For Breeders of West German Show Line dogs C Section question(s) - Page 1

How common is it to require a C Section to whelp puppies? 

If you frequently need to do a C Section, why (too few puppies, puppy stuck, puppies too big to pass through the Birth canal and so florth)? 

If you have a bitch who has had more than one litter and did not need a C Section every time, why did you need one the times you did and how many times did you need to do this compared to times you did not need to? 

Never needed a c-section for a GSD but I knew a dachshund who needed one once because a pup was positioned wrong and could not come out.  Also knew a lab whose owner bred her 3 times, each time she needed a c-section.  This lab was very large, 85-90 lbs (vet weighed at 105 when pregnant).  She would only conceive 4 pups each litter, the pups were very large and even though mom was big too, the pups were too large to pass through the birth canal.  One pup delivered in c-section weighed just over 4 lbs!!!

Animals who cannot deliver a natural litter should not be bred to start with.
There are problems that may require this for the animals survival but that animal should never be bred again.
This harms the breed overall and thats where we are today.

It's not common, in over 25 yrs breeding,never done one. Had a friend that did one,a new female that arrived from Germany, but maybe due to stress. Needless to say,her next litter she whelped 7 healthy puppies without a hitch.you are asking the same question over, sometimes if it's been more than 4 hrs and you want to avoid complications, you do it. Yes,many times is a stuck puppy - only feed double the ration to mom 2 weeks prior to delivery, so the puppies don't get too big. Good luck

Oh I am not breeding (at least not for awhile).  I am asking all the questions I can think of FIRST. 

It is easier to ask the stupid questions first and then ask the smart questions later... and be prepared before jumping into something and doing it. 

I say it over and over (and my Dad taught it to me) Prevention is 9/10ths of the cure.  It is also way better to ask BEFORE you do something than to ask in the MIDDLE of a disaster.....

Not that you can avoid all disaster.. but you can be prepared.  I have kicked around the earth long enough to know.

I know of a breeder that owns older show line females that are worth in excess of $40,000 and this person ends each of her bitch's pregnancies with a C-Section - She says, she doens't want to endanger the dog or the puppies.....

I have a female here who I really thought did not take.  Now her due date is Thursday and on Friday night when I went over her while grooming her I discovered that she had gotten saggy and had milk - none of which was there 3 days earlier.  She stilldoes not look pregnant, still has her tuck up but does look thicker if that makes any sense.  We have an appointment at the vet this afternoon at 4:30 for an x-ray.  I am afraid there is one puppy which in my experience usually results in a c-section. 

Now I have whelped alot of puppies as our rescue specalizes in pregnant shelter dogs - I have attached a pic of my newest girl - done several c-sections and based on my experience I find they usually become necessay due to a single puppy litter or a huge litter.  Of course there is also the odd dog who has had an injury that lends itself it a c-section such as a broken pelvis in a HBC dog.


This is Scooch, a super sweet Chihuahua girl who I estimate based on x-rays is due early next week.