Reproduction

Castration implant

Every dog owner with a male dog in the house faces the choice at some point: do I have him neutered or not? A choice that is often not an easy one. Although the operation is not that big, most owners do not have their male dog castrated just like that. There has to be a reason. Moreover, you cannot just 'try out' a castration, as surgical castration is definitive. Male castration is literally and figuratively a sensitive subject.

There are a number of reasons why castration might be desirable:

• Dominant behaviour towards other dogs (if the behaviour is caused by hormones).
• Excessive and unwanted sexual behaviour, such as frequent riding on other dogs or against people.
• Infertility of the male dog.
• Recurrent and persistent foreskin inflammation.
• Prostate problem.

Until recently, the only way to castrate a male dog was by surgery. This involves surgically removing both testicles of the male dog. Due to the removal of both testicles, the operation is permanent and thus irreversible. After the operation, the animal is still able to conceive offspring for a short time. In fact, it takes a while (sometimes up to a week or slightly longer) before the male dog is no longer fertile. It does take longer for the blood levels of sex hormones, such as testosterone, to drop.

An alternative to surgical castration has entered the market in the Netherlands. This alternative consists of an implant that, like an identification chip, is inserted under the skin with an injection. The small and rod-shaped implant delivers a continuous low dose of hormone that influences the production of the male dog's sex hormones. The implant inhibits the production of these hormones, resulting in temporary infertility.

Effects of the implant

Prior to inhibition, a short-term stimulation takes place, allowing the testosterone level in the blood to rise. The stimulation occurs within 1-2 hours after the implant is administered. As a result, it is possible that the effects of testosterone-related processes may increase. In most dogs, this increase is not noticeable. For example, some male dogs may become a little busier and show (even more) typical male behaviour.

In the majority of males, however, testosterone drops sharply after 9-21 days to below the fertility level. In an exceptional case, it takes a little longer. Without testosterone, the production of new sperm cells is also inhibited and libido (the 'sex drive') is suppressed. The dog thus becomes infertile and becomes less interested in the female sex.

This infertility is achieved from 6 weeks after the first treatment. Treated dogs should therefore be kept away from females in heat for the first 6 weeks after treatment. Some dogs become calmer and less dominant when testosterone is reduced. However, as with surgical castration, this may not always be the case. In general, blocking testosterone may not always lead to (the desired) effects. For example, about 27.3% of surgically castrated dogs continue to exhibit sexual behaviour.

The same percentage can be expected when the implant is administered. So mating behaviour need not have anything to do with fertility. It is a good idea to think about this beforehand and to be extensively informed by your vet. The implant is soluble and will wear off over time. This makes it possible to castrate a male dog temporarily.

The effectiveness of the drug can be checked because the male dog's testicles will decrease in size after a few weeks, on average by about 30%. The duration of infertility depends on the animal's individual sensitivity to the active substance, but lasts at least six months. Once the implant wears off, fertility slowly returns.

Do you have any questions following the above information? If so, please contact us.

The pregnant dog

Everyone likes puppies. Therefore, there are quite a few people who have their bitch mated. But there is also a lot involved. Below you will find information about your dog's pregnancy and delivery. Determining pregnancy When your dog is covered, it is useful to know whether she is pregnant or not.

Between the 24th and 32nd day of pregnancy, the vet can try to feel the amniotic vesicles that contain the puppies. In large, heavy and agile dogs, this can be a bit more difficult. After that, there is a period when the amnion sacks cannot be felt. With the help of an ultrasound, you can determine from 28 days onwards whether the bitch is pregnant, but this does not tell you exactly how many puppies you can expect. From 45 days the puppies can be felt by themselves.

An X-ray of the abdomen can also be taken now to see whether the bitch is pregnant and if so, of how many puppies. Gestation Dogs are pregnant for an average of 62 days. But they can give birth from 59 to 67 days after mating. The larger the litter, the shorter the gestation is in general. If the puppies come earlier or later, it is wise to contact us about this. During the first six weeks, you can continue to feed your dog as you are used to. We do not recommend giving extra vitamins and minerals.

For the last three weeks, we recommend feeding puppy food instead of normal food. This contains proportionally more protein, which is necessary for the strong growth of puppies in the last part of the gestation period. It should not be puppy food for large dog breeds, as this contains too little calcium. You should then mix the puppy food with the old food for a few days to avoid diarrhoea caused by a sudden food change.

In the last week of pregnancy, your dog may start eating less. You can then give her smaller portions more often. You will notice that your dog's belly will thicken, especially in the latter part of the pregnancy. During the final weeks of pregnancy, the female's mammary glands enlarge and milk sometimes comes out a few days before giving birth. Maternity bed rest is very important for the delivery. Therefore, find a quiet place in the house where the bitch feels comfortable. There, you can place a whelping box for your dog and insulate the bottom with newspapers or towels, for example. A crate with raised edges is handy so the puppies cannot get out, but the mother can.

Newborn puppies cannot keep themselves warm very well. The house should therefore not be too cold, at least 22-24 degrees. In addition, you can use a heat lamp. The puppies can then lie nicely warm under it, without the mother getting too hot. Right under the lamp it should then be about 28-30 degrees. A hot water bottle or heat mat is also an option.

Birth

About 12 to 24 hours before the first pup is born, you may notice changes in your bitch. Her temperature will drop one or two degrees. She may have less appetite, poop and urinate a bit more, want to build a nest, sometimes vomit or have some diarrhoea.

One or two days beforehand, you may see clear, slimy discharge. If you see light green or slightly bloody discharge, your dog is dilated. If so, the first puppy should be born within a few hours. Dogs in labor can breathe extremely fast. It is then nice for your dog to have fresh drinking water at her disposal. Your dog may have light contractions for quite a long time before the birth of the first puppy to stretch the birth path.

The moment the birth bladder or pup is visible, then the pup is normally born within 15-45 minutes. Now the dog has push contractions and these should therefore not last longer than 45 minutes. You will see clear abdominal contractions here. The following pups should not be pushed for more than 30 minutes. The time between the birth of two puppies is usually 45-60 minutes (of which a maximum of 30 minutes is pressed). However, it can also happen that the mother dog takes a longer break during which she may even fall asleep. It is useful to keep track of when the bitch starts to push, so you also know when to call for help. Puppies can be born in both head and breech positions. Both positions are normal.

When should you contact us?

Of course, you can always contact us the moment you are not confident. Just call the practice. During opening hours, you will get an employee on the line, in the evening and at the weekend you will get a number of the veterinarian on duty.

In the cases below, it is necessary to call a vet:

• 30 minutes of heavy pushing without progress (45 minutes on the first pup)
• 1.5-2 hours of weak pushing without progress
• 2-3 hours of no further pressing while pups are still in the womb
• If the bitch seems sick (vomiting and diarrhoea around delivery is "normal")
• Stinky, oddly coloured discharge or lots of blood from the vulva
• If your dog is 2 days overdue

After giving birth

With the first puppy, especially inexperienced mothers can "panic". Therefore, it is important that your dog is in a calm environment and that someone is there to guide her. The mother dog licks the newborn puppies immediately after birth. This causes the membranes to rupture and she dries the puppies. Furthermore, licking also stimulates breathing.

Should the membranes not be removed by the mother, this should be done as soon as possible. Especially dogs with short noses can find this difficult. You can help a pup whose breathing does not start by sucking the mucus out of its mouth with a tube or gently swishing the pup with its head down to empty it.

You can also start rubbing the puppy dry to help with breathing. Newborn puppies will immediately start looking for a nipple and start drinking. This will stimulate the progress of labor. Normally, the umbilical cord tears off by itself. Should the umbilical cord still bleed or not tear off, you can tie it with sturdy yarn thread disinfected with methylated spirit at least one centimetre from the abdominal wall. You can disinfect the umbilical stump with Betadine. The afterbirths are often already expelled between the pups. The afterbirths are often eaten by the bitch.

Make sure not all afterbirths are eaten by the mother dog, as she may get diarrhoea. Each puppy has an afterbirth. If one is left behind, this can cause problems. It is therefore important to count the afterbirths. The bitch continues to flow for some time after giving birth. On the first day, this will be mainly bloody and somewhat greenish. The following days, the colour becomes more reddish-brown. Eventually, the discharge will lighten until it becomes clear mucus. Your dog may flow for up to three weeks after delivery. She should not have a smelly, chocolate-coloured discharge, this may indicate a uterine infection.

The mother dog will need more energy to produce milk. Depending on the number of puppies, this could be two to three times more than normal. Give smaller bits of food regularly. You can give the food you are used to or continue to give puppy chunks. The puppies You can mark the puppies with nail polish and then weigh them daily.

Puppies should NOT lose weight after delivery. If this does happen, something is wrong: the puppy/mother dog is sick and/or the mother is not giving enough milk. Always contact us in this case. On about the tenth day, the eyes and ears open. If all goes well, the puppies' birth weight will have doubled by then. Apart from weighing, you do not need to do much during the first three weeks.

The puppies are, if all goes well, quiet. They sleep, they eat and they grow. If there is restlessness in the litter, something is not right. They could be hungry, too cold or too hot, or they are sick. Sick puppies grow poorly or not at all, are slow and may be cold. For puppies that do not grow enough, there is special artificial milk for dogs. You can get this from us. After three weeks, you can start feeding some soaked puppy pellets or porridge (mixed with water!). After five to six weeks, the mother's milk production decreases and the puppies need more solid food. Increase the amounts gradually.

After six weeks, puppies will hardly drink from their mother. Puppy food contains proportionately more protein, which puppies need for growth. Give the amount divided into five portions. There is no need to give extra vitamins and minerals, they are all already in the puppy food. Of course, the puppies should always have access to fresh drinking water.

Worming and vaccination Puppies are already infected with roundworms in the womb and then by drinking their mother's milk. Your dog has these roundworms stored somewhere in the body in a dormant phase. During pregnancy, these worms come out of the resting phase, infecting the puppies. This happens even if you may have wormed your dog beforehand because the anthelmintic cannot reach the dormant worms. Since the worms can cause damage to the lungs and abdominal organs, the advice is to worm the puppies regularly. You should then do this at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age, then every month after this until they are six months old.

The advice is always to deworm the bitch as well. As not every anthelmintic is suitable for the nursing bitch, we recommend you contact us about this first. The puppies should get their vaccinations at 6, 9 and 12 weeks, then only when they are about one year old. The bitch should not be vaccinated when she is pregnant. You can possibly vaccinate your dog before she becomes pregnant so that she has plenty of antibodies in the mother's milk for the puppies.

We advise you not to take the puppies away from the mother before eight weeks. You can gradually get them used to the change of home and owner by occasionally taking them away from the mother from six weeks. You can also make the transition to the new owner easier by giving them a piece of cloth that has been in the basket. It is also advisable to give the puppy some puppy food, so that in the first few days the puppy gets the same food as in the litter. This way, the pup will have the least amount of stress with its new owner.

Do you have any questions following the above information? Please contact us.

The pregnant cat

A litter of young kittens is very cute.
Unfortunately, the shelters are full of cats, so it is useful to think about this carefully. You may already have some people in mind who want a kitten. But before you give the kittens to the new owner, there is a lot involved. Below you will find information about your cat's gestation and delivery. When is the best time? Cats can go into heat as early as 6 months, but for most cats it does not start until 8-9 months.

Cats go into heat under the influence of sunlight. When the days get shorter, they often do not go into heat. When the days get longer again in spring, the heat starts again. Indoor cats, however, can go into heat all year round. Cats usually go into heat every 2-3 weeks, but sometimes it can also occur every 5 days. You will notice that your cat is in heat if she meows more than usual, is eager to go outside, shows restlessness, has less appetite and raises her tail and buttocks if you stroke above the base of the tail. Cats do not bleed, as dogs do, during heat.

We advise against having the cat mated right from the first heat, as she will still be very young. Pregnancy and suckling take so much energy that she will stop growing. The queen should be at least one year old, so that she has grown enough. This means you will have to keep her away from the uncastrated males for a few months.

When the time comes, you can bring the female cat to the male cat or vice versa. Should your cat run outside, it is possible for several males to cover your cat. Thus, the kittens may have different fathers. The stimulation of mating causes ovulation, after which fertilization can take place. Determining pregnancy Once your cat has been mated, it is useful to know whether she is pregnant or not.

Between the 19th and 27th day of gestation, the vet can try to feel the amnion sacks where the kittens are. In large, heavy and agile cats, this can be a bit more difficult. After that, there is a period when the amnion sacks cannot be felt. With the help of an ultrasound you can determine from 23 days onwards whether the queen is pregnant, but you cannot determine exactly how many kittens you can expect.

From 40 days, the kittens can be felt by themselves. An X-ray of the belly can also be taken now to see whether the queen is pregnant and, if so, of how many kittens. In most cats, from 3.5-4 weeks, the nipples start to swell and become redder in colour. The hair around the nipples may also start falling out, making the nipples clearly visible. Gestation On average, females are 64 days pregnant. But they can give birth from 59 to 67 days after mating. If the kittens come earlier or later, it is wise to contact us about this.

During the first six weeks, you can continue to feed your queen as you are used to. We advise against giving extra vitamins and minerals. For the last three weeks, we advise you to start feeding kitten kibble instead of normal food. This contains relatively more protein, which is necessary for the strong growth of the kittens in the last part of the pregnancy and for the mother's milk production.

You should then mix the kitten chunks with the old food for a few days to prevent diarrhoea caused by a sudden change of food. The packaging will tell you how much to give to your cat. Be sure not to give too much, as fatter cats are more likely to have birth problems. In the last week of pregnancy, your cat may start eating less. You can then give her smaller portions more often. You will notice that your cat's belly will thicken, especially in the last part of the pregnancy.

Maternity

Your cat will often choose its own place to give birth. Usually this is a dark place, such as your wardrobe or the litter box. At such a time, your cat surprises you with a litter of young. Other cats appreciate the owner's presence and will wait until you come home. Rest is very important before giving birth. Therefore, find a quiet place in the house where the queen feels comfortable. There, you can place a whelping box for your cat, insulating the bottom with newspapers or towels, for example.

A crate with raised edges is handy so that the kittens cannot get out, but the mother can. Newborn kittens cannot keep themselves warm properly. The house should therefore not be too cold, at least 23-25 degrees. In addition, you can use a heat lamp. The kittens can then lie comfortably warm under it, without the mother getting too hot. Right under the lamp it should then be about 29-31 degrees. A hot water bottle or heat mat is also an option.

Birth

About 12 to 24 hours before the first kitten is born, you may notice changes in your queen. She may become more restless, have less appetite, defecate and urinate a bit more, sometimes vomit or have some diarrhoea. Your cat may also have a typical lure call. One or two days beforehand, you may see clear, slimy discharge unless your cat licks it away. If you see pale green or slightly bloody discharge, your cat is dilated. If so, the first kitten should be born within a few hours.

Cats approaching expulsion often hyperventilate noticeably. It is then pleasant for your cat to have fresh drinking water at her disposal. Before the birth of the first kitten, your cat may have mild contractions for quite a long time to stretch the birth path. The moment the birth bladder or kitten is visible, then the kitten is normally born within 15-45 minutes. Now the female cat has contractions and these should therefore not last longer than 45 minutes. You will see clear abdominal contractions here.

The following kittens should not be pushed for more than 30 minutes. The time between the birth of two kittens is usually 45-60 minutes (of which a maximum of 30 minutes is needed). However, it can also happen that the queen takes a longer break during which she may even fall asleep. It is useful to keep track of when the queen starts to push, so you also know when to call for help.

Your cat may press in various positions. They usually press in the pooping position or breast-belly position. Partly because of the first position, kittens are regularly born in the litter box. Kittens can be born in either the head or breech position. Both positions are normal.

When should you contact us?

Of course, you can always contact us the moment you are not confident. Just call the practice. During opening hours you will get an employee on the line, in the evening and at the weekend you will get a number of the veterinarian on duty.

In the cases below it is necessary to call a vet:

• 30 minutes of heavy pushing without progress (45 minutes on the first kitten)
• 1.5-2 hours of weak pushing without progress
• 2-3 hours of no further pressing while kittens are still in the womb
• If the queen appears sick (vomiting and diarrhoea around delivery is "normal")
• Stinky, oddly coloured discharge or lots of blood from the vulva
• If your cat is 2 days overdue

After delivery

With the first kitten, especially inexperienced mothers can "panic". Therefore, it is important that your cat is in a calm environment and that someone is there to guide her. The mother cat licks the newborn kittens immediately after birth. This causes the membranes to rupture and she dries the kittens. Furthermore, licking also stimulates breathing.

Should the membranes not be removed by the mother, it is important to do this as soon as possible. Especially cats with short noses, such as Persians, may find this difficult. You can help a kitten whose breathing does not start by sucking the mucus out of its mouth with a tube or by gently waving the kitten empty with a swishing motion with the head down. You can also start rubbing the kitten dry to promote breathing. The newborn kittens will immediately start looking for a nipple and start drinking. This will stimulate the progress of labor. Normally, the umbilical cord tears off by itself. Should the umbilical cord still bleed or not tear off, you can tie it off with sturdy thread disinfected with methylated spirit at least one centimetre from the abdominal wall. You can disinfect the umbilical stump with Betadine. The afterbirths are often already expelled between the kittens. The afterbirths are often eaten by the queen.

Make sure not all afterbirths are eaten by the queen, as she may get diarrhoea. Each kitten has an afterbirth. If one is left behind, this can cause problems. It is therefore important to count the afterbirths. Should your cat have given birth without you being there, you will often find quite little. The female cat will continue to flow for some time after giving birth. The first few days this will be mostly bloody.

Between the 5th and 8th day, the discharge will become lighter in colour, finally uncoloured and after 8 to 10 days it will have stopped. She should not have a smelly, chocolate-coloured effluent, this may indicate a uterine infection. The mother cat will need more energy to produce milk. Depending on the number of kittens, this could be two to three times more than normal. Feed smaller bits of food regularly.

You can continue feeding the kitten kibble. By drinking the kittens with the mother, the heat can stay off.

But we regularly see that after one week your cat is in heat again and can therefore get pregnant again! Keep a close eye on this. From 6 weeks after giving birth, we can sterilise your cat. Earlier is not preferred, as the surgical wound lies between the mammary glands.

The kittens

You can mark the kittens with nail polish to recognise if they look too much alike (on the head/buttocks/tail) and then weigh them daily. Kittens should NOT lose weight after giving birth.

If this does happen, something is wrong: the kitten/mother cat is sick and/or the mother is not giving enough milk. Always contact us in this case. On about the tenth day, the eyes and ears open. If all goes well, the kittens' birth weight will have doubled by then. Apart from weighing, you will not need to do much during the first three weeks. The kittens are, if all goes well, quiet. They sleep, they eat and they grow.

If there is restlessness in the litter, something is not right. They could be hungry, too cold or too hot, or they are sick. Sick kittens grow poorly or not at all, are slow and may be cold. For kittens who do not grow enough, there is special artificial milk for cats. You can get this from us. After three weeks, you can start feeding some soaked kitten pellets or porridge (mixed with water!). After five to six weeks, the mother's milk production decreases and the kittens need more solid food. Increase the amounts gradually.

After six weeks, the kittens will hardly drink at all from their mother. Kitten food contains proportionally more protein, which the kittens need for growth. Give the quantity divided into five portions. There is no need to give extra vitamins and minerals, they are all already in the kitten food.

Of course, the kittens should always have access to fresh drinking water. Worming and vaccination All kittens are infected with roundworms by drinking their mother's milk. The mother cat has stored these roundworms somewhere in the body in a resting phase. During pregnancy, these worms come out of the resting phase, infecting the kittens. This happens even if you may have wormed your cat beforehand because the anthelmintic cannot reach the dormant worms.

Since the worms can cause damage to the lungs and abdominal organs, the advice is to worm the kittens regularly. You should then do this at 3, 5, 7 and 9 weeks of age, then every month after this until they are six months old. The advice is to worm the mother cat all the time as well. As not every worming product is suitable for nursing cats, we advise you to contact us first. The kittens should get their vaccinations at 9 and 12 weeks, then only when they are about one year old.

The female cat should not be vaccinated if she is pregnant. You can possibly vaccinate your queen before she becomes pregnant, so that she has plenty of antibodies in the mother's milk for the kittens. We advise you not to take the kittens away from the mother before eight weeks. This will give the kittens enough time to learn a lot of good things from the mother cat.

The siblings from the litter

Kittens taken away from the litter too early can get into a lot of mischief later on! You can gradually get the kittens used to the change of home and owner by taking them away from the mother from six weeks onwards. It is also advisable to give the kitten some kitten food, so that during the first few days the kitten gets the same food as in the litter. This way, the kitten will have the least amount of stress with its new owner.

Do you have any questions about the information above? Then please contact us.