Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
Hello there - First, it's worth mentioning that there is a much higher chance of a dog falling pregnant after a confirmed mating than a human. When you say 'if' she falls, it is worth considering that there may be a 40% chance of her doing so (it is possible that the drugs in the male increase the chance of early abortion to an unknown extent). There have been tests done with Pimobendan in the female (i.e. where the female is taking the drugs) which show that the Pimobendan is toxic or mutogenic to the babies at high doses. However, I am unsure whether it would affect the male's semen. Therefore, my reccommendation would be to tell your vet what has happened as soon as possible, in order that they can call the drugs company and ask to see any appropriate informaiton on your behalf. Another concern that they need to address, is whether the male's heart complaint is genetic and thereby likely to be passed on to any pups that might result. I appreciate that this would leave a massive ethical dilemma for a lot of people; my advice would be to be brave, to speak to your vet as soon as possible (please explain to the reception team that this is a time-sensitive query, because the longer the hesitation, the bigger any potential pups are getting and the fewer options you may have). Some vets would reccommend simply speying the female now, when any potential babies are only a few cells big. Your vet is a medical advisor and should be trained to help to solve any problems for the animal in the safest way possible, and not to judge the owner. I'm sorry that this is a messy answer and hope that it helps a little.
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