Uh Oh! I think our dog is pregnant!!! HELP!

So basically, we have a female bullmastiff x great dane and we go to great lengths to keep her locked up when she comes on heat.
It was just over a month ago that she last had a period, we did the right thing and had her locked up.

Sunday night i noticed her nipples are really swollen, and now that i think of it a couple of weeks ago she was really lethargic and off her food for a few days.

I have since been informed our neighbours mastiff x dane x wolfhound has been getting out this past month and has been picked up from the pound twice!! We think he may have jumped two of our fences to get into our yard!

So!! Does anyone know what other symptoms i should be looking for? We are to book her into the vet soon but its $250.00 to get her preg tested!!
Could this be a passing thing? She is 3 years old so def not her first period or anything...

If she is... any tips on what to expect with puppies?? She is a big breed so we have been told to expect at least 7-10 puppies!!

Any help / advice is greatly appreciated!!!

after my dog had puppies the first time, each time she went on heat after that, afew weeks later her nipples would swell up again and i would think she was pregnant agian. Hopefully this is the same for your dog! sort of like a phantom pregnancy my vet said

Why didn't you get her desexed?

We have never had this sort of problem to feel we needed to get her desexed... if that makes sense??
The dogs she socialises with are desexed males, we don't take her out when she is on heat and have 1.5m fences. So never really had to think we would need to anyway...this is pure accident.

My mums dog has phantom pregnancies occasionally and she's 4. Pretty common, I think.
Otherwise, those are gonna be some massive puppies!!
If it was only a month ago shes almost half way ... XD

So, has this incident shown you that you need to get her desexed? Accidents happen all the time. Pet owners who don't desex their animals make me extremely angry and are responsible for most of the poor animals that end up in shelters being put to sleep.

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So, has this incident shown you that you need to get her desexed? Accidents happen all the time. Pet owners who don't desex their animals make me extremely angry and are responsible for most of the poor animals that end up in shelters being put to sleep.

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Is miss Kris defense, she isn't in the wrong. Her dog didn't get out and she has taken the necessary precautions to keep her dog in her yard and away from males while in heat. Id be more ****ed with the owner of the male dog if I were you. It's people like that, who don't train or keep their dogs where they know where they are that are the reason why shelters are full.
My dogs not desexed either, and I don't plan on desexing him unless it's for medical reasons.
So not the point of the OP.

Don't need a lecture ginger, we try to do the right thing and are still trying to do the right thing ok.
Unless you have something constructive to say please don't post again.

Yeah I'd be more angry with the owner of the male dog not the responsible owner that has made an effort to not let her dog loose while on heat!

I'm angry with both owners. Where are all the puppies going to end up?

the worse thing is the neighbour is a dead beat...he high fived his dog when he found out that he may have gotten ours pregnant...yep he is that much of a loser. *sigh*

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I'm angry with both owners. Where are all the puppies going to end up?

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People who wanna buy a giant puppy, obviously.

Hopefully with loving owners?

Bullmastiffds are great dogs!

You can the pregnancy terminated and your dog desexed at the same time.

Yes, i worry about it and hope that they go to loving homes like the one we try to provide our dog :) (she is currently snoring on the couch next to me while we watch glee lol) very spoilt! :)

we have a ridgeback mastiff cross called Hollie - she had 13 puppies in her first (and only) litter (planned). 1 was stillborn, and one died soon after birth after she accidently suffocated it. She delivered 5 puppies herself, (including the 2 who died) and then had an obstructed labour which meant a midnight trip to the vet and an absolute fortune in vet fees for a midnight cesar. The puppies were just absolutely gorgeous. We were warned that she probably wouldn't have enough milk to feed them all and the vet recommended puppy formula to supp feed them. That was a nightmare - so after a couple of days of trying to bottle feed 11 puppies we ended up feeding the formula to Hollie - who then had no probs with her milk supply :) Our Kelpie Angel loved having little puppies to round up in the yard !

Forgot to say we had absolutely no trouble selling our puppies and made enough money to cover the vets and formula expenses. Lots of people like bigger dogs! Look in trading post and local papers and advertise there.

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Hopefully with loving owners?

Bullmastiffds are great dogs!

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My parents neighbours have two bullmastiff girls. Such gorgeous dogs! Gentle Giants really. They live with two kids.

You'll find out soon enough, I suppose.
Not going to beat you over the head with a stick about it if she IS pregnant, just want to advise you to get her fixed as soon as you know she isn't pg, or after she's had the litter, if you proceed.
If you don't intend to breed from a dog (and unless you're a breed expert, you just ought not!) then it's really best for her health to spey. They are so much more prone to cancers and other complications if kept intact and either bred from or not.
There is also really good evidence in Victoria (DPI data and info) about early desexing being much more beneficial than waiting till 6 months. Our dog (dane x alsatian) was desexed at adoption as a pup and he was 7 weeks old - simple and uncomplicated as all get out.
If you do end up with a litter, please be very careful about who you pass the pups onto. It would be wise to either desex them and recoup costs, or surrender them to a pound, where they will be desexed at adoption and this never has to happen again.
The thing with the large breeds, as you might already be aware, is that they pass on enough problems as pure breds, and hybrid-vigour doesn't really apply to the large breed, in my experience :(
Also, if you end up with a litter, I'd put my hand up for one when it's weaned if I lived closer! If left intact, you'd want a prospective owner like me (hypothetically speaking), where I'd be definitely organising a desexing upon arrival. I'm also not in the habit of paying for dogs, unless I'm paying a pound an adoption fee (just a personal rule of mine that has brought me the greatest companions). Great home guaranteed, and money can't buy that - so don't talk cost with a prospective owner until you are comfortable with their credentials, just tell them you'll discuss it later after talking about the plans they have for the dog.
I went to a local market last month and was disgusted to see a family flogging off a box of unwanted kittens at the gate. Their sign said "free to good home" and then "donation to get mum desexed". They didn't look like they were going to leave until those kittens were gone, and I didn't hear a single question about what kind of home they were going to. And 'donation'? The cheek! the mum of the family was dragging on her fags and I have a feeling I know where that 'donation' was going to end up.
I'm not saying this is what you'd do. I'm illustrating that merely saying "free to good home" doesn't mean the people who come knocking are actually going to provide a good home. If you care about their fate, ask some tough questions - a genuine good home is not afraid of the questions.
Good luck, and I hope she's not pg, I hope you can desex her asap and just enjoy your dog :)
ETA:
took me so long to compose that and I missed some posts. I recommend the termination of the pg if she is pg - really, everyone will be better off if you do this AND desex at the same time. If it's a large litter, and you have every reason to expect this, it's going to be very hard work making sure they get good homes. And even then, they are likely to have conformation issues that the owners either won't know how to deal with, or will have to fork out money for (or not, even worse for the dog). If you breed from this dog and you are not a breeder, then you are actually breeding more problems here. Please think about this.
As I said, I'm not getting the stick out, just looking out for your *****'s and the pups' welfare. I'm really a bit passionate about this after my time volunteering at Vic Animal Aid and RSPCA. The repercussions are seriously a lot more heartbreaking than any sad emotion you have about the decision to abort. I nearly lost my dog at 9 weeks from a weak heart and pneumonia, from his inherent weaknesses, after falling for him HARD - I was an absolute mess till he made it to morning at one vet clinic he ended up at in an emergency state. I was inconsolable. I would never wish that on anyone.
:hug: Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease think about this responsibly, beyond your own backyard, ok? No judgment for the past :)

Yeah i would advertise them as for sale but when i am sure they are going to a good home don't believe i will charge.
Any sort of person could take a dog that's free and they could end up god knows where, where as if a person is willing to pay and have planned for puppy they will have more chance of ending up happy and healthy in a loving home.

We will be getting her desexed after this dilemma,. As i mentioned above, its never been a huge deal not getting her desexed because we have always tried to do the right thing and her periods have never been a big deal to us or caused any problems.

Yeah well, good luck with that. I really doubt all those poor puppies are going to end up in loving homes. More like overcrowded animal shelters. I'm logging out of this thread now, going to go snuggle up with my desexed cat who I'll never have to worry falls pg by accident.

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Yeah well, good luck with that. I really doubt all those poor puppies are going to end up in loving homes. More like overcrowded animal shelters. I'm logging out of this thread now, going to go snuggle up with my desexed cat who I'll never have to worry falls pg by accident.

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Don't trip over your pedestal on the way down, love :)

I would go word of mouth if you don't terminate, hun. I just really don't trust classifieds (never look in them when looking for a horse - was taught by a very wise woman not to!), and if you put the word in at the local vets and groomers, you're more likely to get a quality home.
Thing is, people DO pay lots of money for dogs after planning for them and they end up as rescues - Shelties, Beagles, Rough Collies, Danes (especially Danes!) all have their breed rescue organisations. People who think they really want a particular breed and only after the lived experience realise they can't handle it, for whatever reason (usually ego gives over to responsibility).
Most people don't have a clue about large breeds, even if they say they do (they'll say anything to potentially have a beefy dog by their side to boost their image!).
I'm gonna be thinking about this for ages now.
Hun, I've seen and assisted with the operations *****es have to have when they have not been desexed. They are very invasive procedures that knock them about for ages and don't guarantee polyps won't come back - often it's a subsequent procedure. This is also regardless of whether they've had pups or not. This is why I get het up about it - my eyes have seen it, my head has shaken about it, an op room full of vet nurses and vets have shaken heads about it.
Trust me, selling them won't leave you with much left over, either - breeders don't even make huge bucks out of their operations, and a backyard breeder is delusional to think they're going to turn a profit (depending on how much they're cheeky enough to charge!). There is also potential backlash from people who have health problems with their dogs - whether they've paid for them or not.
If you must, for some reason, ignore my plea to terminate, then please avoid classifieds and go with word of mouth, or a flyer at the local services. There are some very smooth operators out there who know how to pull the wool over the eyes of classified ad owners.
I'll leave it at that, for now. I can't stress it more than I have already.
Govt department website link on desexing - I hope this is ok, mods!
Miss kris, this is for the benefit of the wider audience - I've been on BB and other forums long enough to know that one post can help loads more people than the OP, so the link is for you and for anyone else who stumbles on this thread.

How'd you go with finding out either way, mk?

Wow. There are some really judgemental and opinionated comments in this thread. You may not agree with a decision, you can certainly present information to back your position; but what gives anyone else here the right to IMPOSE their personal opinion, point of veiw, ethics or morals (or whatever else you wish to claim it is) on another person!?!??!

MisKris - I just wanted to suggest that if you dog does happen to be pregnant, then advertising the puppies through other registered, reputable breeders and/or dog clubs. Certainly go with a decent price (whether or not you intend on charging it on actual agreement to purchase), as this will weed out at least some of those serious pet owners from those 'decide on the spur of the moment' ones. When you do find someone who may be suitable, interview them, go and check out their home and yard, meet the whole family if possible. I am sure you will find perfect homes for the pups. Good luck.

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but what gives anyone else here the right to IMPOSE their personal opinion, point of veiw, ethics or morals (or whatever else you wish to claim it is) on another person!?!??!

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Ummm, no-one's 'imposing' anything, just offering. Last I checked, we were still allowed to do that here ;) The beauty of a community is that people may benefit from something someone else has experienced or something someone else knows about.
The OP didn't sound like this was something she'd planned (far from it), so it's not that helpful to just say "well, hell yeah, more power to ya, breed from that dog girlfriend!". A few of us have offered the various courses of action that can be taken from here. Dogs don't have voices, and don't have the power to change their own destinies, so that's where I'm coming from (pretty sure I can speak for a few of us).
Breeding from this dog is NOT a great idea, especially when the sire is accidental, and not chosen for traits that are worth passing down - which is a skill in itself when breeding dogs (and why good breeders are sought after and win prizes in shows etc). The big picture, and many pictures before this one indicate that this scenario is really unfavourable. There's enough dogs in the world without more 'oopsies' thrown into the mix. I live with an oopsie. He is a sensitive soul who's cost us money in treatments, x-rays, traditional and alternative medicines, whom we love to bits but would never choose to breed if we could wind the clock back to when his mother's owners decided not to desex her. He was a pound puppy, a litter of 10 pups, two sires involved in the pregnancy (learn something new every day - didn't even know it was possible till we got my dog), half of which (at least) was put down due to severe hip displasia, and his mother didn't pass the temperament test so she was put down when the pups reached 7 weeks of age (an un-adoptable dog taking up the shelter's resources). By getting our dog from the pound we rescued a sad situation without encouraging irresponsible pet ownership and backyard breeding (the surrenderer knew a lot about the mother for someone who claimed to have 'just found her' on their property :rolleyes: ) You wanna call that judgmental then go ahead, give it that name. My dog is 7 next week and will live out his last years the same as the first - with compromised health and a lifelong susceptibility to demodectic mange because of his crap immune system. And he's one of the very few who survived. He's lucky to be here. And he should never have been here.
That's my 'high horse'. Don't even get me started on horses and equine uterus abuse...:p
misty, do you really think a 'reputable' breeder is going to want to touch this with a barge pole?
miss kris, just trying to prevent the preventable - hope you know where I'm coming from, and please don't be shy to give us an update :)

And THANK YOU, miss kris, for posting about this - you may not think so, but this thread has just helped heaps of people, just from you posting :) We don't get enough opportunity to raise awareness about these related issues, and this has been a valuable platform.

Mayaness - I was more talking about Ginger's posts which where IMHO very agressive and not at all informative - your posts at least contained information. Miss Kris came on here asking for help and advice. Instead she got (repeated) told off and attacked for her personal CHOICE not to have her pet desexed (even though she had been trying to act responsibly as she could with that decision).

Personally I agree that animals should be desexed, and that most responsible owners would do so. I have a severe loathing for backyard breeders and strongly believe in animal rights. But I still stand by my own post and believe that some of the comments directed towards the OP were harsh, imposing and not at all informative.

On a side note: Many reputable breeders do know of other people whom are willing and wanting to take on the responsibility of a new pet whom is not purebred or is in need of rehoming, or at least of others who do have that kind of information. We actually found our beagle (who needed rehoming) through such a means. People within the dog community know other people within that communty and can be a great way to spread information.

I hope you're right about professionals willing to home these pups, I really do. I don't personally know of anyone in breeding circles who would put their name to a whole litter of oopsie multi-cross breeds without some majorly serious reservations and a whole stack of disclaimers.
The best outcome would be to surrender them to the local shelter. That way they'll be health screened and the ones with obvious problems can be culled (sounds mean, and is the kindest thing to do) - about 4 of Odin's siblings were returned to the shelter early for humane destruction (two were picked up by the ranger, of which one owner was notified of x-ray results and acquiesced to the destruction on compassionate grounds and the other owner refused to return calls - dogs were microchipped at adoption - the other two the owners brought in with health concerns, all before 24 weeks of age. We're talking about 3 or 4 large breeds involved in the one litter) - the remainder compulsorily desexed, microchipped and new owners given lots of advice on welfare and care. I know, anecdote is not the best scientific evidence, but this is just too common and likely. Point being that at a shelter they have access to more than one vet who can give a professional opinion on viability and they have that overarching responsibility to the animal's welfare, not an owner's hip pocket (being that vet surgeons are still treated like business owners by the government and aren't legally obliged to adhere to any welfare codes that I know of - not their failing, just the govt's failure to take animal welfare more seriously).
Ok, let's concede that it was really ONE poster you're miffed about, misty - safer to do that than for you to appear to be firing your weapons without aim ;)

Plenty of people love cross breeds, I'm one of them. Give me a Heinz 57 over a purebred any day!

Cross breeds generally have far less health issues than purebreds and a longer lifespan. Yes, some time 'whoopsies' inherit the bad traits from both parents but often they inherit the good ones. Ever wondered why there is so much cross breeding going on these days? Why 'designer dogs' are so popular and come with a bigger price tag than their purebred cousins?

I've watched my grandfather bury 4 beloved German Shepherds in my life time, all earlier than 'expected', all due to severe arthritis and hip problems - all common genetical issues with Shepherds. My aunty and uncle had the same problem with their shepherd. Our Red Setter surprisingly lived until 16, even our vet was shocked by that, but she's the only purebred I know of that's escaped an early death from genetical issues. My extended family are all dog lovers and many have had crossbreeds which have all lived well beyond their expected use by date. They are often fab dogs!

Crossbreeds are far from dismal. I hope if the OPs dog is pregnant that she has a safe labour and gives birth to healthy puppies that will hopefully go to loving homes too. Many people LOVE a crossbred dog, I'm certainly one of those people. My Spoodle (****er spaniel poodle cross), who has all the fabulous traits from BOTH breeds is testament to that. Oh, and my parents 15 year old Maltese ****zu X is another well loved crossbreed in our family who only now is showing signs of illness and it's called 'old age'

Good luck with the puppies, if your beautiful dog is pregnant that is

Hopefully it's just a phantom. It happened to my sisters dog all the time.

I'll reply later again when nit in my phone


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so sorry for mistakes!!

I got my dog from the pound. I hope to never return to the pound in my life - it was a horrible place. Full of 'oodles and other cross-bred dogs on death row.

I think everyone is entitled to their opinion but there is no need to make the OP feel bad, she has attempted to do the right thing by her dog and has done nothing wrong.
Personally my dog was not desexed and we didn't even think to do it when we got our little terrier (we thought he couldn't reach) they had an oopsie litter and we found loving homes for all 12 pups, we got her desexed not long after but had decided before hand NOT to desex her unless necessary as we didn't want to risk a change in her very placid personality (she was a rescue dog and had not been treated kindly).

So while i understand the want and need to educate people i think we also need to realise that often what is written on a page can seem very harsh, your entitled to your opinion but it's just that an OPINION not a given right to belittle someone.

Miss kris i hope your dog is well and you know whats going on now and can go from there :)

Unless you have a proper *****es box set up a ***** that is not desexed will find a way to get pregnant. It is a biological imperative same as it is for the neighbour's male dog. There is no point in blaming a neighbour or the people down the road for having an entire male. The male dog is driven by the same biology as females and the most placid lazy male will find a way out once he gets a whiff of the sexy hormone smell.
Maybe the OP had no way of knowing this but she does have the option of ringing her vet today and getting her ***** spayed. Did the know that the full cost of a female desexing is in the region of $600 but most vets feel so strongly about it that they subsidise a lot of the cost?

Goodness, i didnt realise how people can be so nasty on BB...


Anyway BACK TO TOPIC,

Your neighbour does sound like a douche. Fancy Hi-5 ing the dog lol. $250 is alot for a pregnancy test. Would it change the outcome though?

Ive seen a few animals (cats and dogs) and talked to a few worried owners who thought the same thing when their dogs nipples swelled. All turned out not to be pregnant. So fingers are crossed for you. I have heard big dogs can have ALOT of puppies.

Good luck with everything :)

Getting a bit OT, but it's been brought up, so I'll add to it here.
Re crossbreds. A crossbred is not a crossbred. Like I said before, not all non-purebred dogs have hybrid vigour. You get hybrid vigour with decently crossed dogs, not really with oopsies. I had an alsatian x lab who was just awesome and lived till 17. My own dog might live a while longer, but with a lot of help. Even the 'designer crosses' end up surrendered or moved on - I personally know of loads who are privately rehomed.
Can we just get it straight that there was really only one instance of the OP being berated? No need to ruin a great thread by harping on one person who has now unsubscribed.
If you haven't experienced daily life in a shelter, then you are severely underestimating the rate of dog abandonment (won't get started on cats). I'm talking dogs of all breeding - pure and crossbred. I can't be alarmist enough, because it is a big hidden problem. I wonder if the first owners, or even the owners of the mothers of my dogs have any clue as to where their dogs have ended up. I've had two dogs (still have one, the other was tragically killed by a car when my dad was walking him off lead in an unguarded moment he'll regret forever and never do again unless in a designated area) - beautiful, great looking dogs with fantastic little temperaments - who had been through two 'loving' (and incompetent) homes before getting to us. They go nowhere from here. The second homes they came from were very nice people you would never suspect of making a dumb dog-decision...yet, they did. One was a nice educated family, the other a nice old lady. You just never know by looking at or even talking to people.
THAT'S why the shelters and pounds are full. Some pound dogs even come with papers :rolleyes:
There is a reason that there is a growing movement to make desexing compulsory for dog welfare. There really are enough dogs around without adding to the pool of dogs, young and old, who already need loving homes, who will be desexed, vaccinated, health and temperament tested, and come with health guarantees.

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Plenty of people love cross breeds, I'm one of them. Give me a Heinz 57 over a purebred any day!

Cross breeds generally have far less health issues than purebreds and a longer lifespan. Yes, some time 'whoopsies' inherit the bad traits from both parents but often they inherit the good ones. Ever wondered why there is so much cross breeding going on these days? Why 'designer dogs' are so popular and come with a bigger price tag than their purebred cousins?

I've watched my grandfather bury 4 beloved German Shepherds in my life time, all earlier than 'expected', all due to severe arthritis and hip problems - all common genetical issues with Shepherds. My aunty and uncle had the same problem with their shepherd.

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How interesting. My parents have always had shepards and the youngest they've buried one was maybe six due to snake bite. The rest have lived well passed 13.

I concur - Shepherd breeding has improved so much in the last 20 years, from severe culling in the breed. It improved the pups and, the life expectancies and conformation of the breed so that people aren't scared to get them anymore. I remember the bad old days of heartbroken friends putting down 5yo dogs :( If you still have these issues with a shepherd, I'd be taking it up with the breeder and letting the breed associations know what's going on - it is in their best interests for them to know.
I've only ever had one purebred dog, he was free from a friend who's dad was a breeder (couldn't find a home for this older pup, but was mad as hell when he was offered for free!!). Gorgeous dog with a great nature, who had a heart murmer in the end and arthritis - the latter could be due to him living till 13 years of age, which is about 4 years longer than expected.
The rest of my beloved dogs in my life have been bitzers. The most gorgeous one that was hit by a car was ENTIRE when I privately adopted him! He was in his second home already with NO FENCE and a friggin hole in the screen door he leapt in and out of. He was a pet shop dog originally. I hate pet shops that sell live animals with a passion.
Bitzers are often great. VERY often (more often than you'll hear about) they are NOT great. Hybrid vigour in oopsie-bred dogs is a MYTH. You get some healthy ones and then you get some true duds. That's hardly a case for proceeding with an oopsie dog pregnancy.
WRT the OP, I hope it is a phantom. If not, definitely ask the vets in your area if they'll do a hardship case, or even a vet attached to the local shelter, for a cut-price deal. It would have to be a mercenary vet who would not co-operate with this kind of request.

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How interesting. My parents have always had shepards and the youngest they've buried one was maybe six due to snake bite. The rest have lived well passed 13.

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Their shepherds did well! Arthritis and hip problems are extremely common in shepherds. My grandfather's all were put down before the age of 10. They were all on arthritis medication prior to be euthanaised. Maybe he was unlucky with his pups (I doubt it) - or your family was extremely lucky. Feel free to Google it or even ask a vet, I'm sure you'll see I'm not fabricating this issue.

Anyway, my point was that purebreds as a general rule experience more genetical issues than a crossbreed.

My poor sister went through 2 german sheppards in a space of 6 months because of hip problems :( it was so sad. They were from different breeders too.

We have always had more luck with crossbreeds.

Anyway, this is quite off topic now from what the OP was asking help for.

Mayaness - my grandfather stopped buying shepherds, the continued loss was too much for him. He and my step-gran have Tibetan Spaniels now and although their first died young, from cancer, their current two are wonderful, healthy (relatively) pets albeit very spoilt ;)

We had a brilliant 'Oopsie' after our red setter died. Like the story you told, the litter had two different fathers. Our gorgeous Tess was riddled with fleas and worms when we took her home - we paid $20 for her, a silky terrier cross. She was a fabulous dog (and one tall silky, lol!) my parents pride and joy. She lived to 15 and ended up dying of an aneurism in my parents arms. Other than that she was honestly the perfect dog, perhaps a rare find. She gave us all hope in the bitza breeds though.

The OP sounds like a very caring dog owner who is doing the right thing by researching her options. I just wanted to reiterate that I personally don't think all accidental puppies are bad news and I like to believe there are dog loving families out there that feel the same way. Maybe I'm naive, I like to call it positive thinking though, but I hope that the possible puppies will find fab homes even though they are crossbreeds. That was the point of my ramblings.