By Dr. Kristina Belton, DVM If you left your first breeding experience feeling overwhelmed, confused, or even a little heartbroken, you’re not alone. Many breeders walk into that first experience with hope, a healthy female, and maybe a few late-night forum threads — but not always the full picture. And Read more…
Breeding failures often stem from overlooked uterine health, despite timing and semen quality. A healthy uterus plays a crucial role in nurturing embryos and ensuring successful pregnancies. Common unseen issues like endometrial hyperplasia and chronic inflammation can impair fertility. Awareness of these factors aids in improving breeding outcomes.
You want to feed your dogs in a way that supports healthy pregnancies, bigger litters, and strong, thriving puppies. But if you’ve spent any time in online forums, you’ve probably seen dozens of conflicting opinions—about what to feed, when to feed it, and whether to add things like liver, yogurt, Read more…
Breeding dogs is part science, part strategy, and part holding your breath. If you’ve ever wondered why a breeding didn’t take—even though she was flagging, standing, and “seemed ready”—you’re not alone. Because while timing is everything, there’s one big problem: Most beginner dog breeders are taught to time the wrong Read more…
I didn’t grow up breeding dogs. In fact, I grew up in the “adopt-don’t-shop” rescue world—where every intact dog was a problem waiting to happen. I even teased my parents about their un-neutered dogs, joking that I was going to become a vet and sneak in at night to “steal Read more…
Congratulations! You’ve just welcomed a beautiful new litter of puppies into the world. This is an exciting time for everyone involved, and it’s also a crucial time for both the mother and her newborns. It’s easy to get wrapped up in caring for the newborns, but what about Mom? In Read more…
Welcoming a new litter of puppies into the world is an exciting and joyous experience! Ensuring that the mother and her puppies have a safe and comfortable environment is crucial for their health and well-being during this critical phase. Setting up a whelping area requires careful planning and attention to Read more…
Every dog in the entire world came into existence in one of two ways: responsibly or irresponsibly. A responsibly-bred dog is one whose parents were healthy, both physically and genetically. Their mother was cared for throughout her pregnancy, provided shelter, protected against disease, and fed an appropriate diet. When the Read more…
When a pregnant patient walks into our clinic, it isn’t enough for us to know her due date. It is also critically important for us to know how that date was determined. Canine gestation length is 63 days from the day of ovulation. However, because we can’t SEE when ovulation Read more…
You’ve made it through whelping, and now you have a basketful of beautiful puppies. Are they healthy? How do you know? Below, I’ll outline 6 recommendations to maximize your puppies’ health in the first 8 weeks. Check for cleft palates A cleft palate is a defect in the roof of Read more…