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Prescription for whelping, normal or C-section delivery, the nest, hand-rearing mistakes, over-heating, importance of laying-in, cuddle-curl, hormones, and imprinting.

 

 

 

OXYTOCIN DURING THE WHELPING

Fred Lanting, All-Breed Judge, Sieger/Schutzhund, SAAB

 

Readers question breeder-judge on use of clean out shot during delivery of a litter and get succinct, useful advice on the love-hormone during delivery.

 

Snippets of oxytocin questions received from readers:

 

My conservative vet explains that if Oxytocin is administered without an x-ray, you could damage the dam's uterine or, if a pup is in the wrong position, damage or kill what would be a normal, healthy pup. (if) one or 2 hours pass and I finally rush to the vet or the emergency clinic, get the x-ray and have the oxytocin administered.

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I have been fortunate enough to find a couple of vets who, after getting to know me … have given me oxytocin. I do understand vets who are concerned about liability if something were to go wrong. I also understand those who want to make more $$ by having a dam in whelp rushed in to the office for procedures that many times aren't needed.

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My female had a healthy male pup 24 hours after the first sibling was born! Waiting only one or two hours is not enough, most bitches rest in between contractions and actual birth, a little walk around the yard may speed things up a bit. I always keep oxytocin on hand. I usually pick up 3 or 4 individual shots from my vet a week or so before the litter is due… just in case.

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…if the dog is resting in between whelps we both take a nap. My last 3 litters all different bitches however they are sisters (same litter) all had 1/2 their litter then slept anywhere between 5 and 8 hrs then delivered the pups with no problem, no stress. Some may get over concerned from lack of experience and cause more problems than solve.

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Sometimes, not always, an alternative approach works in “helping the whelping.” I have seen and heard of many bad effects from ii oxytocin/Pitocin, and I know that many people greatly overdo it. Just like vets who over-prescribe or administer steroids and antibiotics.

 

On the other end of the spectrum are the 100%-holistic extremists who will not use any “heroic” or “traditional 20th-Century” medicines at all, and thus deprive the bitch of much-needed help. There is a middle ground.

 

Keeping the bitch in good physical condition (exercise) makes labor less laborious. If a bitch tires and does not continue strong contractions, try the physical stimulation approach before resorting to oxytocin: reach inside with index or middle finger (or both for more strength), hook them over toward the front, against the pubic bone, and PULL. This will usually stimulate strong enough contraction to get the bolus (puppy in the sac) moving, and further automatic contractions usually finish the job.

 

Do this only after the first pup is born, or after you have seen one “trying to get out.” If your bitch is restless for an extended time but is not delivering the next one, use this method.

 

By the way, occasionally I also have seen long rest periods between pups. I had one bitch who delivered six puppies at night, and decided to go to sleep before midnight. Some seven or so hours later she woke me with grunts, and delivered the other six whelps. But generally more than 2 to 4 hours between puppies is not a propitious sign if accompanied by other indications of weariness or difficulty.

 

It might be good to have one or two doses of oxytocin on hand just in case, but use self-control –restrain yourself so you don't use it too early.

 

Some other things to watch out for: a dead pup can interrupt whelping if it is in the middle or beginning of the sequence. This is because its movements near the end of the birth canal are supposed to trigger contractions, similar to your fingers would. If it is a non-wiggling lump, the bitch will not be stimulated as much. If it is the last whelp, the shot of pitocin may be used as a “clean-out” to get rid of any placentas or push a possible left behind to birth. If the whelp is in the middle or elsewhere, it may mean that a Caesarean section will be necessary, if stimulation does not work.

 

If live pups behind the dead one are blocked from the exit and from the chance to stimulate the bitch, they can be lost due to cessation of oxygen-rich blood supply through their umbilical cords. A breech delivery or a pup being pushed out after the sac has broken might get hung up, with one foot sticking out, and the other (and maybe the head) caught behind the pubic bone. You might have to stick your fingers in her and move them in a circle to reposition the pup. Once part of the pup is coming out, you can use a cloth to grab all you can of it and gently pull while encouraging the dam.

 

Don't pull the tail! It is very easy to dislocate it at this stage of ossification.

 

Related Oxytocin Article:  Oxytocin Magic, why communication is so uniquely developed in your dog!

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