2344. A full-collared Corgi from New Zealand

Oct 26, 2015 Sunday morning.

The lady in her early 30s had purchased a full-collared Corgi from a New Zealand breeder, importing into Singapore at a total cost of $3,500. She came in to spay the dog.

"Local breeders sell Corgis at $5,000!" she said. Singapore's cost of living had shot up but several of my clients and suppliers said that the market is very quiet and there is no business. An economic recession had reared its head.
The Corgi was 5 months old. I noticed that the vulval area was swollen and she kept cleaning the private parts till they were pigmented brown.

"Her heat is coming," I was told that this Corgi had championship pedigree. "If you want to breed her, do not spay her. Get the New Zealand breeder to give you the pedigree certificate. After getting it, register it with the Singapore Kennel Club so that the puppies have the certificates."

"I read in the internet that all 8 puppies of a Corgi died during birth," she was afraid that her Corgi would suffer the same fate if she breeds her.

"The deaths could be due to a failure to consult the vet before and during birth. The puppies could be stuck inside the uterus for a long time.  If a dam has too many puppies, an elective Caesarean section would have saved all puppies. A dam with 8 puppies would have a very big abdomen and would be a case for C-section."

Her friend has a champion male Corgi but is in China now. "It is better to mate at the second heat which will be around 7-8 months later. Get the dog pampers to wear when she comes on heat so as not to soil your apartment." She had a well designed white shiny floored apartment and I guess she wanted to spay the dog before the first heat."

In my opinion, it is best to spay the dog 2 months after the first heat so that she would have matured sexually. Too early a spay may lead to a very small vulval area leading to difficulty in peeing later. But it is up to the owner to decide as spaying can be done from around 5 months before the heat as in this pretty gentle Pembroke  Corgi with the golden coat. She had a very thin white strip between the eyes unlike the friend's male Corgi. But she is much loved and the owner decided not to spay her yet..