Whelping Problem! - Page 2

Ss, if you can't get the bovine injectable, get calcium paste for goats...dosage the same for dogs as for the goats. The other stuff you're using isn't really concentrated enough. Sounds like she's going to get the first one out. Its easy to get in a panic when things don't go according to the 'book'. But as my vet is fond of saying, when it comes to whelping, not all dogs 'read the book':-) I had dark dark green, black water before pups were born in my last litter. Bitch whelped eleven very healthy pups on her own, the twelfth pup did not survive DELIVERY, as the placenta detached early and I didn't get to them quick enough to remove the sack so the pup could get much needed oxygen. So take it easy.

Thanks, Joan, that gives me some hope...  :(

SS, you can certainly have healthy pups after green discharge- especially if it's RIGHT after the discharge that the pup is born, but you don't know, and that can also mean very serious complications requiring c-section. Remember that thread a while back w/the green discharge that I freaked out about, she took the dog to the vet, vet sent her home (IIRC), I freaked out again, then she went back and ended up losing several pups and bitch had a c-sec. I think? Is the vet nearby at least competent? How many litters has your friend whelped? 

Green is a sign of detached placenta/premature placental separation. Someone is in danger. Could be just one, could be more. But if it's dead and blocking the canal................

The only option (at the moment) is a veterinary ER clinic about 30 min. away. I am sure the vet on duty can give oxy, do an U/S and check to see if a pup is in the birth canal. But if a C-section is needed, they want to call in a board certified veterinary surgeon, and that will likely cost $3,000 to $4,000!!  As I said earlier, it will likely mean a 3 to 4 hour wait before surgery can be done, too, which is RIDICULOUS!!

K. has been trying to find other ER clinics that are more reasonable. A breeder K. is friends with lives 4 hours north of here in Timmins, and SHE has never paid more than $1,000 for a C-section!

But we are right on the doorstep of Canada's largest city (Toronto) so we pay through the nose...

NOt sure how many litters K. has whelped. Gwen has had 2, then there was Bella last summer, and I am sure there are a couple of others besides.

Care Credit. 

Do you have a large animal vet nearby? They are often more well-versed in birthing difficulties than a fresh-out-of-school small animal vet. 

 

Clear discharge or clear gush?

They don't qualify for care credit. Neither is currently employed.

Contractions are stronger and closer together, and she is straining more frequently. K. did put a finger up her vagina, and can feel a sac about 2 1/2 inches in.

Her husband just came up to borrow my stethescope so they can listen for heartbeats.

I'm pacing the floor like an expectant father, and knocking down cobwebs to cope with the stress...

You can give Vanilla Ice Cream too...It will help...Can you feel any puppies coming or maybe stuck in the birthing canal...I've had to palpate them and push and maneuver them until they come down and out...I've had puppies stuck and when I finally got them out they had already drowned in their fluids...But without getting them out no others can come down...

And in the meantime...

I noticed Eska chewing on something, and went over to check it out. It looked like a piece of woven rope, but the strands were really silky. I took it away from her, and threw it out, all the while scratching my head over what it could be.

Then she started to show signs of distress, coughing, and retching, and mouthing my hands. She's vomited several times, too.

I went over to tend the fireplace a minute ago. There's an inch or so of the cord that forms the air seal for the airtight door missing. There was a small tuft sticking out of the door, which must have been just enough for her to grab hold of while I wasn't watching. That stuff is made out of fibreglass! No WONDER she's in distress! 

Not a clue what I can possibly due to help her, either!

K. has over 200 people following her on FB now for the delivery. One of them is a vet, and she has told K. how to find the heartbeat for a pup in the birth canal. She searched in the place she told her to, and FOUND IT!!

Gwen produced a gush of clear fluid a few minutes ago, and is doing some serious straining. I hope to have good news soon... (crosses fingers, eyes, toes and everything else she can think of...)

First pup is out: a large female, stillborn. Let's hope it's not too late for the others!