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Illustrated Articles

  • For the next two months, even if everything went smoothly with the birth, you have a lot of work to do! This includes keeping the whelping area clean and dry, closely monitoring the health of the mom and pups, and assisting with feeding and care of the pups as necessary. It is important to have the mother and puppies examined by your veterinarian within 48 hours of birth. The pups should be weighed regularly to make sure they are gaining weight. The mother can experience serious health problems including mastitis and eclampsia, needing emergency veterinary treatment.

  • This handout is a basic care guide for pregnant dogs, outlining changes in nutritional requirements and physical activity, and pregnancy testing.

  • This handout summarizes whelping (giving birth) in dogs. Instructions for preparing your pregnant dog for delivery and how to assist her if necessary are outlined. Situations requiring veterinary assistance are also described.

  • Breeding dogs is a great responsibility that should not be done just because an owner wants puppies from their beloved dog. Important considerations are discussed. Many puppies are abandoned at dog shelters because of inappropriate breeding practices. There are usually many dogs looking for homes and an owner can find the dog they are looking for through shelters or rescue organizations.

  • A sheepdog from France? With his long shaggy locks, curiously perked ears and air of dignified aloofness, the Briard is indeed a French sheepdog with that je ne sais quois - not like his British or German sheepherding brothers, but entirely original.

  • These dogs are playful and happy to join their family in anything. Most are friendly and accepting of strangers. They're happy, waggy dogs who always greet their family with an invitation to play.

  • Bromethalin is a common rodenticide. Dogs are commonly poisoned when they find loose blocks placed for rodent control, or they access the bulk container. Clinical signs can develop as soon as 2 hours after exposure and as long as 5 days after exposure. There is no antidote for bromethalin, so promptly inducing vomiting can be lifesaving. Prognosis is poor to grave if severe clinical signs develop such as seizures, paralysis, or coma. Patients with milder clinical signs may recover after several weeks but may have permanent neurologic damage.

  • Bromfenac ophthalmic is a topical eye NSAID (Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) used off-label in in a variety of animal species to treat inflammation of the eye. It is often used post-operatively in animals who have undergone cataract surgery. It may also be used to treat allergic eye conditions such as conjunctivitis.

  • Bromides are given by mouth and are used off label to treat seizures in dogs. Common side effects include sleepiness, mild vomiting, restlessness, increased or decreased appetite, constipation, increased thirst, and increased urination. Do not use bromides in cats or in pets that are allergic to it. If a negative reaction occurs, please call your veterinary office.

  • Brucellosis is a contagious bacterial infection that can cause a number of reproductive problems, including infertility and abortion in breeding dogs. Male dogs infected with brucellosis develop epididymitis, an infection of the testicle. Female dogs infected with brucellosis develop an infection of the uterus. The infection is usually diagnosed by a blood test (rapid slide agglutination test). Treatment with antibiotics is not significantly effective and infected dogs should be removed from the breeding population. In the United States, brucellosis is a reportable disease.