Chihuahua Caesarean
Sections
Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS
Case written: 1 December 2003
Case updated: 11 October 2010 |
 toapayohvets.com
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Education
Project 2010-0129 |
Case 1. The breeder
waited.
T he breeder decided on a Caesarian as the mother had many
puppies. She was unable to give birth to so many puppies and not
be stressed out. She had given birth to one puppy.
Like many breeders, he had suffered losses due to delays in
getting an emergency Caesarian. The smallest puppy was not
alive. The breeder had 3 live ones and two dead ones.
The breeder could not ascertain the number of days of gestation.
Keeping proper records is important if you want to be successful
in canine breeding. |
Case 2. "The bitch
still had one puppy!"
"6 puppies," I said as I laid the tri-coloured Chihuahua onto
the operating table . "You are spot-on," the breeder was
impressed.
No need for X-rays or ultrasound scan. This added to the cost of
Caesarian sections and the breeder does not appreciate such
procedures. "Well, if the vet pays for it, we don't mind,"
the breeders used to say to me. The realities of life are
so much different from the lecturers teaching the
need to do so many ancilliary aids to diagnosis in
the Veterinary University.
This breeder, with considerable number of years of experience
and losses, had timed this emergency Caesarian delivery at
the right time. There was no point waiting for this bitch could
give birth to all six puppies. From his experience, the delays
resulted in dead puppies or puppies not surviving the first ten
days as they were stressed out.
I could see the puppies moving their upper and lower lips
impatiently, inside the fluid-filled amniotic sac. "Why you take
such a long time to do your job?" they said.
They breathed and cried within 1 minute of being delivered and
should grow up fine.
The Chihuahua resisted the gas anaesthesia. She was strong.
It took more than ten minutes to knock her out so that I could
put in the endotracheal tube which connected her lungs to the
gas anaesthetic machine. She contracted throughout the
surgery.
A loop of her small intestines spilled out of the operating
hole. The normal maintenance dose of gas did not work.
"Double the dose to 4%," I said to the nurse. It was
risky. She could just die of heart failure.
A strong healthy bitch given the best feed and care by the home
breeder. He was a vast repository of knowledge in the breeding
of Chihuahuas.
I took out five puppies. The bitch was contracting some of the
time now, pushing out the amniotic sac. Parts of the abdominal
fat. A loop of small intestine sometimes.
It was an unstable anaesthetic situation. 4% would kill a
dog if the dosage was prolonged and forgotten in the distraction
of the bitch struggling to get up.
A good nurse not distracted by the splashing of amniotic sac and
the struggles of birth would be important. The nurse had
to see. I had to reprimand the nurse. To reduce the dosage of
the gas as soon as possible.
Puppies were born with the head first, some with the backside
pointing to me. They were given to the breeder who knew what to
do. I could just focus on the surgery.
Finally, the fifth pup was given to the breeder. The bitch was
now more stable. Everything was quiet. Was she dead? I looked at
her tongue from under the surgical drape. It was pale. Not
purplish which would indicate a lack of oxygen. A colour of
death.
The breathing bag was moving slowly. I felt the
abdomen and asked the nurse to proclaim to the breeder outside
the operating room, "No more puppies.".
Yet, the symmetrical bulge of the bitch's abdomen indicated a
3-puppy on each side of the uterine body. There are 2 bodies in
the bitch. She had not any in the uterine body which is the
common birth canal linking the 2 uterine bodies.
I pressed the shrunken abdomen. Nothing large was palpated.
Time to close up the womb, I said to myself. My runny nose
had earlier not dripped mucus in the air conditioned room. It
was not practical to switch off the air conditioning in the
operating room. I had increased the air conditioning temperature
and my nose behaved.
Yet, there was something not right with the number of puppies.
The abdomen was symmetrical. I pulled out the two uterine
bodies. This was a routine thing to do and ought to be done.
Deep inside the left uterine horn. A mid-sized puppy refused to
come out. I had to milk it out of the womb.
I must not announced five puppies so confidently
before I pulled out of the abdomen to check out the two uterine
horns.
Active neonates moving here and there. Would they pose for a
picture with mum? Mum was a bit bewildered. The
anaesthetic gas had worn off within 5 minutes of the end of the
operation. She turned her head away. Wanted to escape from
six heat-seeking stranger pups. Hungry pups. Fortunately
there was one and only one good picture where the pups were
posing.
Not all Chihuahuas need Caesarian sections. It is very
difficult for the first-time or inexperienced breeder to know
which ones do need one. Careful observations of the bitch
contracting without success for at least two hours mean that a
Caesarian delivery may be necessary.
Five days later, the breeder phoned: "Doc, I felt a lump inside
the bitch. Is there another puppy?"
He was sure I had left out one. No need to be angry or feel
insulted. The breeder had an experience of a veterinarian
leaving a puppy behind several years ago and therefore he was
vigilant but not litigious, unlike some of the younger
generation of clients.
I asked: "Is the bitch eating normally and looking well?"
"Yes."
"Any vaginal discharge?"
"No."
"Puppies are happily sucking milk?" This means that milk
production and quality were good and the mother was not sick or
feverish.
"Yes."
 "If the puppy was still there, it would have died and the
decomposed contents would be discharged into the vagina." I
explained. "I had pulled out the two uterine horns to make sure
that there were no hidden puppies at the far end under the rib
cage. I had checked the uterine body as in my routine procedure
before stitching up the womb."
No more complaints
after the assurance was given. There was nothing to worry about. 3
puppies grew up beautifully. The male was brindle and was much
bigger than the two gold and white females.
CONCLUSION: The Chihuahua breeder planned the
Caesarian section
at the 60th day. All 6 pups including the smallest one are vigorous.
He said that the 60th day is the right timing for Chihuahua
Caesarians. |
CASE 3.
ELECTIVE CAESAREAN SECTION
The breeder lost 8 Shih Tzu puppies, born naturally, over the
past 10 days as he preferred natural births which
save money. In 2003, I was charging $250 per
Caesarean irrespective of the number of puppies or
time of day. But I guess $250 is not peanuts to this
breeder.
He elected for a Caesarian delivery for this heavily
pregnant Shih Tzu.
The smallest one (pale tongue, 2nd from right) was
dead when taken out of the womb. The abnormal pup
(right) in the womb was stillborn. His Caesarian
timing was slightly late. He still has 7 big
pups surviving past 14 days. Careful 24-hour
observations of the bitch's behaviour will maximise
your production of puppies.
Planned Caesarian in Bitches
with many puppies.
BREEDERS: BE KIND TO PUPPIES -
A newborn puppy's life is precious. You need to
plan a
Caesarian delivery if the
bitch is heavily pregnant. A difficult, protracted birth
stresses the puppies in the
womb. They may not live past 7 days after the
emergency Caesarian
delivery or natural birth.
UPDATE IN 2010. I had a rare
opportunity to serve almost all the big dog
breeders in Singapore around 2003-2006. I had
roughly an average of 2 Caesarean sections per
week working 7 days a week and at any time of
the day or night.
The multiple Caesarean sections for various
breeders in Singapore provide excellent
opportunities to hone a vet's surgical skills.
At $250 per Caesarean, it was an unsustainable
business.
Younger vets charge $200 or less after 2006.
The dog breeders stopped using my services
when they have more "affordable" vets.
I was able to build up my veterinary practice
with private owners of dogs as I was
frequently away at the breeding farm doing
vaccinations between 2003 - 2006 and was
unable to build up a practice.
ADVICES TO PRIVATE DOG OWNERS: Misalliance
in Dogs:
http://www.asiahomes.com/singaporepets/20100694misalliance-accidental-mating-chihuahuas-singapore_ToaPayohVets.htm |
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