Why There Will Not be Any Poppy Puppies This Week

Poppy, a 2-year-old Golden Retriever, was expected to give birth to her first litter on June 30.

We had a veterinarian confirm her pregnancy using ultrasound about halfway through the 60-day gestation period, as we typically do. Since those ultrasounds cannot help us determine the number of babies, we conduct an X-ray about a week prior to the due date to get better information.

During that X-ray appointment last week, we learned that Poppy is no longer pregnant. This occurrence, when a pregnant dog absorbs embryos, is known as canine fetal resorption. Although it can seem shocking and sad, this practice is not uncommon in animals. 

Rodents, marsupials, and other animals are known to often reabsorb embryos. Additionally, animals such as bears, deer, seals, and others may engage in embryonic diapause—when they intentionally pause the progression of their pregnancy to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

All of these circumstances are natural reproductive strategies, and what happened with Poppy is not considered a miscarriage, as nothing was ever expelled from her body. Instead, if one or more embryos do not survive the pregnancy by about  44 days of pregnancy—before skeletal bones are formed (which cannot be absorbed)—they are absorbed by the mom’s body. This may help the survival of the remaining embryos. 

According to ScienceDirect.com, about 48.3% of canine pregnancies may experience canine fetal resorption with one or more embryos. This is only the second time in Can Do Canines’ history that a pregnant dog has not delivered any puppies when confirmed pregnant.

We are pleased to report that Poppy is doing well and will be bred again in the future.