Natural or C-section?

[YorkiePupLover]

Today, my dog is 59 days since the first tie. I had her x-ray done today and she is going to be having two puppies. I am not sure if I should schedule a c-section or try having the puppies natural. I am leaning towards scheduled c-section because the puppies look big to me. This is her first litter. She weighed 4lbs before pregnancy and right now she is 5.25lbs. For those that are experienced breeders, what would you do if this was your dog? Below are the pictures of the x-ray taken today. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and suggestions.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...ctureid=129221

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...ctureid=129222

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...ctureid=129223

[lynzy420]

What did the vet say? Is he experienced in small dogs? Others will be along soon, I will try to sound an alarm...

[AngelFae]

If she were my girl, I wouldnt have let her get pg to begin with, but since it's too late for that I'd schedule a c-section and spay for the same time.

[bjh]

You definitely need to talk to your vet. Personally I am against automatic c-sections but then I never would have bred a 4 lb female. I do know of another breeder that use to schedule her c-sections because she thought the pups looked to big but it turned out that the pups were not big and the mom probably could of had them naturally.

There are many risks whether you go with a natural birth or with a scheduled c-section. One issue with the c-section is that sometimes the mom will not accept her pups as readily and the mom's milk may not come in as well.

Are you experienced with delivering puppies? First time litters can be tricky so you need to have someone there with experience and you definitely need to stay in close contact with your vet. I do pray that the momma and her babies will be okay.

[bjh]

I need to add that breeder I knew that did the scheduled c-sections lost a litter because it turned out that they miscalculated the birth date and the pups were taken to soon. If your female was bred over a long period of time you will not know which breeding took.

[Lovetodream88]

Yorkies under five pounds should never be bred one of the reasons is because of an increased risk for needing a csection. Please after this littler spay her.

[cindersellie]

Originally Posted by YorkiePupLover

Today, my dog is 59 days since the first tie. I had her x-ray done today and she is going to be having two puppies. I am not sure if I should schedule a c-section or try having the puppies natural. I am leaning towards scheduled c-section because the puppies look big to me. This is her first litter. She weighed 4lbs before pregnancy and right now she is 5.25lbs. For those that are experienced breeders, what would you do if this was your dog? Below are the pictures of the x-ray taken today. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and suggestions.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...ctureid=129221

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...ctureid=129222

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/pic...ctureid=129223

The pups do look big. What did the vet say? If he said she could do either, I'd go with a c section. I don't know if I'd schedule one, I'd ask to wait until the last tie date if I had to make that appointment. Then I'd ask him what to do if she goes into labor sooner than expected, and what to have ready afterward. (formula, bottles- that stuff).
I hope everything goes well for you and the mom to be. Keep us updated!

[dawn27]

Did the vet review the x-rays with you and did he discuss whether the birth canal was wide enough to handle a whelping?

If for some reason she should have a difficult whelp and you feel the need to take her to the vet I am pretty sure that an emerg. cesarean will be more expensive than a scheduled one. I myself have never had a reason to take my girls in for a cesarean scheduled or otherwise, so I could be wrong.

It is definitely a decision you and your vet should discuss.

[YorkiePupLover]

Originally Posted by cindersellie

The pups do look big. What did the vet say? If he said she could do either, I'd go with a c section. I don't know if I'd schedule one, I'd ask to wait until the last tie date if I had to make that appointment. Then I'd ask him what to do if she goes into labor sooner than expected, and what to have ready afterward. (formula, bottles- that stuff).
I hope everything goes well for you and the mom to be. Keep us updated!

The vet said the pups are big but it is also possible to deliver naturally. He said it's up to me to decide.

Originally Posted by dawn27

Did the vet review the x-rays with you and did he discuss whether the birth canal was wide enough to handle a whelping?

If for some reason she should have a difficult whelp and you feel the need to take her to the vet I am pretty sure that an emerg. cesarean will be more expensive than a scheduled one. I myself have never had a reason to take my girls in for a cesarean scheduled or otherwise, so I could be wrong.

It is definitely a decision you and your vet should discuss.

I can have a scheduled c-section for about $700-800 dollars but if it's emergency c-section during vet hours, it will be another $100 or so. However, if it's off hours, I would have to take her to the emergency vet and that could be $1500-$2000.

[YorkiePupLover]

Originally Posted by bjh

You definitely need to talk to your vet. Personally I am against automatic c-sections but then I never would have bred a 4 lb female. I do know of another breeder that use to schedule her c-sections because she thought the pups looked to big but it turned out that the pups were not big and the mom probably could of had them naturally.

There are many risks whether you go with a natural birth or with a scheduled c-section. One issue with the c-section is that sometimes the mom will not accept her pups as readily and the mom's milk may not come in as well.

Are you experienced with delivering puppies? First time litters can be tricky so you need to have someone there with experience and you definitely need to stay in close contact with your vet. I do pray that the momma and her babies will be okay.

7/28/13 is 63 days from her first tie. They mated two more times every other day. She is currently scheduled for her c-section this Friday 7/26/13 which is 61 days from her first tie and 57 days from her last tie. Should I wait until beginning of next week?

[luckylady]

I think that xrays do make them puppies look big. With them all stretched out like they are in the xray it's very easy to think that they are huge, but they are a lot smaller than you would think. It's the head/pelvic ratio that you need to be aware of. This is one of the reasons for doing an xray in the first place and I would think that if you vet thought that the pups were going to be to big for your girl to pass naturally, he would have said so and talked about doing a c section. So, as the other's have asked, what did your vet say???
It is better for the pups & mom to whelp naturally if possible, so if your vet was not concerned, I would try going that way, having your vet on stand-by when the time comes in case he/she is needed.

[dawn27]

You should still go over your options with your vet to decide what would be the best course of action for your pups overall general health and safety of both her and her babies. Dogs are prone to know what to do, its just instincts to do so. With two pups she should do fine. My only concern would be her fragile size and the stress it will have on her tiny little body. If you decide to let her whelp at home please be sure that you be there with her, do not let her whelp on her own and please be sure that you research and know the warning signs of a bitch in trouble.

If you have not prepared yourself for a whelping you need to do that and make sure you have that money put aside for emergencies.

[dawn27]

Oh I see she is already scheduled for a cesarean.

[Gillykat]

Originally Posted by luckylady

It is better for the pups & mom to whelp naturally if possible, so if your vet was not concerned, I would try going that way, having your vet on stand-by when the time comes in case he/she is needed.

Your wee girl will most likely show signs of nesting and discomfort as birth approaches so possibly inform the vet of this and he/she can then be on standby just in case the pups don't arrive naturally.

Fascinating xrays - I've never seen puppies inside their mum before

[YorkiePupLover]

Originally Posted by luckylady

I think that xrays do make them puppies look big. With them all stretched out like they are in the xray it's very easy to think that they are huge, but they are a lot smaller than you would think. It's the head/pelvic ratio that you need to be aware of. This is one of the reasons for doing an xray in the first place and I would think that if you vet thought that the pups were going to be to big for your girl to pass naturally, he would have said so and talked about doing a c section. So, as the other's have asked, what did your vet say???
It is better for the pups & mom to whelp naturally if possible, so if your vet was not concerned, I would try going that way, having your vet on stand-by when the time comes in case he/she is needed.

The vet said it might be possible to have the puppies naturally but it's also possible for them to get stuck. He said you can't really know and said I should decide. When I asked him what he would do, his response was that if money wasn't a concern then he would try to have them naturally and rush them to do emergency c-section if the puppies can't pass through. He said that if the the labor is during off hours, emergency vet would charge alot of money so if money is a factor then he said it's better to schedule a c-section during work hours.