The idea of one litter before she was spayed was Tammy the Jack Russell terrier's downfall. Her owner did not really want puppies, he just believed the person who said it would be best for Tammy.

At just over a year old, her owner felt she was young and healthy and should cope fine with having puppies. A bitch's pregnancy usually lasts nine weeks give or take three days. Nine weeks and two days after she was mated, Tammy showed a marked change in her behaviour. She was restless all day and by the evening started digging and tearing up the newspaper in her bed.

Her owner left her quietly to get on with it and got up early the next morning hoping there would be some puppies. There were none but Tammy looked a bit more settled if still rather uncomfortable, so he assumed she was not actually in labour yet.

For the next 36 hours nothing much seemed to change although Tammy gradually got quieter. By teatime on the second day when her owner came home from work she was definitely miserable and he also noticed a smelly discharge.

At this point he started to worry and telephoned my surgery. The receptionist asked him to come along as soon as possible. Half an hour later as I examined Tammy the reality of the situation became apparent. Tammy had been in labour since she started digging her bed up 48 hours earlier. The first puppy had been very big and the pain of trying to push it out too great so she had gradually given up.

As the hours had ticked away infection had got into the womb through the open cervix. All but one of the puppies had died and Tammy was now desperately ill. Only an emergency Caesarian and intense resuscitation with antibiotics and intravenous fluids could save her. The one puppy still feebly alive when I took him out lived only a few hours. Tammy slowly improved with the fluids and antibiotics.

I did not blame her owner for not realising what had gone wrong - even experienced breeders are caught out sometimes. By the time Tammy went home four days later her owner deeply regretted listening to the 'just one litter' argument. I do not believe it is good for a bitch and with 20% of the stray dogs picked up each year being put down, puppies need to be special and wanted to produce them.

Simon Thomas's practice is at the Gatehouse Veterinary Hospital, Allerton Road, Bradford

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