Dystocia and C-section
- Mary Malucci
- Jul 9, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 24, 2024
When considering dog and cat populations in general, only about 5% of pregnant dogs or cats have difficulty delivering their babies, a condition called dystocia. Certain breeds like Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston terriers, Chihuahuas, Persians and Siamese are significantly more likely to develop dystocia.
Most bitches (female dogs) and queens (female cats) deliver their puppies and kittens with no need of assistance. Once active labor begins, neonates are usually delivered after about 45-60 minutes of intense contractions. Cats seem more inclined to have their kittens one after the other until they are done, averaging 4 kittens per litter. Dogs will sometimes take a break in between puppies so it’s important to monitor when she is actively contracting. These breaks can be as long as 4 hours. However, if intense contractions last longer than 45- 60 minutes without producing a puppy, consider seeking emergency care.
There are a number of reasons why some pregnant dogs develop dystocia. Regardless of the cause, the longer she struggles to deliver her puppies, the more likely it becomes that some or all of the litter will not survive. Some conditions endanger the life of the mother dog also.
Signs of impending delivery include nesting behavior, a drop in maternal rectal temperature, loss of appetite and possible nausea and excessive licking of her vulva. These are normal behaviors and are not cause for concern so long as delivery proceeds without any difficulty.
Signs that the mother dog or cat needs professional assistance include active or weak labor for longer than 4 hours without a puppy or kitten produced, whelping or queening lasts longer than 24 hours or the bitch or queen does not deliver a neonate within 45-60 minutes of intense contractions. Discharge during labor is to be expected but if you see blackish green vaginal discharge before active labor starts or profuse vaginal bleeding before or during labor, seek veterinary care ASAP.
If you have been monitoring your laboring pet and have determined she needs veterinary assistance, bring along any pertinent medical records and notes taken during the labor process. The owner needs to be prepared to transport the mother and any babies already born safely to the emergency clinic. If she delivers live babies before getting in trouble, make sure the neonates are wrapped in soft blankets in a carrier or box with a heat source, like a hot water bottle. Newborn puppies and kittens cannot maintain their body temperatures without help. Call the nearest veterinary emergency center and tell them you are on your way.
On arrival, the veterinarian will likely suggest taking a radiograph first. This allows the veterinary team to see how the babies are positioned and how big and how many there are. If one of the babies has gotten stuck in the birth canal, this will be apparent on the radiograph.
If the neonates look to be an appropriate size and are lined up ready to go, the veterinarian may suggest trying medical assistance first. The medications most commonly used are oxytocin, which increases the frequency of uterine contractions and calcium, which increases the strength of uterine contractions.
If it looks like one of the babies is stuck, the only resolution then is surgery, commonly referred to as a C-section. In order to maximize neonate survival, the bitch or queen needs to go to surgery as soon as possible. Anesthetics need to be carefully considered because they will affect both the mother and the unborn babies. A successful C-section requires two teams; the surgery team and the resuscitation team. The surgery team will include the veterinarian performing the surgery, the LVT monitoring the anesthesia and an assistant. The resuscitation team will employ as many staff members as needed to resuscitate the newborns as soon as they are surgically removed from the mother. The resuscitators will vigorously stimulate breathing until the baby is breathing on its own. Vigorous newborns will be placed in soft blankets in a carrier or box with a heat source.
Meanwhile, the surgery team will either close the uterus, if the owners plan to breed again, or remove the uterus from the bitch or queen (spay) if the owner does not want to breed again. The goal now is to finish the surgery so momma and babies can be reunited quickly. The neonates are kept separate from the mom until she is fully recovered from anesthesia, so she doesn’t harm them before she’s awake. As soon as it’s safe, babies should be encouraged to nurse. If mom still seems uncoordinated, monitor them all while puppies or kittens are nursing.
Once mom shows an interest in food, she should be fed good quality pet food that offers the extra nutritional support needed to produce milk. Traditionally, the recommendation has been puppy or kitten food since they usually have more calcium and are easier to digest. During the first 24 hours, the owner can offer small amounts of food to mom every 15-30 minutes to avoid vomiting. Over the first week, the owner can increase the meal size and decrease the frequency until a more normal feeding schedule is re-established. While nursing, mom will need significantly more calories than usual. Start with 1 ½ times her normal food intake in the first week and gradually increase daily food intake to 2-3 times normal by 3-4 weeks post delivery. Newborns should be fed as soon as possible.
All newborns should be encouraged to nurse within the first 24 hours post delivery to acquire colostrum. Colostrum is the fluid produced by the teats before milk production. This fluid contains maternal antibodies that will help support the newborn immune system.
Once mom is fully awake and caring for her babies, she and her offspring will be discharged from the hospital to minimize possible exposure to disease.
Weaning puppies or kittens includes teaching them how to eat solid food, drink water from a bowl and where you want them to urinate and defecate. Puppies will nurse exclusively for 4 weeks. Kittens aren’t ready to wean until they are six weeks old. Soft foods are offered to the puppies or kittens so they learn how to eat while they continue to nurse from mom until they are eating well. As neonates, mom will clean the puppies or kittens' rear ends to stimulate urination and defecation. As they get older and more mobile, they will start urinating and defecating on their own. Once they no longer need stimulation, it’s time to show them where to go.
Dystocia in Small Animals
C-section for Dogs: Everything You Should Know
Cesarean section in dogs: indications, techniques
Caesarean Sections in Dogs - Post-Operative Instructions
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