In dogs, miscarriage is referred to as abortion. Fetal loss can result from a number of issues, including infection, medication and the condition of the mother and the fetuses themselves. It can occur at any stage of the pregnancy. If your dog miscarries, take her to the vet for treatment. If possible, take any aborted fetuses to the veterinarian for necropsy to determine the cause...


Canine Abortion
Early in the pregnancy, before you're even aware your dog is expecting, the mother's body might resorb the fetuses. Such resorption usually occurs by the 12th day after conception. If your dog suffers an abortion later on, you might notice vaginal bleeding and expelled fetuses. Once a miscarriage begins, it can't be stopped. Your vet will perform an ultrasound on your dog after a miscarriage to make sure all of the placental tissue was expelled. Such tissue remaining inside the uterus can cause hemorrhaging or infection. Your vet can give your dog medication to help expel any remaining tissue.


One of the most common causes of still-births in dogs is Brucellosis, which is an infection caused by the Brucella canis bacteria. Other infectious agents that can cause abortions in dogs include Listeria monocytogenesEscherichia coli, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Chlamydia, canine herpesvirus, Neospora caninum, Mycoplasma, Pasteurella, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, canine Distemper virus, Parvovirus and Toxoplasma gondii. Abortion can also be caused by immune-mediated hemolytic anemia and by a number of neoplastic (cancerous) conditions.

Bitches who abort on successive pregnancies should be examined by a veterinarian for uterine infection or progesterone deficiency. A progesterone deficiency, called “hypoluteoidism,” happens when the ovaries don’t secrete enough progesterone to support attachment of the embryo to the uterine wall. If the bitch’s owner finds any fetal or placental tissue after an abortion, she should take it to her veterinarian, so that it can be evaluated by a pathology laboratory to help identify the cause of the aborted litter.

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