The conditions for a good development of dog in labor are five:
- The female’s surroundings cannot be changed,
- She must be clam,
- The tissue must be correctly dilated,
- The uterine contractions must be enough,
- The fetuses must have a normal size in relationship with the pelvis and present a normal position; their legs must be in front of the head, which comes first.
The duration of labor can be from 2 to 12 hours, but it can also last up to 36 hours in first timers. The dog is anxious, agitated, she digs and sometimes vomits. The interval between two births varies between 10 and 60 minutes. This corresponds to the phase of expulsion of the placenta, which is done after every birth. The expulsion of the last placenta should be done at most 12 hours after the last birth; if it takes longer, it is time we call the veterinarian. The expulsion of the first puppy is in general the longest birth. The green color of the vaginal fluids is normal. The female remains in a sitting position during the efforts of expulsion. When the fetus is coming out she lays on her side with her head turned to the posterior side of her body and is preferably leaned against the wall. Her respiration is fast and then slow. This alternation lasts until the puppy is expelled. The female pulls the bag that has the puppy inside, which appears in the vulva, and licks the puppy. If the puppy tail comes out first there might be complications, since the female cannot guess and is not capable of reacting. If the owner does not intervene the puppy can die. At first, the mother lets go of the puppy by ripping the amniotic sac. Licks the puppy’s head to dry him and cuts the umbilical cord 10 minutes after birth; the newborn starts breast feeding almost immediately. Nevertheless, this does not happen in every female. In the case of some breeds it is precise for the owner to help out with the delivery. This means that the owner will have to be with the dog since her temperature hoes down and cannot abandon her for 24 hours. From the first contractions, the owner shall observe the vulvato see if there has been a rejection of the water bag. If this happens, it will be necessary, with the control of a veterinarian or an experienced breeder to pull the puppy out softly to help it out. If the bad is not ripped we must rip it and then take out the puppy and cut the umbilical cord at 2 cm. The mother can kill the puppies if she pulls from the bag. The litter must be placed under a warm bulb that heats them up.
Difficult Dog labors: Labor is always more delicate in first timers. When there is no experience, it is dangerous to pull the puppies out if they are not coming out the right way. The oxiticine injections to provoke contractions should be used prudently to prevent the ripping of the uterus. The difficult labors can be due to the large size of a fetus, insufficient contractions or a lack of relaxation of the tissues. If labor is not possible the vet will have to proceed with a surgical operation.
Difficult labors because of obstruction: The pelvis must allow the pass of the puppies; that is why it is precise for it to be big enough and so that the tissue dilates correctly. The puppies must also have a certain size as well as a certain position.
Puppies: The puppies that are too big in relation to the female’s pelvis result in a very important difference when talking about the dimensions of males and females. In some breeds, large males and small females can exist. When you choose the breeders you must pay attention to this, especially with small breeds. Some have a big head, which makes labor very difficult: Scottish Terrier, Chihuahua, etc. The puppies must appear head first, with the anterior legs near the head. Any other position will provoke difficulties during labor.
A Very Narrow Pelvis: This is a frequent problem and appears in females that are too young. It is recommended to wait and don’t try getting the female pregnant on her first heat.
The same happens with old females who have calcification problems which makes their pelvis narrower. Even though pelvis fractures heal well a callus forms which can decrease the size of the opening of the pelvis.
The Dilation of the Tissues: Female dogs that are too young or too old have a heard time giving labor because of the lack of flexibility of their tissues.
The Problems of Expulsion: If the pelvis is perfect and the puppies have the right size and position, the female must expel the fetuses correctly. Maybe the uterus is not toned enough due to successive gestations or she is too old. Some breeds also have muscular deficiencies, especially the bulldog.
Cesarean Section: This procedure will be done at the veterinarian clinic. The abdomen is cut at the height of the white line. The female is lightly anesthetized (to prevent the puppies from receiving too much of it). Then the incision is done at the neck of the uterus and the puppies are pulled out. The vet makes the slide from each tube.
Then the puppies are washed and rubbed.Dog Breast Feeding
