Eclampsia in a dog after childbirth: symptoms, treatment and prevention

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Despite the fact that dogs are considered the hardiest animals, pregnancy and childbirth for our little friends is not without risk. Most owners of different breeds pay attention to the dog during pregnancy. And when the long-awaited day comes and the puppies are born, many owners breathe a sigh of relief and think that the worst is over, thereby making an unforgivable mistake. Eclampsia in dogs after childbirth is a very serious disease that needs to be treated as soon as possible.

What is eclampsia in dogs?

This disease is also called "milk fever", or postpartum tetany. First of all, the smallest dogs suffer from this disease. During pregnancy, the animal loses important vitamins for the life of the body, such as calcium. It is this most important element that is the main reasonoccurrence of postpartum eclampsia.

All the calcium in the dog's body is spent on the formation of the skeletons of future puppies. Oddly enough, the disease does not affect future offspring in any way, but can lead to the death of the mother herself. The state of hypocalcemia occurs when there is a decrease in calcium in the blood (less than 1.7 mmol / l).

Reason for development

As mentioned earlier, the main cause of eclampsia is a decrease in calcium levels in the blood. Pathology develops during pregnancy in dogs and after childbirth. The amount of calcium in the dog's blood could be affected by the animal's diet. If the dog consumed only meat products throughout the pregnancy, the body could begin to work in the opposite direction, especially if she has serious kidney problems. Thus, the body, observing an excess of calcium, could begin to get rid of the excess, which ultimately led to a deficiency.

In addition, the pathology could be affected by low levels of albumin. This is due to violations of the intake of protein in the body and its excretion. Also of great importance in eclampsia in a dog after childbirth is increased milk production. If the female bears many puppies, calcium deficiency occurs in the body, which means that the risk of getting sick increases several times. Quite rarely, a dog develops hypothyroidism, which also affects the development of the disease. It has already been noted that the smallest dogs are most at risk.

Main symptoms of the disease

Every owner should take good care of their pet during the first few weeks of the postpartum period. Usually lactating dogs are busy with their puppies after giving birth and rarely show activity, so the question of the condition of the dog should be taken carefully. Veterinarians say that eclampsia is very dangerous, because during the period of feeding puppies, the animal loses more and more calcium and experiences its strongest deficiency.

The main symptoms of the disease are:

1. Photophobia. The dog's muscles relax, and the whole body directs its attention to saving vital organs. The animal has dilated pupils and is constantly looking for a dark place to hide.
2. Severe shortness of breath. This happens if the animal's pulse is above normal. The dog can't breathe normally, as if he doesn't have enough air.
3. Excessive anxiety, barking, ignoring newborn puppies. The owner, who has been monitoring the behavior of his pet for a long time, can easily notice a change in behavior. The dog is constantly fussing and rarely sits in one place.
4. Vomiting. Unlike the symptoms above, which are long-term, vomiting is rare.
5. Increased body temperature and palpitations.
6. Death of the central nervous system, which is accompanied by tremors and convulsions.
7. Loss of coordination.

Veterinarians say this condition is dangerous for the dog and requires intervention, as the animal cannot cope with the problemon one's own. The owner has little time to save the dog.

Stages of disease progression

Eclampsia in a dog after childbirth is divided into several stages. The signs of the disease appear sequentially, so it will be easiest for the owner of the animal to determine at what stage of the disease his pet is.

In the first stage, symptoms of irritability and aggressiveness appear, the dog is constantly in an anxious state, as if some kind of danger is approaching. Everything is accompanied by rapid breathing and increased heart rate.

At the second stage, the animal loses its orientation in space. It can fall out of the blue or stumble. The owner may have the feeling that the dog has forgotten how to walk. There is also profuse salivation. The female may not approach and ignore the offspring (but this is rare). A little later, symptoms such as fever and leg cramps may occur.

At the third stage, severe hyperthermia and cerebral edema occur. An animal at this stage is at great risk and may not survive even if the owner takes action.

It should be noted that symptoms may develop up to two weeks after delivery. Rarely, eclampsia begins during pregnancy in dogs.

Treatment

First of all, a pet owner should not panic when they notice the above symptoms in their pet. If it is not possible to contact a veterinarian soon, then the owner must be able to putinjections. The first step is to provide the dog with warmth by covering it with a warm blanket. Be sure to give the animal Corvalol up to 30 drops (if the dog is small, 5-10 drops will be enough). You can administer a 1% saline enema to your dog. If you can give an intramuscular injection, then enter 0.3 ml of sulfokampokamine.

If you do not have such skills, then you should definitely contact your veterinarian. Do not ignore the symptoms, because eclampsia in a dog after childbirth is very dangerous. In the meantime, you are waiting for a doctor, you need to remove the acute condition with Corvalol and a s alt enema. After that, you can give your dog calcium tablets or injections to keep the level of calcium in the blood at the right level. Already at the first stage, you can effectively help the animal and prevent the disease from progressing further. You can give your pet an ampoule of calcium gluconate (pour the contents into the mouth). Dog owners should remember that it is absolutely impossible to self-medicate without special training. It is best to remove the acute condition of the pet and take him to the doctor.

Or if the owner is a professional dog breeder, he must first take courses in order to be able to immediately help the sick animal.

In a professional clinic, the first thing a dog will do is take a blood test to find out the level of calcium in the blood. After that, veterinarians will infuse calcium gluconate intravenously. All this is done under constant control of the heartbeat. Eclampsia in a dog after childbirthtreatable if timely seek qualified help.

Prevention of eclampsia in dogs postpartum

So what does the owner need to know in order to prevent the disease and completely prevent it? A few weeks before giving birth, you need to completely change the pet's diet. A mandatory component is the complete exclusion of meat from the dog's diet and the addition of dairy products. Sometimes after the birth of puppies, the dog is stressed and may refuse to eat.

In this case, feeding the dog after childbirth should be done by force. You can not allow the dog to experience hunger, this can lead to pathology. A dog that feeds puppies is at great risk, since all the nutrients from the mother's body are transferred with milk to the puppies. If eclampsia still affects the animal after childbirth, then the puppies should be immediately transferred to artificial feeding until the mother recovers.

Consequences of the disease

Calcium is a key element of metabolism in the body of all mammals. Without it, the absorption of magnesium is impossible. Therefore, eclampsia in a dog after childbirth can cause great harm to the animal's body. At the onset of the third stage, the animal's internal organs begin to fail, the general condition worsens.

The dog ceases to control its actions. Cerebral edema sets in, and the pet dies. Therefore, the owner of the animal should immediatelyseek help from veterinarians. It must be remembered that eclampsia in a dog after childbirth does not go away on its own.

Doctor Frequently Asked Questions

How likely is it for a dog to develop eclampsia?

The disease is quite rare. Cases of contacting the veterinary clinic are rare. Not all dogs develop eclampsia after giving birth.

Is it possible to predict the appearance of the disease?

You can do prevention during pregnancy in dogs. This can predict whether eclampsia will develop in dogs at all after childbirth. Symptoms, treatment and causes of the development of the disease, or rather, their knowledge, will help the owner to completely avoid complications and prepare.

Which breeds are most affected?

Mainly small and medium sized dogs are affected. The disease rarely affects large dogs.