PET CARE: BREEDING COMPANION ANIMALS – CONTINUED

TODAY, within the context of proper breeding of dogs, we will have a closer look at one of the main actors in the drama of reproduction – the brood bitch (the potential mother). Next week, we will discuss the norms associated with a good stud dog (potential father).

THE BROOD BITCH
Before you decide to breed your female, give careful consideration to the effort and expense, which goes into producing a litter of healthy and active puppies. It can be both time – consuming and expensive. If you own a purebred dam (female dog), you must also consider her overall conformation, disposition, and the qualities she will pass along to her puppies.
Another factor to consider is that many purebred puppies, in order to prevent easy incest, should not be sold in the general area, where they originate. Try as best as you can to ensure the pups (siblings) are geographically far away from each other, therefore reducing the chances of siblings mating. This means extra focused advertising, and the added cost and effort of finding the right sort of home in which to place the puppies at the time of sale.
In contrast to a popular belief, the female does not need to have a litter in order to be psychologically fulfilled. In fact, a neutered female makes an outstanding house pet. She is able to devote herself exclusively to her human family.
Most breeders mate a bitch on her second or third season, at which time she is emotionally and physically mature and able to adjust well to the new role of a brood matron. I must hasten to add that once the brood bitch has reached the age of puberty and can physically mate with the chosen male, she could be mated. However, I too do advise to wait for the second heat.
A prospective brood matron should be kept in top physical condition. An overweight/ obese bitch, lacking in prerequisite exercise, is difficult to mate and may times will not come into season regularly and may have difficulty in whelping.
Once you decide to mate your female, take her to your veterinarian for a physical check-up. A maiden bitch should be examined to make sure that her vaginal orifice is normal in size. There should be no constricting ring, which could prevent normal entry.
Her physical check-up includes a test for heartworms in areas where this mosquito-borne infection is a problem, e.g., the lower East Coast Demerara, (but actually now all over Guyana).
If you own a bitch of one of the larger breeds (e.g., German Shepherds, Rottweilers), ask your veterinarian to x-ray the brood bitch’s pelvic (hip) areas and elbow joints. The X-Rays could be done preferably before one year of age. If the X-Rays of the potential brood bitch reveal bone/joint changes (hip/elbow dysplasia), do not breed her.
Also, before mating, the bitch should be checked for worms. Roundworms are difficult to avoid in puppies, especially since puppies can be infected even while they are in their mother’s womb. This is why the pregnant mother dog should be dewormed at least once, but preferably twice, during her pregnancy. Other internal and external parasites, if found, should be vigorously treated. A bitch with an active worm infestation is less likely to whelp healthy active puppies.
Please support the spay and neutering campaigns/programs carried out by Humane Societies, the objective of which is to reduce cruelty to and suffering of animals, especially the “stray’ dogs which abound along highways and by-ways predominantly of coastal Guyana.