Three Caesarean cases managed differently by 3 breeders.


The Schnauzer had 9 puppies and a ruptured womb.
 
Greenish black fluid spurted out of the bitch's abdomen when I incise the midline fibrous tissue to gain access into the abdomen and then the womb to take out the puppies by Caesarean delivery.

This was abnormal and the first time I encountered such a scenario. There should be no abdominal fluid in any healthy animal or person.  Sometimes, a heavily pregnant bitch might have large volumes of clear abdominal fluid produced. This would be due to pressure on blood vessels resulting in leaking of fluid to the abdomen from the blood.    

 

Why was there a green fluid?  The bitch had a dark green vaginal discharge and this was due to the breakdown of the placenta.

When the green vaginal discharge was seen, it meant that at least one puppy had died.  Its placenta providing nutrients and blood supply to the puppy had separated from the puppy and had decomposed. The dark green cells flowed out from the vagina and warned the breeder that his bitch was in difficult labour.

I removed the puppies fast. Two were stillborn and their placentas had melted away.  Not the normal healthy solid disc-shaped ones I usually see.  7 were still vigorous after the breeder had rubbed them.  The biggest puppy was lodged in the end of one uterine horn, deep inside and another pup near it, where I could see the perforated hole in the horn. Approximately 2 cm long. As if there was a weakness in the womb. Green pigments from the placenta stained this gap. It needed to be stitched up too. 

The bitch had a rectal temperature of 39 degrees C pre-operation. This high temperature was bad for the puppies. How many would survive by day 7?



"Mr Huang, find a foster mother to feed the puppies," I recommended. This mother would not be fit to suckle.

It was easier said than done. Mr Huang had only one other nursing mother and it might reject outsiders. 

The Schnauzer killed two pups. 3 died. The last two was stepped upon by the foster mother by day 2.  

The breeder believed that 58th day was too early for Caesarean sections as premature puppies could not survive long. Yet, the bitch was already passing green vaginal discharge. Any delay would kill or weaken the mother and puppies.   

The bitch needed to be observed hourly in such cases.  She would have difficulty in birth over-night and needed a midnight Caesarean delivery. This Caesarean was done the next day afternoon.  The delay was too long.   

The Shih Tzu 7 healthy puppies
 
This Shih Tzu had 7 puppies. She had dystocia (difficulty in birth) as no puppies were born after 3 to 4 hours of labour pains and contractions. The top breeder did not waste more time. He elected to have a Caesarean delivery.











The bitch was 60th day pregnant and there was no worries about premature puppies. All 7 and the mother were alive and well by day 6 and later. 




I enjoyed seeing them gaining weight every day.  Once they gain weight daily, chances are they will grow up to be 8 weeks old for sale.   


The Chihuahua had 2 water bags

What is a water bag?  It is the sac enclosing and protecting the puppy. When the water bag appears at the vagina, it means that the bitch is in the second stage of labour when the cervix had dilated to permit the puppy to come out from the womb.
When two water bags are seen as in this case, it means that two puppies are in the birth canal and are unable to come out. The bitch may not know what to do. This would be an emergency Caesarean section.

The bitch may rupture the water bag. Any delay in getting a Caesarean delivery will result in dead puppies. 





NOTES:

Careful and regular observation of the bitch's behaviour could make a difference between success and failure in canine breeding.

If the bitch has difficulty labour overnight, the puppies may die. A secret of success in canine breeding is to have competent help to check out the bitch past midnight and the ability to get transportation to the vet within 1 hour for an emergency Caesarean section.  



Extracts from the
Asiahomes.com Book:
Apartment Puppies in Singapore: Tips for a longer life for your puppies  
Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS.

Buyers interested in this book, email to judy@asiahomes.com