My dog struggled with birth & lost pups. How to ensure safe delivery?

Once they have an issue giving birth (dystocia) and they have had a C-section they will usually continue to have problems. If I were your vet I would have spayed her at the time of surgery. Sorry to say this but if you play the odds she will most likely need to have another C-section. Every C-section causes scarring/adhesions of the uterine lining making it difficult for the placenta(s) of the future puppies to attach. If you are serious about breeding her only use a male that is smaller than she is to reduce the size of the puppies - that may help with the birthing process but will not help the attachment of the placentas. And, be prepared for another C-section. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ahro. She will likely need another C-section in order to safely deliver another litter of puppies. I recommend discussing this risk with the veterinarian who did her surgery. I hope this information helps!

Pregnancy complications really depend on how large the puppies are and how many she is carrying. It is best to work with your vet for regular checkups to confirm the pregnancy, and an X-ray as it gets closer to Riley's due-date to check on the size and number of puppies. Your vet can then recommend if a C-section is needed. Signs to watch out for during labor that may indicate dystocia (difficulty giving birth) include straining for long periods without success, a visible puppy stuck in the birth canal, or no puppies produced after several hours of labor. These are all signs something may be wrong and that Riley should be brought to the vet for care.

If Anastasia is having an issue giving birth (dystocia) then she needs to be seen by a vet as soon as possible. This is an emergency! This article may help you and answer more of your questions: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2109&aid=899 Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Achoos. Unfortunately, if the puppies are too large for her to safely deliver, then a C-section will be necessary again. She can have x-rays prior to delivery to determine if the puppies can fit through pelvis. There not medications that can be given safely during pregnancy to change the size of the puppies. You may consider spaying her in the future if she continues to have difficulties during labor and delivery. I hope this information helps!

I would strongly suggest to keep her monitored during pregnancy as c-section may be needed to deliver the puppies. Radiographs at 40 days of pregnancy will be very useful to assess the size of the puppies and make sure they can be naturally delivered. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi there. Generally speaking, most dogs do survive pregnancy just fine. There can sometimes be complications with labor and delivery, just like in humans, so this is definitely something you will need to watch out for when the time comes. If you don't want to take any chances and aren't planning to use Layla for breeding, you could opt to go ahead and have her spayed now - this will abort the pregnancy and prevent her from becoming pregnant again in the future.