I Have a Shih-tzu and she got pregnant on her first heat cycle and she is only 9 months old.?

Question

I need help!! My little shih-tzu got pregnant on her firt heat cycle and she is only 9 months old. She only weights 8 Ibs and the Daddy weight 9 Ibs. Does anyone know about this breed? Do they have alot of problems with giving birth? I need all the information I can get. Thanks for you time!!

I didn't let this happen on purpose. I took my male to my mom's house till I I thought she was out,but she wasn't. I'm only human we all make mistakes. If I knew I could have just given her a shot I would Have. She was breed on Oct 21, 2006. So when will she have puppies. I made appointment with my vet so I need some peace in mind till then. Thanks for your time to reply.

Answer 1

It would have been better to have waited, but it's not a catastrophe. Contrary to what some poorly-informed posters might tell you, if she dies or has complications giving birth, it will NOT be because of her age. A 9-month-old shih tzu is roughly equivalent to a 15-17 year old girl. Not the *ideal* situation for having babies, to be sure....but she can handle it just fine physically (with appropriate prenatal care.) Her weight shouldn't be an issue, either, given the size of the male (history of his parents/grandparents weights would be helpful there.) There are specific nutritional aspects you need to discuss with your veterinarian, however. Don't fret....they won't chastise you as people here have done. We don't yet have time-travel capabilities to go back and change things. The deed has been done...they'll recognize that, and they'll help you deal with the situation at hand in the best way (for you and your dog) possible. Then, they'll help you make sure things like this don't happen again. Their goal is to help and to educate, not rake you over the coals. You did the right thing to make that appointment. Please make sure you keep it. Relax and take a deep breath now. :-)

The gestation is 63 days from the date of fertilization (not always the same day as the mating), and your DVM can help you there.

At this point, she's further along than most of us would like to spay, but it can be done if you don't want the puppies or don't want to risk her giving birth. There is no other way to terminate this pregnancy than to spay her at the same time. If you intend to breed her in the future, you'll have to let her have this litter.

Be glad you DIDN'T get her the shot to terminate pregnancy, btw. I sure wish people without proper medical education and credentials would STOP "recommending" that. If you ever see that, you should immediately question any other 'advice' that person offers. First of all, there would be absolutely no point in giving the injection and *then* spaying her. That would make no sense. Spaying her shortly after a mating (most of us usually prefer to wait 10-14 days after that to allow the dog to go out of heat and have the tissues/hormones return somewhat to normal) accomplishes the exact same thing (terminating the pregnancy), without the risks incurred with the shot.

What risks? If you want to learn why most DVMs don't even offer that shot anymore (and haven't for quite a few years), please read this answer excerpted from a previous post of mine:

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"Whatever you do, do NOT get her the mismating injection that a couple of posters recommended. Most veterinarians won't even give it without you signing a release stating that you understand that it can kill your dog. It would be much less risky to just let her have the pups, although a break between litters would have certainly been better for her. But you can't change that now, unless you have her spayed in about a week or two.

For the info of anyone reading, ECP (the mismating injection) does this to dogs:

1. If given within 24-72 hrs after a mating, it MIGHT prevent pregnancy. The longer you wait, the less likely it is to work, and after 72 hours is too late. Whether it works or not, you still have to deal with the following.....

2. It will keep her "in heat" for another few weeks, during which you'll have to keep her physically separated from other dogs.

3. It can shut down her bone marrow, causing fatal aplastic anemia.

4. It makes her much more susceptible to pyometra, which is the uterus filling up with pus. An emergency spay is then required to try to save her life before she dies of endotoxemia and associated kidney failure, since the most common component of the pus is E. coli from the intestinal tract.

5. It makes her more susceptible to hormonal imbalances that cause pseudocyesis, and all the associated medical problems that THAT entails.

6. She will come back into heat again before her next regular cycle is due....usually in only about 3 months."

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And for future reference, a dog is not out of heat when she stops bleeding. That's the midpoint and most fertile time of her cycle. The entire cycle takes a good 3 weeks. That's the MINIMUM length of time that females must be kept away from males when they are in heat. Guess you learned that the hard way, huh? ;-)
(Next time, please call your veterinarian's office whenever you find yourself in uncharted territory regarding your dogs. They would have warned you about all of this.)

Good luck, however you decide to handle this situation!

Answer 2

Shih Tzu Pregnancy Calendar

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
I Have a Shih-tzu and she got pregnant on her first heat cycle and she is only 9 months old.?
I need help!! My little shih-tzu got pregnant on her firt heat cycle and she is only 9 months old. She only weights 8 Ibs and the Daddy weight 9 Ibs. Does anyone know about this breed? Do they have alot of problems with giving birth? I need all the information I can get. Thanks for you time!!

Answer 4

I have a 9mos old shih tzu and she had a litter with my male shih tzu. The litter was only one but everything was perfect. The vet said she was awesome and is in great shape! Don't let people scare you! My momma is a great momma to her little princess!

Answer 5

Obviously you didn't keep a close enough eye on her. You should be worried. Not only is inbreeding a bad idea as it multiplies the likely hood of inherited genetic diseases but your dog is just a puppy herself! Get her to the vet and have them do an emergency abort/spay and while you're at it have the male neutered. There's no reason this should have happened. Your female could die while whelping.

Answer 6

Please get her to a vet. They can give her a shot, (if it is early enough) and terminate the pregnancy.

Be more careful with her from now on. If you plan to breed her, contact an experienced breeder and get more information. If you are not informed, you can be causing yourself and your pets harm. Your vet can explain what genetic tests should be done to determine if your dog has the quality and health that you would want.

You can never have too much information!!!

Answer 7

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Answer 8

i Have also ShiH tzu 9 months , she is too small but she is so active ... is she ready for pregnant ,, ?? for a shih tzu male small ??

Answer 9

That is very young for her to get pregnant, especially to a male larger than her. I would take her to the vet and they can terminate her pregnancy, and then you can either get her spayed, or if you intend to show and breed her, you can wait until she is 2 years old, when she is developed enough to give birth, you have had time to learn more about her breed and how they breed and whelp.

Answer 10

You can safely have her spayed if it has been 3 weeks or less since she was bred..Takes care of the problem, and is much healthier for her than having puppies so young..