Mated Bitches & Racing

[shenace]

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Hey Listers

Just after a bit of info regarding bitches that have been mated & then raced.

I have a friend who races & does agility with her whippets & keeps them pretty lean - 2 of them have been mated & both have missed, one was blood tested to ensure that she got the right day for mating.

Is there any chance there is a connection that the bitches who are kept lean have been mated & then raced may have lost the puppies or do you think it is just coincidence??

I suggested to the owner to rest them if they had been mated, but she is very keen & seems to think it won't make a scrap of difference - I actually do not know so would appreciate any input

Thanks in advance

Lynda

 

[Judy]

I don't think there is anyone in racing who would race their bitches after mating. Its just not done. After the 3rd week any infection that they might pick up could have fairly serious consequences for the pups too.

It might be a good idea if she rested them for a while before the mating too. I believe that very lean and fit athletes often have trouble conceiving.

JMHO.

 

[Strike Whippets]

I must agree with Judy ......I, like others put some weight onto the bitch befor she is mated ......Though I didn't race her once Inca had been mated, I still free ran her to keep her fit enough to whelp .......

 

[sadieandco]

My parents always used to race their bitches after mating them for the first three or four weeks and then regular exercise to keep them fit for whelping. I know it is scowled upon these days and not many people do it - i believe because it is felt you are putting unecessary risks upon the bitch and if anything unfortunate was to happen and the bitch needed anaesthetics etc not good for bitch in pup. But just as a matter of interest they mated many bitches and the only one that didnt take was a bitch that they had not raced in the first weeks after mating - again may just be conicidence. :wacko:

 

[shenace]

I don't think there is anyone in racing who would race their bitches after mating. Its just not done. After the 3rd week any infection that they might pick up could have fairly serious consequences for the pups too.
It might be a good idea if she rested them for a while before the mating too. I believe that very lean and fit athletes often have trouble conceiving.

JMHO.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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This is my way of thinking too - a bit more weight on them & rest afterwards - but unfortunately the owner is very headstrong & thinks there is no problem as "when she was pregnant & rode horses......." It just seems odd both have missed & they have both been used to dogs that have produced puppies.

Thanks for the input - I was wondering if there was any hard & fast proof, but then the experience from sadieandco blows out the reasoning - these bitches run with their hearts & give 150% all the time, personally a bit of restriction would be my way of doing it

 

[Judy]

Well, for the first three weeks they aren't attached to the wall of the uterus so there isn't much risk of damage. They aren't even strictly speaking embryos until then. I think they are called morulas and then blastocysts depending on what stage they are at. After they become proper embryos the risk of damage goes up I believe. The biggest risk is probably from any infection the bitch might pick up.

 

[billyboy45]

Just came across this and would like to add my wee bit.Ive never had any problems with my bitches,and would have even lamped some of them for the first few weeks.But after this i would have been pretty protective,and would only give light exercise,and absolutely no jumping,as this is recond to be a big killer of early pregnancy puppies.In saying this,how does wildlife survive,Lion's Tiger's n stuff?,as they hunt and kill right up to the last week in some cases.Ithink some animal's no their own limit's. ...Billy...