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September 12th, 2009
Autor: MVZ Roberto Barceló de la Isla
El objetivo de este pequeño artículo es ofrecer unas nociones para la mejor comprensión de la fisiología reproductiva de la perra, incluyendo qué se puede hacer ante una gestación no deseada.
Empezaremos diciendo que la pubertad es la aparición de la actividad cíclica sexual y tiene lugar entre los 6 y los 18 meses de edad variando según las razas, siendo la media de unos 8 meses. Las razas de pequeño tamaño presentan una pubertad mas precoz (tienen el primer celo antes que las perras grandes).
El ciclo sexual de la perra es, en comparación con el resto de los animales domésticos, único en muchos aspectos, ya que el tiempo que transcurre entre los periodos de celo (5-7 meses) es muy largo en proporción al tiempo de gestación (62 días), y la ovulación se produce una sola vez (pero en varios días) por celo. Los periodos entre celos de una perra pueden variar entre 5-12 meses sin razón patológica (aunque lo más normal es que sea de 6 meses), siendo lo importante la regularidad entre los ciclos en una misma perra.
Etapas del ciclo sexual de las perras
El ciclo sexual se divide en 4 etapas:
PROESTRO: tiene una duración media de 3-15 días. Las manifestaciones externas son aumento del volumen de la vulva, pérdidas sanguíneas vulvares y atracción de los machos. En esta fase la perra no admite la monta del macho.
ESTRO: popularmente conocido como periodo de CELO. Tiene una duración de 3 a 10 días. La vulva está agrandada, hay una reducción de las pérdidas vulvares y gran atracción de los machos: es en este momento cuando se produce la ovulación, monta del macho y gestación.
DIESTRO: (de 110 a 140 días): este periodo comprende la gestación, parto y lactación si se produjo fecundación y la regresión a la normalidad de los tejidos si no se produjo.
ANESTRO (de 150 a 250 días): ahora no hay signos exteriores y es el periodo ideal para realizar toda clase de intervenciones ( ovario histerectomía ).
Así pues, la ovulación tiene lugar durante el periodo de celo y se trata de una ovulación espontánea. Con mayor frecuencia es entre el día 10 y 14 del comienzo del celo, aunque en menos de 1 minuto se puede confirmar con un frotis vaginal realizado por el veterinario.
Esterilización temprana
Está recomendado inhibir para siempre el celo (esterilización) mediante la realización ovario histerectomía, que consiste en la extirpación de los ovarios y el útero. La esterilización se puede practicar a partir de los cuatro meses de edad, es decir, cuando ya tiene la perra el primer calendario de vacunación completo. Si por algún motivo debiera someterse a la perra a otra cirugía antes de esa edad, es conveniente aprovechar y realizar la esterilización en ese momento.
Gestaciones no deseadas
Desafortunadamente encontramos con frecuencia gestaciones por monta accidental cuando en una misma casa existen perros de diferente sexo, o bien cuando la perra tiene acceso a la calle y en un momento se cruza con un perro extraño. Esto genera un completo conflicto ya que en algunos casos está en riesgo la vida misma de la perra si el macho es demasiado grande, ya que tendrá problemas al parto. Otros problemas se suceden cuando tenemos perras finas cruzadas accidentalmente con perros de otras razas, embarazos en perras demasiado jóvenes o demasiado maduras, o bien cuando no se desea la responsabilidad de tener nuevos cachorros.
Para estas situaciones lo mas importante es acudir inmediatamente al veterinario quien orientará apropiadamente sobre qué hacer. Existen productos en el mercado, denominados antiprogestágenos, que controlan las gestaciones no deseadas.
Tags: 101 puppy, animalplanet, Animals, breeders, bull, bullcanes, bulldog, bully, cachorros, dog, dogs, english bulldogs, for sale, french, perros, pets, pup, puppies, puppies for sale, puppy, yorkie, yorkshire terrier, youtube
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September 10th, 2009
It is another indispensable necessity, find a right Bulldog’ vet is not easy at all, especially if you do not live in a big city. A generally skillful vet does not mean that he is a good vet for Bulldogs too; you must to find a vet specialized in Brachycephalic’ Breeds.
There are not any books or schools that make a skillful Bulldog vet; only the practice and the experience, indeed, it is easier to find an experienced vet in a big city where he can work and practice with many Bulldogs.
Cure that works well with some other breeds could have disastrous consequences if implemented with Bulldogs.
Anaesthetize a Bulldog is a difficult task that takes experience; do not undervalue the importance of a right vet!
Before buy your Bulldog, a right choice to make is to look for a Bulldog experienced vet, how far is his clinic from your home. In any case, if a surgery under anaesthesia or particular medical treatments are needed, consider to travel long distance if a Bulldog specialized vet is not available in your area.
The best way to follow is try to collect suggestions while speaking with breeders and Bulldog owners that are living close to your area, they will provide with all information that you need.
Tags: 101 puppy, animalplanet, Animals, breeders, bull, bullcanes, bulldog, bully, cachorros, dog, dogs, english bulldogs, for sale, french, perros, pets, pup, puppies, puppies for sale, puppy, yorkie, yorkshire terrier, youtube
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September 2nd, 2009
Once she has been successfully mated, there is little need to change any of your bitch’s routine for the first four to five weeks of pregnancy. Any variation in her routine may be a cause of stress, which in turn may be detrimental to the pregnancy.
Feeding during the first month of pregnancy should be of the same kind and quality as the bitch has become accustomed. A common mistake is to increase food intake too early in the pregnancy. Any excessive weight gain during this period may lead to possible whelping problems.
So, if the bitch has a good-quality, well-balanced diet there is no reason to change it or administer dietary supplements.
To ensure adequate nutritional status of the bitch prior to breeding, a simple blood test can be done to determine the risk of anemia and the level of blood protein. If necessary, the bitch should be transitioned approximately two weeks prior to breeding to a diet consisting of high-quality and highly digestible meat (30%) and 20% of lipids (fat) mixed with the usual complement, which should contain high amounts of soluble carbohydrates and a low fiber content to avoid hypoglycemia. See also our article about the feeding of the pregnant bitch and the potential benefits and risks of giving dietary supplements to the pregnant bitch.
The correct time to do an ultrasonic scanning to confirm pregnancy is around four weeks. Very few physical changes occur until the fifth week of pregnancy. A blood test done can also be done about the same time, but it should be noted that smaller litters may result in a false negative result. By the fifth week, the nipples and mammary glands swell and darken in color. By the sixth or seventh week, the dam will begin to thicken along the flanks due to the growth of the pups.
Between sixth and seven weeks a pregnant bitch requires additional food to support the growth of the foetuses and milk production to feed the pups after birth. You can start feeding a little extra, increasing the amount of food gradually so that by whelping time she is eating about 1.5 times her maintenance diet. For example, if she is normally fed 400 grams, this should be increased by 100 to 200 grams and divided over two meals. If the bitch is on a quality diet, calcium supplementation is not necessary and may even be detrimental. Therefore, do not exaggerate mineral calcium supply as overdosing may do more harm than good ! Indeed, calcium supplementation during pregnancy does not prevent calcium depletion during lactation (eclampsia) and oversupplementation may actually compound the problem. More about the role of calcium in the diet of the pregnant bitch. If your bitch is accustomed to home-prepared meals, cottage cheese may constitute a good and natural source of calcium and phosphorus. Natural calcium is more easily assimilated by the bitches body. Commercial Premium food specially formulated for pregnancy and lactation already contains the necessary levels of Calcium and Phosphorus. More about the nutritional management of the pregnant bitch and calcium supplementation during pregnancy.
At eight weeks, her meal should be divided into three meals per day so as to avoid bloating and pressure. Omega-3 supplements in the form of a teaspoonful of codliver oil may also be given about three times weekly. If the dam should become constipated, small amounts of mineral oil added to her food may proof useful. During the last week of pregnancy the puppies may take up so much room that the mother may prefer to eat small meals every 3 to 4 hours.
While carrying puppies, the female should of course be given regular exercise, neither too violent nor too prolonged, preferably early in the morning and in the late afternoon during the hot season. It is important that the dam should not become corpulent as a fat, floppy dam is much more likely to experience whelping problems.
From the time she is bred, do not use any flea treatment on her of any kind, as this could have a disastrous effect on the puppies. If the pregnant bitch has fleas, use a flea comb and rub her with alcohol.
A bitch infected with hook or round worms may infect her puppies, so it is a good thing to administer a wormer before mating, or ask your vet for advice on a wormer that is safe to give once your Bulldog is in whelp.
About a week before the estimated date of parturition, the bitch should be introduced to the whelping area and the whelping box. The whelping area should be quiet, secluded, warm and dry.
Following the fifty-ninth day, she should be carefully watched for signs of whelping. The gestation period normally lasts nine weeks, although it may vary from sixty-one to sixty-five days. During the last week of pregnancy the bitch will have to urinate much more often than normal and it is important to let her out more frequently so she can eliminate any excess fluid. She will also appear more nervous or uncomfortable, while she is in fact looking for the right spot to whelp. She may begin vomiting, shivering or panting, and scratch or tear up paper or blankets, trying to nest. Two or three days before the expected day of parturition, the bitch’s temperature should be charted. Approximately 12 to 24 hours before labor begins, the rectal temperature drops from a normal 101.5° F (38.6° C) to 99° F (37° C). The drop in temperature indicates the forthcoming whelping.
Unless an emergency C-section is required, the choice for free-whelping or an elective caesarean should ideally have been made beforehand. There are pros and cons regarding elective caesarean sections versus letting bulldog bitches free-whelp. See also: Caesarean section.
However, the choice ultimately should be made by the owner of the bitch. Whatever the decision, it is always best to take your bitch to the veterinarian at the presumed end of the pregnancy to have her examined and have the puppies checked at the same time. In case a natural delivery is chosen, it is particularly important to have an ultrasound scan made to count the puppies. Knowing how many puppies to expect will tell when the bitch is finished delivering.
As a final remark we would like to add that although the bitch comes into season, on average, every six to eight months, this does not mean that she should be bred at each season ! She should be allowed the time to recover from the effects of the previous pregnancy and whelping. In practice this means she should not be bred more than once a year, as would be the case in nature; in the wild, canine bitches ovulate only once a year. This is especially true if her previous litter was delivered by cesarian section. It is further advisable not to have the bitch undergo a C-section more than three times in her lifetime.
Tags: 101 puppy, animalplanet, Animals, breeders, bull, bullcanes, bulldog, bully, cachorros, dog, dogs, english bulldogs, for sale, french, perros, pets, pup, puppies, puppies for sale, puppy, yorkie, yorkshire terrier, youtube
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September 2nd, 2009
Si tienes una hembra y quieres que tenga descendencia segue los siguientes pasos:
A) LA MONTA
1.- Busca el mejor macho posible para mejorar la genética de tu perra. Si tenes, por ejemplo, una perra de cabeza pequeña, busca un macho que no tenga esos defectos para mejorar la calidad de la descendencia.
Si es posible intenta que se conozcan y ver si se llevan bien. Nunca hay que descartar una monta natural, especialmente si es un semental con experiencia.
2.- Determinar el momento para la monta o la inseminación. Para ello cuando lleve unos 5 días de sangrado debes visitar al veterinario con conocimientos de cría en Bulldogs para empezar a hacer citología vaginal (método HARRIS SCHORR es el ideal) y determinar el momento de la ovulación mediante Test de PROGESTERONA.
3.- A partir de ese día fértil empieza con las montas o inseminaciones a días alternos, pero siempre siguiendo las indicaciones de tu veterinario. Asegurate de la calidad del semen haciendo un examen microscópico de éste previo a la inseminación.
4.- Debes vacunar a la perra de Herpesvirus pues disminuyen las muertas fetales, abortos y mortalidad neonatal.
B) LA GESTACION
1.- Hay que determinar si la perra ha quedado preñada o no. Para ello le haremos una ecografía a partir del día 25-28 después de la ultima monta.
2.- Si esta gestante tu veterinario te dará instrucciones de alimentación y manejo para ese periodo
3.- Programaremos como mínimo una segunda ecografía a término, sobre el día 58 para controlar la vitalidad de los cachorros y la madre. Si queremos saber cuantos cachorros hay podemos hacer una radiografía, pues es más segur o el recuento que con el ecógrafo, aunque no se ve si están vivos o muertos.
C) EL PARTO
CONSIDERACIONES PREVIAS:
1.- La GESTACION dura en la perra BULLDOG unos 60-63 días, aunque se puede retrasar el momento del parto unos días (o adelantarse).
2.- En la PRIMERA MITAD DE GESTACION, debido al poco crecimiento de los fetos, debe mantenerse a la madre dentro del peso aconsejado para EVITAR LA OBESIDAD.
3.- En la SEGUNDA MITAD DE GESTACION se debe incrementar el aporte calórico, aumentando el número de comidas, con DIETAS ESPECIALES PARA MADRES GESTANTES. Evitar el uso indiscriminado de complementos minerales y vitamínicos, si no son recomendados por tu Veterinario Clínico.
4.- MANTENER EL EJERCICIO, en la medida de lo posible y que la hembra este dispuesta a realizar sin sobrepasarse, hasta el mismo día del parto.
5.- Ponga en conocimiento de su Veterinario cualquier MEDICACION que este administrando a su perra gestante.
6.- Construir una PARIDERA (caja de madera) y disponer el lugar más adecuado para el parto y post-parto, el cual debe ser un sitio tranquilo, de temperatura estable fuera de la mirada de extraños (vecinos, amigos, curiosos…) y del contacto con otros animales que pueda haber en casa. Este lugar debe permitir a la perra controlar el entorno y relacionarse con la familia cuando lo desee y tener cerca el lugar donde sale a realizar sus deposiciones, así como agua y comida
Paridera: deberá tener una altura suficiente para permitir que la perra entre y salga pero que los cachorros no puedan salirse. El suelo debe estar aislado térmicamente para que no pasen frío pero ser de fácil limpieza. Si tiene un reborde interior a 20 cm. del suelo y que sobresalga otros 20 ayudaremos a que la perra no aplaste los cachorros al tumbarse.
Esta Paridera que hemos construido y el lugar que hemos elegido debemos PRESENTARSELO a la perra repetidas veces 8-10 DIAS ANTES DEL PARTO.
7.- Aprovisionarse de un pequeño BOTIQUIN, que constará de:
Termómetro
Leche maternizada de sustitución para recién nacidos
Gasas estériles, desinfectante como Betadine o Topionic
Paños de algodón limpios y secos
Papel secante tipo de cocina
Pinzas, hilo, tijeras.
Tags: 101 puppy, animalplanet, Animals, breeders, bull, bullcanes, bulldog, bully, cachorros, dog, dogs, english bulldogs, for sale, french, perros, pets, pup, puppies, puppies for sale, puppy, yorkie, yorkshire terrier, youtube
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November 4th, 2008
 The French Bulldog Do Frenchies bark a lot?
Not more or less barkers compared to other breeds. Frenchies are not typically excessive barkers.
Are Frenchies good watch dogs?
Frenchies make good watch dogs and can become somewhat territorial and protective.
Are French Bulldogs good companion dogs?
They are fantastic companion dogs. They are fun, entertaining and loving. The French Bulldog is delightful, easy to groom and requires little exercise.
How do Frenchies take to apartment living?
Wonderfully. This is one reason the French Bulldog has been popular throughout the history of the breed. Frenchies like to be where you are and don’t take up too much space at all. It is good to get in a good walk as much as possible for overall health and exercise. If your Frenchie only gets the occasional walk to the grass outside, is at least something.
Are French Bulldogs sociable?
All dogs seem to do better with exposure to other aspects of life, other dogs, and people too. The French Bulldog should never be a mean, aggressive or a vicious animal. It is often recommended and a good idea to take your Frenchie visiting and to various places. This helps your dog be a better dog and not possibly overreact out of fear of the unknown. It also builds confidence and character in your dog. It gives you and the dog an easier time when separated or when traveling together.
Your Frenchie should NEVER be penned up for long stretches of time. He or she needs to be a part of your life.
Are French Bulldogs good with children?
All young children need supervision around dogs, especially puppies. This is often for the puppy’s sake as well. That said, French Bulldogs are typically good around children.
Are French Bulldogs good with cats?
That very much depends on the individual dog and whether the dog or the cat was introduced first to the household. If you already have a cat be prepared for possible failure.
Are French Bulldogs good with other dogs?
This is very much a matter of personality combined with experience. For any individual dog, it is a question that must be tested to find the answer. Be sure that the test is supervised at all times.
Try using the X-pen to introduce your new Frenchie to other dogs. While they are protected, get your other dog’s reaction and the Frenchie’s response. Sooner or later, a puppy may attempt to establish dominance in some cases with smaller or more submissive dogs.
Are French Bulldogs easy to train?
They can be very willing. They can also be very stubborn and hardheaded too. If you make it a game they’ll want to play all the time. Frenchies are often considered people pleasers and love to be the center of attention.
Do Frenchies snore?
Yes, Frenchies can snore and some are rather loud at it. Snoring is also aggravated by breathing deficiencies.
What breathing problems?
Sometimes you may find a Frenchie that is noisy or has labored breathing. They may have a longer tongue or an excessive soft palate that is obstructing their airway. Smaller nose openings can exaggerate their already noisy breathing characteristics.
Note: Other symptoms of elongated soft palate are spitting up or regurgitating food or foam frequently. Consult your veterinarian for corrective alternatives.
What about feeding?
Use consideration to feed a French Bulldog properly. Be aware of artificial preservatives and excessive protein and fillers. Some dogs may have allergic reactions to certain commercial foods. Read the label and know what suits your dog’s needs best. Consult your veterinarian if your dog experiences food allergies. Food allergies are not uncommon in Frenchies.
A healthy Frenchie is not overweight. Too many pounds can damage their physical structure and shorten their lifespan.
Note: Wheat products are known to be flatulence producing in some French Bulldogs. Corn products and fillers that are an additional source of protein may cause hives (skin rashes or irritations).
Potty training?
Some dogs are harder than others. Crate training is very helpful in house breaking. A dog perceives it as their “den” and will not soil it. Develop a routine after they eat, before bed and first thing in the morning, and be consistent. A minimum of three potty breaks a day are necessary.
For puppies, potty breaks should be every two hours. Remember a puppy’s little bladders may not be under control as quickly as we’d like so be positive.
Do Frenchies shed?
Yes, but these dogs are single coated and shed less most other breeds.
Are Frenchies easy to breed?
It can be difficult to impossible for French Bulldogs to breed naturally. They often require assistance from a veterinarian or reproduction specialist.
Whelping Puppies?
Due to the French Bulldog shape and large puppy heads, Frenchies are quite often born by c-section in a veterinarian hospital. Educate yourself before deciding to breed French Bulldogs.
How do I find a vet familiar with French Bulldogs?
We hope some day to offer a referral service for participating veterinarians familiar with the breed. For now check with a breeder in your area.
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