Pet miscarriage
July 14, 2011 1:15 AM Subscribe
Pet miscarriage. More detail inside..
My brother's beautiful Golden Retriever about 7 years of age was due to produce a litter in 2 weeks but suddenly had a miscarriage. I particularly feel sad and bad about it is because the dog is very fond of me, and every time I took her out for a walk she would expect me to throw stones around so that she could run and fetch them.
Just last sunday when I visited them, I took her for a walk and she wanted to play but realizing her condition, I only threw one odd stone at a small distance, about 2-3 times. But today I called them and found out about this very sad misfortune. Could this be possibly because of me? As per the vet this probably happens one in 1000 cases in such a pregnancy. This was her first time. I cannot stop thinking and feeling bad about it. Should I tell this to my brother? They seem to be totally devastated about this.
What to do?
My brother's beautiful Golden Retriever about 7 years of age was due to produce a litter in 2 weeks but suddenly had a miscarriage. I particularly feel sad and bad about it is because the dog is very fond of me, and every time I took her out for a walk she would expect me to throw stones around so that she could run and fetch them.
Just last sunday when I visited them, I took her for a walk and she wanted to play but realizing her condition, I only threw one odd stone at a small distance, about 2-3 times. But today I called them and found out about this very sad misfortune. Could this be possibly because of me? As per the vet this probably happens one in 1000 cases in such a pregnancy. This was her first time. I cannot stop thinking and feeling bad about it. Should I tell this to my brother? They seem to be totally devastated about this.
What to do?
Please don't blame yourself. This is not uncommon, as the vet's statistic indicates. Dogs are able to exert themselves during pregnancy, generally. It was very likely hormonal or fetal non-viability. It could even be a bacterium, although the vet has presumably ruled that out, as it would require further treatment.
No need to tell them about your worries. Just express your sympathies. A card would not be out of line, particularly if they are devastated. I was going to suggest a dog toy for the pup, but then I remembered that some dogs do obsessive nesting after a spontaneous abortion and that might not be the best idea. Cuddles and treats are likely best.
posted by batmonkey at 1:41 AM on July 14, 2011
No need to tell them about your worries. Just express your sympathies. A card would not be out of line, particularly if they are devastated. I was going to suggest a dog toy for the pup, but then I remembered that some dogs do obsessive nesting after a spontaneous abortion and that might not be the best idea. Cuddles and treats are likely best.
posted by batmonkey at 1:41 AM on July 14, 2011
If mammals weren't able to exert themselves during pregnancy, they'd have gone extinct long ago. A little game of fetch is mild compared to the running they might have to do in the wild (either to hunt or flee from danger).
posted by D.C. at 3:06 AM on July 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by D.C. at 3:06 AM on July 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
Dogs live to run and jump and chase and play. Pregnant ones may slow down a little as they get closer to delivering, and may mope around for a day or so before popping, but aside from that, they just keep going like nothing has changed. In the wild, a female wolf would still join in the hunt just a couple days before having a litter.
Now, really small dogs count as an entirely different matter - We've artificially bred them to a size where they can't safely carry and deliver a litter regardless of activity - But that doesn't apply to full-sized dogs like the retrievers.
So don't worry - It just happens, you didn't cause it. It would happen to humans, too, but we have endless diagnostics and preventative treatments designed to minimize the risk of miscarriage (and they still happen anyway, though much less often).
posted by pla at 3:48 AM on July 14, 2011
Now, really small dogs count as an entirely different matter - We've artificially bred them to a size where they can't safely carry and deliver a litter regardless of activity - But that doesn't apply to full-sized dogs like the retrievers.
So don't worry - It just happens, you didn't cause it. It would happen to humans, too, but we have endless diagnostics and preventative treatments designed to minimize the risk of miscarriage (and they still happen anyway, though much less often).
posted by pla at 3:48 AM on July 14, 2011
Response by poster: Thank you all for your support. Even though it is not easy to get over this, but it certainly helps to know your viewpoints.
posted by jassi at 5:19 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by jassi at 5:19 AM on July 14, 2011
I'm assuming it's at least SOMEWHAT similar to the way humans behave during pregnancy. That is, if you had a certain level of activity pre-pregnancy, you can generally keep up that level of activity until you feel like you can't anymore (like you are about to pop!). You should not be OVER exerting yourself by upping your levels of activity. The dog playing fetch is probably a very mild activity. It is not your fault!
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:22 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:22 AM on July 14, 2011
Also, it might be helpful to future question askers if you put "dog" into the tags for this question. Thanks!
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:24 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by two lights above the sea at 9:24 AM on July 14, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
As for what to do - I think a card might be going a little bit too far in this case, but why not visit your brother with a nice bottle of wine and some treats for the dog?
posted by Ted Maul at 1:24 AM on July 14, 2011