Whenever a dog at home gets pregnant, we believe that there must be many people who are excited that their puppies at home will become mothers with lots of puppies, preparing many things to give birth to the dog. But one problem that occurs very often but many people may not think about is that the mother dog may be Canine dystocia This means that the mother dog is unable to give birth naturally. If no one notices or sees that the dog is experiencing this condition, it may cause the pregnancy to be at risk of both the mother dog and the puppies dying. Therefore, we would like to invite everyone to understand about difficult birth in dogs in order to cope if any of your dogs are experiencing this condition.
Factors causing difficult birth in dogs such as
- Uterine inertia may be caused by maternal illness or old age, pelvic fractures, or a small or narrow pelvis.
- The puppy's position is not the right one for birth.
- The puppy's head is larger than the mother's pelvic cavity.
- The puppy has a congenital abnormality.
- The puppy died in the womb.
Criteria for determining whether a mother dog is in difficult labor
- The mother dog's gestation period is more than 70-72 days from the date of the first mating, or more than 68-70 days from the date of the last mating.
- When the mother dog's temperature drops below 37.8°C (100°F) and birth has not occurred within 24 hours.
- The interval between the births of each puppy is more than 2 hours.
- There was severe straining for more than 30 minutes, but the puppy did not come out.
- Green or reddish-brown fluid is seen flowing out of the dog, even though the mother dog does not show any signs of straining and does not give birth, or a large amount of fresh blood is seen flowing out of the vagina while the dog is straining.
- Weak uterine contractions without labor or strong uterine contractions without labor, which may be due to vaginal obstruction.
- The mother dog has a fever, vomits, becomes unconscious, or goes into shock during birth.
*If you experience at least one of the above conditions, you should see a veterinarian immediately.
How do we know if a dog will have difficulty giving birth?
There are many factors that can cause a dog to have difficulty giving birth, so owners should bring their dog in for regular checkups and pregnancy tests to ensure that the mother dog can give birth naturally. There are two types of tests that are most commonly used:
- Let the veterinarian assess. You should wait until the pregnancy is about 55 days or more to allow the puppy's size to reach its full potential. The veterinarian will assess by measuring the puppy's head compared to the mother dog's pelvis. If it is found that there is a tendency for difficult birth or the size is disproportionate, the veterinarian will recommend scheduling a delivery date to perform a surgical procedure to help the puppy.
- Ultrasound can be used to help diagnose whether puppies are still alive or not by looking at the heartbeat, the strength of the puppies, the condition of the mother's uterus, and even predicting the delivery date. X-rays can tell the number of puppies more accurately than ultrasound, but they cannot tell whether the puppies are still alive or not.
Treatment of difficult birth in dogs
If a dog is having difficulty giving birth, the best thing to do is to take it to an animal hospital so that a veterinarian can help with the birth. The veterinarian will give it medication to help increase uterine contractions.
Cesarean sectionThe decision to do this should only be made if the mother dog is unable to give birth through the normal pelvic canal, such as due to a narrow pelvis, prolonged labor, shock, vaginal obstruction, or ineffective medication.
The problem of difficult birth in dogs is something that dog owners should not overlook because it means that many lives may be lost. Owners should consult a veterinarian to find the best birthing method. Or if you are not sure, you can bring the mother dog to the animal hospital for the doctor to help deliver the baby so you can feel at ease.
References
DVMSasiphat Kittisarthammatha (Dr. Muk) Veterinarian at Taling Chan Animal Hospital
Dr. Oraya Prapanphot (Dr. Nun), veterinarian at Talingchan Animal Hospital
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