# Signs of Pregnancy



## leaf (Mar 16, 2007)

My female maltese is on her 28th day after mating and I'm wondering if its too early to tell yet if she is pregnant. I have made an appointment with the vet tomorrow but i just can't wait to know!!! I have rolled her on her side and felt for little lumps and i can't really feel anything yet. He tummy can be quite hard at times and her nipples are huge and bright pink Also all around the base of the nipples seem to be a little swollen. I'm very new to this and a professional breeder is helping me when the time comes, but she is away at the moment so I can't ask her anything!!

What do you think??









lea


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Didn't you just post about a month ago that this was your dog's first heat and you didn't want her to get pregnant?


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## leaf (Mar 16, 2007)

> Didn't you just post about a month ago that this was your dog's first heat and you didn't want her to get pregnant?[/B]


Yes thats me! After 2 and a half weeks of keeping them apart my dad opened the baby gate and forgot to close it while i was at work and they mated. I was horrified at first but I had a lenghthy discussion with my vet and it was either give her an injection to induce abortion or let nature take its course. So I decided to let nature take its course. Now i'm just excited!!


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## DianL (Mar 28, 2007)

All the things you described in your post would indicate that she is pregnant. They usually vomit yellow one time when they are 2 weeks into getstation . good Luck


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

How old is she, and how much does she weigh?


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## HappyB (Feb 28, 2005)

Here is the name of a forum that might be helpful to you. There are hundreds of very experienced breeders there, as well as vets, and a list owner who has written books and gives lectures on reproduction and whelping:

[email protected]


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## leaf (Mar 16, 2007)

> How old is she, and how much does she weigh?[/B]



She is 1 and weighs approx 6pounds.

Happy, thanks for the info I shall take a look at that


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

It's probably too late to palpate her now. You'll have to wait awhile. Chances are she is but vomiting is not a sure sign in and of itself. Some dogs never do that, and some do it often. Please study up on breeding and whelping as much as you can between now and the due date. It could mean the difference between life and death.


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## leaf (Mar 16, 2007)

> It's probably too late to palpate her now. You'll have to wait awhile. Chances are she is but vomiting is not a sure sign in and of itself. Some dogs never do that, and some do it often. Please study up on breeding and whelping as much as you can between now and the due date. It could mean the difference between life and death.[/B]


Thnk you Cosy. I am studying as we speak and I still keep in contact with the breeder whom i bought one of my babies from and she is coming over to assist with whelping.


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## ClaBec Maltese (Feb 19, 2007)

*Here is another website that is very informative. Please keep us informed as to how you girl is doing.







* http://www.debbiejensen.com/temp_chart.html

When using this link stroll down the page and look on the left there is a link that will give you some advise on wether or not she is pregnate. This website covers many areas from the pregnancy to the birth. Best of luck with you girl, and babies if she is pregnate.


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

How old is she? If this was her first heat, then she is still a baby herself.

That doesn't, of course, mean that she isn't pregnant, just that, in my opinion, she is way too young to be a mother.


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## leaf (Mar 16, 2007)

> How old is she? If this was her first heat, then she is still a baby herself.
> 
> That doesn't, of course, mean that she isn't pregnant, just that, in my opinion, she is way too young to be a mother.[/B]



She is 1yr and 3months old(I believe she had her first heat quite late for a malt) . Yes i thought the same as you but when it came to decision time i asked my vet if she was too young to breed, he said she would be fine. What does everyone else think? I take on board opinions, after all i want the best for my little girl. 

If the general consensus on this board is that she is too young, then I'm going to terminate the pregnancy. Vets can't be right all the time, they see animals day in day out, its just another patient to them i suppose!!


lea
xxx


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I know this pregnancy wasn't planned so if you decide to continue with it, are you prepared for the financial committment? Maltese can have difficult pregnancies and deliveries and often C-sections are necessary. Can you handle the costs? Remember, you can't count on selling the puppies to pay for the vet bills because often Maltese only have one puppy or no puppies survive.

Another thing our SM breeders warn people about is the time committment - sleepless nights, taking time off work when it gets close to whelping time- plus often puppies need to be bottle fed around the clock. Can you handle that with your schedule?

I think you should read both these threads to give you an idea what you might face when making your decision.

http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/index.php?...c=22338&hl=

http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/index.php?...ic=4823&hl=


http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/index.php?...c=4844&st=0


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## ClaBec Maltese (Feb 19, 2007)

This is my opinion and only my opinion. If your girl is 29 days into gestation it would not be a safe procedure to abort the puppies. I know here in Florida where I live they have banned the abortion shot because of the danger's from it. I myself would never abort my puppies at this stage. I am on a member on a forum with many breeders as well as vets. Many of these people rely on vet. reproduction specialist in there breeding practices. And they are doing several studies as to how old the mom should be when they first breed her. And many studies are pointing towards it being better for the mom to have her first litter around 15-18 months of age. I wish you the very best of luck with your mom.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Could you share the link to some of those studies with us?


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## ClaBec Maltese (Feb 19, 2007)

Sure, Faye had posted it earlier. But here it is again.

[email protected]


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Actually, I was looking for links to the studies supporting breeding females at such a young age, not the link to the Yahoo group you belong to.

Obviously, your statement was pretty general and unsubstantiated and I think it would be important to know if this was recommended for toy dogs like Maltese or if the studies were being conducted using large dogs, for instance. From what I have read on websites like Foxstone Maltese, it is recommended that Maltese not be bred before they have completed two heat cycles.

I think it's important to get all the facts out there so people can make an informed decision about such an important matter.


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## CathyB (Mar 10, 2007)

JMO for what it is worth I would not abort either I think it is too late and it would be too hard on her. I would also take the advice of the others (do your home work).. be prepared for a C-section (mentally and financially) not that you will have to have one but you should be prepared. Make sure you have a Vet that will do late night calls and lastly cancel all activities when it is time to go on puppy watch. (Do not leave her at home alone! she needs your support) Good Luck and my prayers are with you both.


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## ClaBec Maltese (Feb 19, 2007)

> JMO for what it is worth I would not abort either I think it is too late and it would be too hard on her. I would also take the advice of the others (do your home work).. be prepared for a C-section (mentally and financially) not that you will have to have one but you should be prepared. Make sure you have a Vet that will do late night calls and lastly cancel all activities when it is time to go on puppy watch. (Do not leave her at home alone! she needs your support) Good Luck and my prayers are with you both.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I agree with you Cathy 110%. I am going to post a link to a wonderful website designed by Debbie Jensen. She is a shih tzu breeder and has an abundance of information on her website. You, your mom and the puppies will be in our prayers.









http://www.debbiejensen.com/signs_of_pregnant.html


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## HappyB (Feb 28, 2005)

> Actually, I was looking for links to the studies supporting breeding females at such a young age, not the link to the Yahoo group you belong to.
> 
> Obviously, your statement was pretty general and unsubstantiated and I think it would be important to know if this was recommended for toy dogs like Maltese or if the studies were being conducted using large dogs, for instance. From what I have read on websites like Foxstone Maltese, it is recommended that Maltese not be bred before they have completed two heat cycles.
> 
> I think it's important to get all the facts out there so people can make an informed decision about such an important matter.[/B]



Marj, if you are interested in learning more about this, I suggest you join this site with the link posted above. It is a wealth of knowledge, and I recommend it for anyone who is interested in breeding, or for those who have an unplanned breeding. Many people on the breeder forum attend seminars done by specialists in this field, or consult them for help with their own breedings. They come away with information from these, and share with list members. One such topic has been information on early breedings, as well as open uterus/back to back breedings. Some of these folks are published, and some choose to just present information in lecture form. Dr. Hutchinson is one of these. He is often quoted on this breeders site. The bottom line is this information is coming from specialists in the field. 

And, for those who don't know, it is possible for a Maltese to have had her second heat cycle by 15 months. I know of one personally (not mine). I also have a 15 month old girl who has not had a heat cycle yet, and she is not the first one I've had be this late.


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## Dexters my man (Mar 22, 2007)

Well, I have nothing negative to say....only congrats!!!! How exciting that you are going to have some furbabies







Please keep us updated with your sweeties condition and pictures!!


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I know being a "big dog" person, that larger breeds usually have had their second heat cycle by that age so breeding at eighteen months of age is pretty common.

It still wouldn't be recommended that a Maltese on her first heat cycle at 15 months be bred, right? So age is really not the determining factor, but rather number of heat cycles?

I think it's so important to get the correct information out there for people who may be considering breeding. As we have found, what is perfectly safe for some other breeds is not appropriate for our Maltese. For example, there has been a lot of studies done showing that early spay and neuter is perfectly safe, yet most vets still don't recommend it for small breeds like Maltese.


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## DianL (Mar 28, 2007)

When breeding maltese , one person's opinion on how it should be is not always the right one. Each female should be evaluated on her own merit before breeding. I have had maltese that have had their 2nd heat at 11 months, and others that haven't had their first one until 15 months. A good breeder knows if their female is fully matured and ready to breed or not. I have spent many days speaking with Dr 
Roy Upton (he did the seminars for AKC on reproduction) on breeding. He was a very dear friend as well as my vet. I had privvy to copies of his seminars and they were wonderful. He passed away 3 years ago and I still miss his abundance of knowledge.
It is my understanding that the abortion shot is only good the first 48 hours of conception. It carries a lot of risks to the female.
I say to you, learn all you can ,save some money for needed expenses,and pray for a natural delivery with healthy puppies. I hope you have a beautiful litter. JMHO


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