German Shepherd dog

This is a little late, but I have a C-section planned for my dog Friday and I wonder if I'm doing the right thing or not. It is her first litter and she has a very tight spot about 2 inches in which made a tie with the male very difficult. We ended up doing an AI.  I x-rayed her Tuesday and she has only 1 large puppy. I have heard of others having difficulty when only 1 pup is involved, also remember she is a first time mother. I didn't want to risk her or her pup. Her due date is Sunday. I know that there may not be a right or wrong answer I was just wondering what others thought. Also after a C-section are there any issues involved for future pregnancy?

Cathy

Does she have milk glands full now..?   when yuo get her home  besure you keep pup in your site...she will be groggy and not know that is her pup....rub her milk on the puppys head  so her smell will be on  the puppy....you will have to put puppy to the tit and get her sucking  ..stay with the pup at all times and put pup under a light and keep warm with a heating blanket and proceed slowly introducing her to her pup...that is the only drawback of a new mom and a new pup.from a  C section....she will be kinda light headed and since she is new   just take it slow with her........have replacement milk and a premie nurser ready in case the pup has to be nursed by you.....I dont do tubes  but your vet may be able to show you..I would never try one   ...scares me....i would lay by mom and get puppy to nurse and get the first milk , that is very important for all pups to get from their mom....If she growls at pup keep pup in a basket  until she gets her brains in gear and recovers from the anethesia...she will probably lick it and clean it then...squeese some milk on fingers and rub all over the pups head ...for her to lick off and smell her smell on the newborn.

good luck.

My dog has had 2 c-sections and I am so glad I did it. She needed them for other reasons, but every puppy and mom was safe. My vet felt that due to size and positioning of the pups, she wouldv'e ended up in surgery anyway. I was really scared too the first time.

Be prepared for your female to feel groggy and in pain. She may not be feeling well enough to care for her pup, so make sure you or someone else is able to care for the little one round the clock, making sure it nurses and cleaning it. The first litter my girl would not touch her pups for about 2 days, then warmed up and when they were about 5 days old she was doing fine with them, the next litter it was even quicker.

Whether or not you will need c-sections in the future...that depends. Sometimes with only 1 pup the vet can massage the puppy out of the uterus without actually opening it. I've known of females who, after c-sections, have delivered naturally, and I've known of females with so much scar tissue even just breeding them was painful after the procedure.  My understanding is it is quite probable but not written in stone. Ask your vet, these are only my meager experiences.

I used very soft tissues dipped in warm water, that way I could throw them out as I used them. Be careful not to rub them too hard and irritate them.

Is 1.9 lbs very big? What the average birth weigh for a normal sized litter?

Hi watsongsd,

1.9 is a big pup, pups are usually 3/4 to 1 pound.

Congrats! Abbi's mom, that was a very wise decision