Dr. Shawn Smith

Dr. Smith has raised and trained German Shorthaired Pointers for over 20 years. He raised and trained 3 of the first 12 Versatile Champion German Shorthairs in North America including the first two bitches. He is also a field judge.

Practicing veterinary medicine for over 25 years, Dr. Smith uses conventional medicine and surgery, acupuncture, homeopathy, nutrition, and education to promote and restore optimal health in pets and animals. To educate and inform pet owners, he invites your questions, comments, stories, and humor to promote better pet ownership and health. He can be reached at veterinaryhospital@rogers.com

Published on September 10, 2007

Ask the Vet

Pregnant While Nursing

Dear VetsLovePets:

Our cat, Trixie, just weaned a batch of kittens a week or two ago. We took her to the vet for her prespay check up and found out she’s already pregnant. How can this happen when she’s nursing kittens? I thought nursing mothers couldn’t get pregnant?

Chris

Kingston, Ontario

Dear Chris:

Hopefully you found homes for Trixie’s kittens. Cows, people and cats can start to cycle while nursing. Mother cats may not show all the signs of heat while nursing, but many queens if not confined are pregnant by the time their kittens are 8-10 weeks old. Talk to your veterinarian about your options.

Good Luck.

Shawn Smith, DVM