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My 8-year-old German Shepherd was mounted. Can she still give birth?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Female | unspayed | 90 lbs

my german Shepard who is 8 years old was mounted about 2 weeks ago and I'm not sure if she's able to still give birth and if we should just see what happens over time

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on August 12th, 2017

It's never recommended to mate a female dog older than six years of age due to the increased difficulty of giving birth. I would wait another week, then take Sydney into the vet for a blood test to look for the hormone relaxin. If that is present, then she is pregnant. Should she be pregnant, you can have her spayed to terminate the pregnancy and prevent any future pregnancies. Spaying her would also prevent her from developing a pyometra, which is a life threatening infection of the uterus. If you do decide to keep the pregnancy, then I would work closely with your vet during her pregnancy so that any problems are identified quickly. You should also be prepared both emotionally and financially for the possibility of her needing a c section to give birth safely. I hope this helps!

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