Why Does My Dog Keep Having Miscarriages?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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What causes miscarriage?

Infection is a common cause of miscarriage in dogs

. These infections can be bacterial, viral, or parasitic. Brucella canis is a species of bacteria that is commonly associated with late-term miscarriage in clinically-healthy dogs.

Can stress cause a miscarriage in dogs?

Stress – Stress can definitely affect your dog’s pregnancy.

Some miscarriages are affected because of stress in which your dog might have been exposed to a stressful environment or some stressors

. As much as possible, pregnant dogs should be exposed to a healthy environment and minimize their activeness.

How long does a dog bleed after miscarriage?

Subinvolution of Placental Sites

Subinvolution of the uterus at one or more of the placental sites is suspected if the discharge persists. Bleeding may also continue at the margin of the previous placental attachment. In some cases, bleeding may last for

weeks or months

after the whelping before it resolves naturally.

What causes miscarriage?

Most miscarriages occur because

the fetus isn’t developing as expected

. About 50 percent of miscarriages are associated with extra or missing chromosomes. Most often, chromosome problems result from errors that occur by chance as the embryo divides and grows — not problems inherited from the parents.

Can a dog deliver dead puppies?


A dog that has been in labor with a puppy stuck in the birth canal for a long period of time also causes puppies to be born dead

. This condition is very painful for the mother. A dead puppy in the birth canal will start to decay. The uterus will continue to contract, which may cause the uterus to rupture.

Can a pregnant dog absorb puppies?


Canine fetal resorption often occurs fairly early in pregnancy

. In many cases, the cause is completely out of anyone’s hands. The fetuses affected often have some sort of genetic abnormality that causes them to stop developing. Usually, only one or two puppies in a litter are absorbed.

How do I know if my dog still has puppies inside her?


The presence of a dark green liquid called placental fluid is the only way to confirm she’s in labor

. Secondary uterine inertia occurs when the mother dog has strong contractions that decrease in strength or disappear. Both types are a form of dystocia, or difficult birth.

How do you know if a dog miscarried?

Symptoms and Types

If your dog has experienced a miscarriage, the most common thing you may notice is

abnormal vaginal bleeding

; in some cases an expelled fetus may be found. The most common cause of a spontaneous abortion is fetal death due to a hormonal imbalance.

Why do female dogs absorb puppies?

Puppy absorption happens

when a pregnant female dog has one or several fetuses disintegrate in her uterus following an infection or another type of pregnancy problem

. Fetal resorption in dogs can only happen in the weeks of the pregnancy when the tissues are soft and bones are not properly formed yet.

Can weak sperm cause a miscarriage?



Poor sperm quality can be the cause [of miscarriage] in about 6% of couples

,” says Dr. Gavin Sacks, an obstetrician and researcher with IVF Australia. But there are probably multiple factors that, together, result in a lost pregnancy, he adds.

Does miscarriage risk increase with age?

Most miscarriages happen in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy.

With age, your risk of early miscarriage goes up

. At age 35, the chance is about 20%. By age 45, your chance is 80%.

What week do most miscarriages happen?

Most miscarriages occur in the first trimester

before the 12th week of pregnancy

. A miscarriage in the second trimester (between 13 and 19 weeks) happens in 1% to 5% of pregnancies.

Do dogs eat their dead puppies?


After giving birth, a dog will clean her pups, bite off the umbilical cord, and eat her placenta

. Sometimes, she devours more than just the afterbirth, though. The vast majority of the time, any puppy that gets eaten will have been stillborn.

How do you revive a dead newborn puppy?

  1. Place your puppy flat on her right side if she’s large. …
  2. Compress your puppy’s chest once per second, then exhale into your puppy’s nose every six seconds.
  3. Repeat steps one and two until your puppy starts to breathe or until you get help from veterinary professionals.

Why is my dog not pushing her puppies out?

If your mother dog goes through stage one of labor and has not begun pushing after 24 hours, she may be experiencing

uterine inertia

. This is more common in some breeds, when the litter is very small or very large, or there is a calcium deficiency. Overweight mother dogs can be prone to uterine inertia.

How far along can a dog absorb puppies?

Absorption is where the puppy’s body is re-absorbed by the dam (mother dog), instead of passing out the birth canal. It normally happens in the first half of pregnancy (

up to around day 30

) but can happen later on, too.

When can a pregnant dog have an ultrasound?

Ultrasound pregnancy confirmation is possible

as early as day 20-22 after breeding

, but can be missed this early. Ultrasound at day 30 post breeding is a great diagnositc tool to confirm pregnancy. Ultrasound has the drawback of not being accurate to count puppies, but can determine heartbearts in the puppies.

Why did my dog only have one puppy?

Causes of single puppy litter


Single puppy pregnancy tends to occur more in small or miniature breeds

. It is particularly common in Scottish Terriers. Dogs have a peak litter size between the age of 3 and 7 years, after which the number of puppies in a litter decreases.

Can you pull the placenta out of a dog?

Your vet might give your dog oxytocin, a medication that stimulates uterine contractions to expel the placenta. If that doesn’t work,

surgery might be necessary to extract the placenta

. If the uterus is already infected, spaying might be required to save the dog.

How many placentas does a dog have?

Each pup may not be followed by afterbirth; the mother may pass two pups and then

two placentas

. This is normal. Puppies are born covered in membranes which must be cleaned away or the pup will suffocate. The mother will bite and lick the membranes away.

How long does a miscarriage last?

Symptoms of a miscarriage, primarily heavy bleeding and cramping, can last

up to two weeks

, while lighter bleeding may continue another one to two weeks. It can take four to six weeks to get a normal period again, and irregular periods immediately following miscarriages are common.

How much does it cost to abort puppies?

In the case of accidental mating within the first 15 days of her heat cycle, the costs of dog abortion are

between $45 and $175

. Drug-induced methods are around $100-$700. When terminating a late pregnancy, using a surgical method, the abortion may cost $2.000 or even $3.000.

Will dogs eat their babies?


Cannibalism is rare in dogs, especially if the litter is birthed (whelped) in a home environment as opposed to a loud or crowded kennel

. Puppy cannibalism can occur at birth or even after a few days of life. Female dogs of any breed or mix of breeds can cannibalize their puppies.

Maria LaPaige
Author
Maria LaPaige
Maria is a parenting expert and mother of three. She has written several books on parenting and child development, and has been featured in various parenting magazines. Maria's practical approach to family life has helped many parents navigate the ups and downs of raising children.