"My Bitch Is Empty!" An Overview of the Reasons for Pregnancy Loss in Dogs.

Vet Sci. February 2025;12(2):.

George Mantziaras¹, Maja Zakošek Pipan²

¹ Independent Researcher, Small Animal Practitioner, Kifisias Avenue 22, 15125 Marousi, Greece.; ² Clinic for Reproduction and Large Animals, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to present reasons for pregnancy loss in dogs. Termination of pregnancy can occur at any stage of gestation, sometimes even before pregnancy is diagnosed. If embryonic death occurs before day 35 of gestation, the embryo is absorbed. Fetal death in the second half of gestation leads to abortion or fetal emphysema, maceration, or mummification. Abnormal embryonic development, competition between placental sites, or genetic abnormalities of the embryo(s) can lead to termination of pregnancy. Maternal factors that alter ovarian function or the environment in the oviducts and uterus, such as cystic endometrial hyperplasia or inflammation, can lead to pregnancy loss. Abnormalities of the placenta, uterine torsion, metrocoele, environmental stress, and malnutrition can have detrimental effects on fetal development. Several drugs or medications can also have embryotoxic/teratogenic effect. Endocrinological disorders such as hypoluteodism, gestational diabetes, and hypothyroidism can be reasons for pregnancy failure. Several bacteria, protozoa, and viruses can cause pregnancy loss in dogs. Etiological diagnoses of pregnancy loss in dogs are challenging as the exact causes are not always obvious; so, a multi-faceted approach is required.

Keywords

abortion; canine pregnancy; endometritis; infertility; resorption;

Article Tools:

Medline

Email to me

Archives Highlights:

Investigation of maternal mortality and stillbirth in feline dystocia after emergency obstetric care interventions: a retrospective analysis.
Medical treatment was successful in 17% of patients, and 83% underwent surgical treatment for dystocia. Ovariohysterectomy (59%) was the most common surgical method, followed by conservative caesarean section (35%).

Choose Your Own Adventure: Using Twine for Gamified Interactive Learning in Veterinary Anaesthesia.
Five interactive clinical cases were developed using Twine, simulating realistic anaesthesia scenarios with decision points and gamified elements, such as scoring systems and resource management. Feedback was highly positive; 90.8% found it effective for training, and 97.0% agreed it improved knowledge. User-friendliness was rated as "easy" or "very easy" by 94.6%. Regarding overall satisfaction, 96.7% of students described the workshop as "good" or "excellent".

Factors Associated with Medication Noncompliance in Dogs in New Zealand.
Medication noncompliance was recorded for 47% (71/151) of owners. Increasing dog age was associated with better owner compliance. Forty-seven percent (71/151) of owners reported that "nobody" showed them how to administer the medication. One-third of dog owners (47/151) reported challenges in medicating their pets. The most common reason cited by clients reporting challenges was a resistant pet.

Mass rabies exposure of veterinary health care workers in Germany: Management, immune response, and tolerability of post exposure-prophylaxis.
In 2008, Germany was declared free from terrestrial rabies by the WOAH. However, illegal pet imports can still lead to rabies exposure, as seen in the 2021 case of a rabid puppy illegally imported to Germany, resulting in a mass exposure (39 veterinary clinic staff) incident.

Prevalence of discospondylitis and association with congenital vertebral body malformations in English and French bulldogs.
The prevalence of discospondylitis was 3.4 (1.6-6.7) times higher in French bulldogs and 4.3 (1.7-9.8) times higher in English bulldogs, compared with the overall hospital cohort. One or more vertebral malformations were present in 12 French bulldogs (92.3%), 6 English bulldogs (75.0%), and 1 "other" breed dog (1.1%). Discospondylitis was diagnosed adjacent to congenital vertebral body malformations in 12 (80%) intervertebral discs in French bulldogs and 5 (50%) intervertebral discs in English bulldogs.