Lining up vet for emergency--distance vs alleged expertise - Page 1

I like Jackie's reply..... good points and nice disclosure by the vet stating they are not a reproductive specialist. I think it is excellent they tell you this over acting like they are and putting your puppies or bitch at risk. There is a difference between using a specialist and using an experienced vet..... or a licensed vet who lacks experience. Once you go to a repro specialist it is hard to go back and do it any other way.... my last straw at one of my own Regular vet hospitals was when things were not progressing, I was en route to the hospital with my girl only to end up having a puppy in the truck in the parking lot upon arrival.  The vet wanted to give my bitch 1cc/ml of oxytocin anyway just to.... and I quote: "keep things moving"..... why on earth would you give oxy to a bitch... additionally in that large of a dose who just had a pup not 5 minutes sooner. That could easily have compromised and killed my other puppies.  I elected for a calcium injection only and said no thank you to the oxy and we succeeded with the calcium alone to have 5 remaining pups of 9.  My repro vet only uses .35ml for a 72 lbs bitch to bump them and you get just as much effect without shrink wrapping the pups higher up and risking them detaching and killing them.

Even a healthy bitch can have complications. I always wonder where this otherwise way of thinking comes from by some if a bitch can't deliver on her own than she shouldn't have been bred. Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing? Ignorant as well but that is besides the point. Spend any number of time or hands in breeding and you will just about experience it all. As well as ask yourself why anyone really wants to breed to begin with. When I had only first began and had only bred a few litters my luck was still perfect then too.   

 For me and my girls I want and do it all. I now only work with a repro specialist I have an excellent respect and working relationship with. I play by her rules and she respects my experience and what I tell her I may be experiencing or feel there may be an issue with. Its a team effort.  I get to participate with c-section's if we end up there and I get to rub my own pups.  I have an active roll in all things as well as continuing my own experience.... that in itself is priceless.  I am by no means rich but I do not skimp and spare when it comes to pre breeding exams, x-rays or anything else I have to pay for generously out of my pocket that will supply me with the critical information and tools needed to have the highest success rate and care for my bitches whelp, and safety of her and her puppies.

I do pre breeding examinations, an in house cytology checking for too many bacteria etc... or anything that may look abnormal prior to mating. If I need to run some antibiotics its nice to know prior to know then. My Repro vet likes to do a progesterone on the day of the first tie. If I am using my own studs this is simple enough. If I am going out to breed then I follow progesterone timing to bring my bitch ready to be bred or very close too so nobodies time is wasted.  The reason she likes that progesterone at the 1st tie is so that if we get into trouble later she has the right day of conception which matters if you end up with complications later or need a cesarean. 

I x-ray 3-4 days before we plan to whelp. Sooner if its a large litter or my bitch goes off her food or shows signs of being early. I am emailed a copy of this film or have one in an envelope should  I end up in emergency somewhere else and have to take it with me and also to count pups and know what to expect during labor if we get stuck or things don't progress. I assume when we are done there could be 1-2 more in any litter that could not be seen on an x-ray and

 I do not do a clean out shot for a good amount of time after a deep palpation, and allowing time for rest and descending should we still have another pup hiding on us.

I want to be loaded with as much information as possible about my bitch from day one so I can make the best calls when and if we get into trouble later. I also regularly do semen studies on my males to evaluate semen quality in addition to making sure they have normal firmness and size to their testicles, their prostates are still normal and not enlarged and semen quality is still high with a high percentage of forward moving sperm with good motility. Its not just about the girls it starts with the boys too..... but for the question here yes its about the girls.

I have in my supply, cal-sorb-( an oral liquid calcium gel given during Labor), Oxytocin, and Dopram-( if puppies are not breathing well as it stimulates respiration's say on a last pup or a slow one).  I text message my vet when my bitch drops temperature so she knows we are getting close. I also tell her when all have arrived out of respect for her time and beign on alert.

I personally will take a longer drive and try and leave sooner than to choose a closer vet or ER hospital that does not have Dr's or technician staff I am comfortable with. Just like everything else planning ahead for an alternate delivery location is very important. Here is one question I like to ask (it seems sort of simple but it really tells me a lot.)  Q: do you swing puppies to encourage breathing or stimulation after the puppies are handed off to a tech. If your veterinary practice is still swinging puppies then find somewhere else to go or insist they NEVER swing your pups. This very question really is my big answer on how much they know about neonatal care and delivery in a c-section they really have. I do not like " old school methods... there are better techniques and more modern practices. Any emergency facility should be up to date on care and practices.

I also agree 100 % with my vet in her use of propofol for induction and isoflorane gas for anestheisa. Puppies and mother are up and awake very quickly. As apposed to longer acting drugs that leave a bitch dopey as well as make recovery of puppies slow in addition to a higher mortality rate in delivery.

Also take home those Placentas!!!! I can not stress this enough! That can make the difference between your bitch settling down and accepting those pups or trying to kill them if she thinks they smell weird and don't belong to her. Remember she does not know she gave birth. If it is a first time litter you will really have to work sometimes to get them to accept puppies even if they have been perfect mothers before... Never leave placentas to go to waste!!! Take them home rub those puppies with them and feed the bitch the placentas. It makes a huge difference.