I know this is probably stupid, BUT I have a 16 year old jack russell male dog. He is a bit deaf, and has cateracts but quite sprightly for his age.

Anyway i got myself a lovely jack russel bitch who I was going to have spayed at 6 months, BUT yesterday to my surprise she has come on heat a week before her op. Obviously now i have to wait.

BUT my blood ran cold this morning as I had a thought could my old guy actually get her in pup?

I am trying to keep them apart at the moment, its difficult as I have MS and my mobility isnt as good as I would like.

I will ring the VETs this afternoon but this morning they have operations until 2pm so dont want to bother them yet.

Mind you i think if my old guy did do the deed i would find him upside down clutching his chest. He has just had major teeth surgery so is a bit wobbly on his pins like his mum.

I am probably worrying about nothing hopefully but if there is any chance i will have to put the old guy with my daughter until lucy is clear.

God i am 57 have had tons of dogs and looked after many too, but never had a bitch on heat before all my dogs have been spayed or neutered. Ben isnt dont know why i didnt get him done it was an ommission on my part but he has never been allowed to roam he is a home dog and has been with me since he was a little pup.

[Yogi]

though it is possible the real issue is the female, she is far too young which only creates issues with pups being still born. It is like asking a child to give birth. She has not physically developed enough and therefore could also be a serious health issue to her which also in some cases has caused death. I would just keep the two separated. She will be in season for 3 weeks so though it may be difficult it is important to both of them.
Good luck.

Originally Posted by Yogi

though it is possible the real issue is the female, she is far too young which only creates issues with pups being still born. It is like asking a child to give birth. She has not physically developed enough and therefore could also be a serious health issue to her which also in some cases has caused death. I would just keep the two separated. She will be in season for 3 weeks so though it may be difficult it is important to both of them.
Good luck.

Hi yes i know i dont want her to get pregnant its a nightmare. I dont think Ben will be a problem though he isnt very well at the moment anyway.

I know she cant really get caught until 12/14 days into her heat so I have been careful and kept them apart she only started a few days ago. My daughter in law is taking ben for me until it is all over.

Its so maddening as i had her booked to be spayed but because of my MS i couldnt take her, so we had to rebook it for this week but its too late.

I dont want her to have puppies at all anyway i couldnt cope.

Thanks for taking the time to answer. I appreciate that. Maria

It's probably a good thing all around that you're having someone take Ben for the duration. While he may no longer be fertile, if he's not feeling well right now, being around an alluring hussy isn't going to make him feel any better. He'll be frustrated, if nothing else, and could worry himself into a decline.

There's no hard and fast rule about when a bitch will be fertile, either. I had one bitch that repeatedly failed to conceive. I finally got smart and did a vaginal cytology, and she was ready on day 5! She kept missing because we were breeding her too late.

Seeing as this is your girls first heat, she may have a short cycle, too. That's not at all unheard of, and is completely normal. She will also experience some degree of false pregnancy, so don't be surprised if that happens. Again, it's completely normal. Reschedule her spay for about 3 months from now, and good luck.