POST WHELPING COMPLICATIONS
So, your finally long awaited for litter has arrived and all seems well at first. Dam is being a good mother, feeding and tending to her young, she appears well even after the ordeal of labour, she is eating well, drinking well, and appears content. So, all must be well, right? Wrong! I could be painting a very different picture if you are not on the constant look out post whelping as well as during whelping.
During labour, you must make sure that all placentas are expelled. There should be one for each puppy. I know many breeders advocate allowing the bitches to eat the placentas. I do not. They do not contain any nutritional or hormonal valuable properties for the bitch. As in all mammals, the placenta is what feeds the unborn and eliminates waste from the foetus in utero. It serves no other purpose. Dogs in the wild, will eat the placentas to protect their young from predators whom may pick up on the scent if they were left lying around and decomposing. Word of caution here too, it is scientific fact that placentas do contain some harmful bacteria and where possible, pregnant women should avoid handling them for if they do get contaminated, it can have adverse effects on their developing embryos. If you do allow your bitch to eat the placentas, you may find she will develop a nasty diarrhoea afterwards, which also further states that the above must contain some truth! She may not become ill from consumption, but it will affect her digestive tract.
The importance of knowing all placentas were expelled could make the difference of life and death for your bitch. If a placenta or part of one is retained, she can become quite toxic and die soon after the birth.
If you suspect not all the placentas were expelled, it is imperative to have your vet administer Oxytocin, a Penicillin injection, and oral antibiotics and the sooner the better. The placenta will not be seen to be expelled whole, or it may, but most likely, it will liquefy and be expelled along with the discharge post whelping.
This is a complication post whelping which should not be ignored at all.
For more such information buy my books available for sale directly from me.
Written by Anne Roditis-Muscat
© copyright 2007
So, your finally long awaited for litter has arrived and all seems well at first. Dam is being a good mother, feeding and tending to her young, she appears well even after the ordeal of labour, she is eating well, drinking well, and appears content. So, all must be well, right? Wrong! I could be painting a very different picture if you are not on the constant look out post whelping as well as during whelping.
During labour, you must make sure that all placentas are expelled. There should be one for each puppy. I know many breeders advocate allowing the bitches to eat the placentas. I do not. They do not contain any nutritional or hormonal valuable properties for the bitch. As in all mammals, the placenta is what feeds the unborn and eliminates waste from the foetus in utero. It serves no other purpose. Dogs in the wild, will eat the placentas to protect their young from predators whom may pick up on the scent if they were left lying around and decomposing. Word of caution here too, it is scientific fact that placentas do contain some harmful bacteria and where possible, pregnant women should avoid handling them for if they do get contaminated, it can have adverse effects on their developing embryos. If you do allow your bitch to eat the placentas, you may find she will develop a nasty diarrhoea afterwards, which also further states that the above must contain some truth! She may not become ill from consumption, but it will affect her digestive tract.
The importance of knowing all placentas were expelled could make the difference of life and death for your bitch. If a placenta or part of one is retained, she can become quite toxic and die soon after the birth.
If you suspect not all the placentas were expelled, it is imperative to have your vet administer Oxytocin, a Penicillin injection, and oral antibiotics and the sooner the better. The placenta will not be seen to be expelled whole, or it may, but most likely, it will liquefy and be expelled along with the discharge post whelping.
This is a complication post whelping which should not be ignored at all.
For more such information buy my books available for sale directly from me.
Written by Anne Roditis-Muscat
© copyright 2007
