The unwanted pregnancy: What to do if a bitch is mated by mistake
It is a surprisingly frequent occurrence for owners of bitches to request termination of a pregnancy. The most common reason is that a bitch in season was mated by a dog (the wrong dog!) by mistake. Alternatively, there may be a medical reason for the pregnancy not to proceed. In one instance the sire was diagnosed with a heritable condition after the mating had occurred. Whatever the reason, it's a stressful experience for the owners, and it is important that the situation be managed correctly to avoid long-term consequences.
The traditional method of dealing with this situation is for the bitch to be examined within a day after the mating and, provided she is in the correct stage of the season, to be given a hormonal injection similar to the 'morning after' treatment used in humans. This consists of a high dose of oestrogen which is effective for several days. This is a very effective way of preventing further development of the embryos. However, there are risks associated with the treatment. Because of the risk of infection of the uterus, which may render the bitch infertile, this treatment should not be used in a bitch from which the owner wishes to breed at a later stage. The less common but potentially fatal risk of stopping the production of blood cells in the bone marrow must also be discussed with the owner before this treatment is given. For these reasons, this treatment has largely gone out of favour.
Surgical sterilisation of the bitch is safe and simple during early pregnancy, and unless the owner has a strong wish to breed from the bitch, this is the option of choice in most instances.
Medical treatment is the best option when the owners still wish to breed from the bitch, even if only one litter. Providing she is healthy, medical treatment is safe and has no known effects on fertility. Treatment may be given in early pregnancy, or at the beginning of the second half of pregnancy. The early pregnancy treatment is given from a week after the end of the season, at which stage conception cannot be confirmed. At this stage treatment consists of a series of three injections of the hormone prostaglandin F, given every second day. No evidence of the termination of the pregnancy is seen, and the bitch should be checked by a veterinarian during the fourth week after the end of the season to ensure that the treatment has been successful.
An alternative approach is to wait until it can be confirmed that the bitch is pregnant, and then to begin treatment at about 4 weeks. A similar course of injections is used, but it is combined with hormonal tablets, the injections and tablets working together to stop progesterone production by the ovaries. Without progesterone the pregnancy cannot continue, leading to expulsion of the fetuses. This may be unpleasant to the owner, as it may well happen at home if the bitch is treated as an outpatient. It is also advisable to put the bitch on antibiotics during the treatment to prevent infections from becoming established.
To enable accurate timing of when to examine the bitch and when to treat, vaginal examinations should be done and smears must be made at least every second day from mating until the end of the season. It is therefore important to consult a veterinarian promptly, even if the actual treatment is only given later.
Termination of pregnancy may be unpalatable for some but it is a reality, and one which, dealt with correctly, need not turn into a disaster.
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