[Use of drugs in pregnant dogs and puppies - what should be considered from a pharmacological point of view?]

The administration of drugs to pregnant bitches may not only pose a potential danger to the bitch but also to the fetuses. In this context, the extent of the risk also depends on the stage of gestation. Although a number of agents are known to have a fetotoxic and/or teratogenic potential, insufficient knowledge concerning their potential risk to the embryo/fetus is available for the majority of drugs.Arranged in groups of active substances, a selection of drugs that are assumed to be safe according to the current state of knowledge is provided. Drugs for which there is insufficient knowledge or which are clearly contraindicated are also mentioned.The second part of this overview covers the use of medicines in puppies. The physiology of a puppy does not simply correspond to that of a small dog. Only very few drugs posess valid pharmacological data for use in puppies. However, a subset of restrictions on the use of pharmacologic agents may be derived from the specifics of puppy physiology.The recommendations made do not claim to be complete and no guarantee for accuracy is provided, as these have been compiled from a literature review. In certain cases, the recommendations are even contradictory.Veterinarians are therefore encouraged to report all adverse events associated with treatments of pregnant bitches and puppies within the framework of pharmacovigilance. This is the only way to close gaps in knowledge about the treatment of these special patients.
Competing Interests: Die Autoren bestätigen, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht.Der Artikel geht zurück auf 2 Vorträge, die im Rahmen der Erfurter Thementage im Mai 2019 gehalten worden sind.Die Autoren widmen diese Übersichtsarbeit Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hartwig Bostedt zu seinem 85. Geburtstag. Aufgrund seiner außerordentlichen Expertise auf dem Gebiet der (Patho-)Physiologie der Fortpflanzung und Geburtshilfe, die sich auch in seinen zahlreichen wertvollen Veröffentlichungen zeigt, freuen wir uns, einen Beitrag zu diesem wichtigen Themenkomplex leisten zu können.
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