PET STORIES: Dog Birth Risks and Successes
The stork has has been making frequent visits to The PARC. The happy events began with Dr. Thinnes performing a cesarean section (C-section) and successfully delivering four healthy Yorkie puppies. The proud mom weighed in at 5 pounds! As you can imagine, her puppies are tiny but healthy, strong and very hungry.
Next came six puppies – four boys and two girls – also born via C-section. Mom is a long-haired Chihuahua. Delivering a litter of puppies or kittens takes a team of people working together. As the doctor removes each puppy from the uterine horn, he/she hands them off to our nurses, who stimulate each one to encourage their first breaths. Once the babies are breathing strongly on their own, and once mom has woken up from anesthesia, the happy family is reunited! It’s always thrilling when we get the chance to bring cute babies like these into the world!
Although most dogs and cats are able to successfully give birth to their babies at home, many others need assistance. Here are some common things that can help pet owners know when it’s time to seek out the help of their veterinarian.
When to Seek Veterinary Help With a Dog Giving Birth
- 30-60 minutes of strong contractions occur with no puppy being produced.
- Greater than four hours pass between pups and you know there are more inside.
- She fails to go into labor within 24 hours after her temperature drops below 100.
- She is in obvious extreme pain.
- Greater than 70 days of gestation have passed.
We are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – when and if you should need us! See a map to The PARC.
