Questions about C-Sections in Dogs....

Are C-Sections always emergency? I know there are certain breeds that often need them do to their heads being huge or whatever... but I mean as a general.

If a dog needs an emergecy C-Section, is that dog always spayed afterwards?

If the dog is not spayed afterwards, what is the general rule for having puppies again? How long of a wait would be recommended?

Dekka needed an emerg c section. I had the option of spaying or not. I chose too as it was my plan anyway. And seeing how horribly she dealt with labour I wouldn't have put her through that again anyway. (figured might as well do the spay whilst she was under)

I dont' know about wait. I would think 6 months would be a reasonable healing period, though perhaps having a heat could be 'cleansing'.. no idea really.

No, they aren't always emergencies. In some breeds are just automatically c-sectioned. Bulldogs come to mind as the most common. Now, if my collies needed a c-section, this would be unexpected and an emergency.

No, an emergency c-section doesn't always require a spay unless there is damage to the uterus, a severe infection where it is felt that it would be safer for the bitch, or sometimes just owner/breeder choice (if she doesn't free whelp, she could have problems the next time and to some this is unacceptable).

General rule - let them heal just like any other surgery, then they can be bred again (when depends upon the particular dog and breeder preference), as long as there were no serious complications during surgery or obvious damage to the uterus, many will breed the next heat. The problem with c-sections is that sometimes scar tissue develops and this causes problems with subsequent litters, but not always.

for those with large headed and squish nose breeds you can pre-book a c-section, healing is actually fairly fast (especailly when they use the glue instead of the stiches!)
and the dog can safely be bred again on its next heat (though i personally dont like back to back, especially in breeds who tend to need c-sections)

even with emergency c-sections you are usually given the option of whether or not you would like to spay while under.

vixie was spayed while under, because with chihauhaus, if they need a c-section for one litter, its very likley they will need one for each one thereafter...im not sure why this is, but its very common in the breed and to me, simply wasnt worth the risk, especially since i had no plans to continue showing her.

For my breed, they seem to always been done under circumstances when necessary (i.e.: either the bitch's life, or the puppies, are in danger). Most prefer to free whelp.

No, just like humans aren't always spayed afterwards Depending on the circumstances, I would be perfectly fine keeping her intact (unless, however, it was her last litter) and breeding her again (now if the issues she was having happened again in her second litter I probably would be hesitant).

If it was her first litter, I would wait a heat at least to see how the puppies develop and mature during that time. It really depends on how well the surgeon was, and how the bitch handled it/healed.

Really, it comes down to the point where every bitch is different and every situation is different, and I would take it case by case.

oh ok. Cool beans.

I always thought that after having a c-section that's usually pretty much it.

Depends on the breed. I know truffles breeder always spays if one of her females need a section. But that's chihuahuas. Very rarely does she have to do a c section, but it does happen with chihuahuas. That is what happens when you breed for big heads I guess. When someone meets truffles for the first time they say, omg look at his huge head and tiny little body!!! I see him every day, so I don't really notice it much anymore, lol. He was free whelped. His mom was 6 pounds. A lot of breeders will sell their dogs to pet homes if they had to do a c section and get them fixed.

also the c-section is because of the angle of the pelvis not the size of the dog's heads.

Hmmm, is that true in every case? I've always been told that chis have sections because the pups have large apple domed heads, plus its such a tiny breed. And bulldogs have massive heads as well. I am sure it has a lot to do with other things than just the head size. I am no expert. Just something I've heard in chihuahuas.

Many thngs can factor in to why a c-section is needed. It can range from the puppies overall size, head size, if the pup is face up or down (especially important with big head breeds) mom's inability to produce enough hormoned for labor to be strong, lack of muscle toning (common in older dogs being bred), opening size of the pelvis, its shape, etc.

Depending on the reason for the section will predict if it is expected to happen again or not.

I knew one JRT who needed a C section because one pup was sidways to the cannal with a front leg only protruding. A badly positioned puppy can do it too.

I guess I can use myself as an example.

Sofie went in for another U/S, and she only has one puppy which increases her risk of having to undergo a c-section. The vet is quite skilled, and his equipment superb, so I have no doubt that she will only be having a singleton. If she does have a c-section because that lone puppy wasn't able to jumpstart labor, or is too big and there are no other factors involved, she will be left intact and rebred. There's a chance I might do an elective c-section.

IF she has another singleton, or other complications arise, she will be spayed. Lots of "ifs" and time will tell.

I bred Rory for the first time in 2004. Unfortunately, there was only one puppy. I opted to do a c-section and go in and get him. Rather than wait too long to see if labour might start on its own, my vet and I just thought it prudent to do everything we could not to lose the one puppy. It wasn't an emergency. Just something we thought was the right thing to do at the time. Deacon is a happy and healthy singleton - his name is Glengate's Single And Lovin It. ;-)

I bred Rory again a year later, and unfortunately, we had the same situation. One puppy again. Rory was 5 years old by then. I wasn't going to breed her again. We opted for the c-section again thinking that was best for the puppy rather than taking the chance of waiting too long. I did have Rory spayed while under at that time. Unfortunately, this singleton puppy died the day she turned 2 weeks (aspiration pneumonia was the cause of death via necropsy).

I had a singleton puppy born this past May. A rough sable Collie bitch.

This was her mothers first litter, I wasn't expecting a huge litter, but certainly expected more than one. I did not do any ultrasound on her, as I very rarely have done them.

Amy (the dam) had the puppy just fine on her own. She was a large puppy, and came out butt first, so the hardest part was actually getting the puppies shoulders out.... though she finally came out. Nice, fat, healthy puppy!

I'm planning to try to breed Amy once more sometime in 2010, to see if I can't get more than one puppy. The puppy I have from her litter last May is beautiful though! Almost 6 months old now! Can't wait to start showing her!




Tori -- Spiritwind Sangria - 1 day old

Sire: CH Blu Ridge Lookout
Dam: Spiritwind Amaretto

Aww, cute pics above!!! I was watching this show on tv a long time ago and this womans bull mastiff had to have a c-section, because she had a water puppy that got stuck. I don't even know what a water puppy is, but it was dead and the poor thing was 5 times bigger than the other pups. Filled with fluid? So sad and scary.

lol, cute name. If my singleton is a male, it'll be registered as "KN" Super Solo ("Solo"). . . even though I would prefer a bitch I also wouldn't mind a boy just so I can name him that :rofl1:

Lexi (mini dachshund) had a singleton in her first litter... had him just fine.

In my experience - and I have no scientific research to back this up - singleton's, or smaller litters, most of the time happen in the first litter. The second litter is usually the "norm" litter size for THAT female. And the females tend to have the same amount, or around the same amount, every time.

Also (again, just my experience), litter size seems to be somewhat hereditary. Mom has 5-6 puppies per litter, then daughter will have that, too (with the exception of the first litter).

In mini doxies, c-sections are "unexpected" and we usually spay after 1 or 2 of them. We've had 4 c-sections, I think, in 10 years. Doxies can pretty much handle it all themselves. Though we do lose probably 10% of the puppies at birth or within a few days, simply due to lack of development. Though we have recently started our seven on the raw diet, and have had 100% live puppies (out of just one litter, though) since then. Hoping that the raw diet will help to bring down the mortality rate!

This is something I have seen. I know of one collie breeder that abandoned the lines she was working with because she got reeaaallly tired of having 16 puppies every. single. litter.

OMG!!!!! what do you do with ALL those puppies!!!!

I don't know.. I think litter size can also depend on correct timing doing the breedings....

My Collie litters have always been around 6 puppies in the litter. I've never had a singleton litter before this one (above)...

The mother (Amy) of the single puppy, was from a litter of 6.

Now Amy's mother (Kelsey -- rough tri) was from a litter of 4, Kelsey has had 2 litters -- 6 puppies each. Kelsey's sister has had 1 litter, which had 6 puppies. Angie (dam of Paris and Kelsey, ganddam of Amy) had 3 litters -- first litter had 5, second litter had 4, and her last litter had 6 puppies... but she herself was from a litter of 8!...

Now my girls typically breed late in their seasons. When I breed them myself, I have never starting breedings before day 15 -- usually 15-17-19, though I have bred some later (never earlier). The only time I've had bitches miss is when I've sent them to outside stud dogs, because most people think not starting to breed them until their 15th day is nuts....