which can be used instead. In such delicate matters you should have discussions with your veterinarian on what will be the best decision especially in the long run.

Another method of abortion is by giving your dog prostaglandin injections, this injection will be given for four days. They are known to be 80% effective in termination of pregnancy by stopping the progesterone hormone which will result in contraction of the womb around the foetus causing the death of the feotus, the foetus will later be absorbed into the body of the mother.

The third method of abortion in dogs is the injection of dexamethasone. This injection will be given to your dog two times a day for ten days after the gestation of 30 days. In this abortion method, the feotues will either be absorbed by the body or exported by blood out of the mother.

The forth method of abortion this is called prolactin antagonist. This is a type of pill administered to the dog two times daily at a gestation period of 35 / 40 days later. This oral medication will cause abortion of the foetus after 3 days or 5 days at max. These methods stated come with sides effects such as thirstiness, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting.

Abortion recovery in dogs

Your pet will most definitely get better, but it is up to you to decide what happens during and after treatment that is recovery. You may want your dog to be admitted in the hospital until the abortion is complete in case of any complications, other wise, you dog can go home with you and go to the hospital daily for the treatment.