My dog is pregnant. I have heard about a condition called eclampsia that occasionally affects nursing mother dogs. What is eclampsia? How is it treated and prevented?
Eclampsia, or puerperal tetany, is a life-threatening condition of lactating dogs that have whelped (given birth to puppies). It arises when the affected dog's body becomes deficient in calcium. Usually it occurs within the first three weeks after having the puppies. Infrequently it may also occur before birth of the puppies and up to about six weeks after whelping. Small dogs are more likely to develop this than are large dog breeds or cats.
There are several mechanisms that may be responsible for the drop in the body's calcium levels. The nursing dog's body contributes calcium to milk formation for the puppies. During fetal development the growing skeletons of the puppies absorb calcium from the mother. Nursing dogs may lose their appetites and not eat properly. As a result they will have insufficient calcium intake to replace the calcium going to milk production.
When calcium levels drop significantly below normal, nerve and muscle tissues, whose functions depend upon adequate calcium availability, produce signs of eclampsia. The muscles go into tetany, which is a generalized muscle rigidity arising from the inability of the muscles to relax after contraction. Shivering and muscle tremors may precede tetany in the early stages of declining calcium levels. Without treatment, eclampsia can progress to seizures, coma and death. Low blood calcium often produces heart arrhythmias. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) may also accompany eclampsia.
Treatment of severe eclampsia includes intravenous infusion of a calcium solution (and glucose if the blood sugar is very low) and vitamin D supplementation. In milder cases oral calcium and vitamin D supplements may be sufficient.
I recommend that you talk to your veterinarian about diet requirements for pregnant female dogs. You will want to be sure that your pregnant dog is on a good quality puppy food prior to whelping. This will help ensure that she gets the appropriate nutritional requirements of an expectant and nursing mother. Your veterinarian may have other suggestions, including vitamins and other supplements, depending on your dog's diet.
04/25/01
