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Cesarean Surgery:  An Interesting Case In A Dog

Cesarean Surgery In A Dog:  The call came in to a local veterinarian at about three o'clock in the morning.  (These middle-of-the-night calls almost always indicate to a veterinarian that there will be no more sleep this night!)   A two year old Chihuahua was having difficulty delivering her pups.  This condition, called DYSTOCIA, requires immediate attention.  So off the veterinarian went to assist the exhausted and troubled mother.

Upon examination the veterinarian noticed that the mother was thin, displayed a state of dehydration and seemed to show little interest in straining... having muscle contractions to help push the pups on their way.  Her temperature , heart rate and blood sugar levels were normal.  The owner indicated her dog was having contractions starting about five p.m., had strong contractions every ten minutes for two hours, and still produced no puppies.  After the two hours of straining her attempts at abdominal contractions occurred only every twenty to thirty minutes... then not at all.  She was becoming weaker and the owner decided to call.

The veterinarian took an x-ray and saw that four pups were needing to be presented to the world as soon as possible.  An intravenous catheter was inserted to facilitate administration of oxytocin, dextrose and calcium in very measured and controlled amounts.  The goal was to stimulate the uterine muscles to contract so that the veterinarian could grasp the pup and assist with delivery.  Over the next three hours three healthy pups were delivered... but then the mother could respond no further.  Surgery was indicated to remove the last pup in the hopes of ending the mother's ordeal and to increase the chance of saving the unborn pup's life.  (If the placenta separates from the uterine wall the pup will die within minutes.)

That's when my phone rang...
"Hi Dr. Dunn.  Can you come in and do a C-section on a dog that's in trouble?  I have appointments starting in a few minutes and I'm the only doctor here today; and this little gal really needs some help."

Within the hour I was moving the scalpel along the mother's skin, entering her abdomen to retrieve the reluctant fetus.  I noticed that the mother was not well nourished and that she must be severely stressed after all these hours of labor.  I found that the problem with the delivery was most likely due to poor nutrition and poor hydration because her internal tissues had very scant fat deposits and her intra-uterine tissues were noticeably poorly hydrated.  With the three attendants assisting and careful monitoring of her vital signs and the use of today's best analgesics and anesthetics, we were able to remove the pup and save it.  After I handed the newborn to an assistant, I spayed the patient as the owner requested.  No more pups for this dog!  Take a look at the photos below to see what went on during this Cesarean surgery procedure.  Click on the images to see full sized photos.

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	A Cesarean Surgery Procedure in a Dog: (Click on an image to enlarge)
The dog is prepared for surgery.	The skin incision is made...	and the abdominal wall is incised.
The uterus is located	and drawn gently to the outside.	The pup is located
and the thin uterine wall is carefully	incised to expose the pup	within the placental membranes.
The pup is removed from the uterus	along with the placental tissues	and the pup is placed onto
clean towels for drying and clearing	of the airway to induce breathing.	The uterus is inspected carefully.
In this case the dog is being spayed.  The ovaries and uterus are removed.	Post op incision... the skin is secured by underlying sutures and glue.	The pups are encouraged to nurse as soon as possible.
To order Nursing bottles and Milk Replacer products, visit PetFoodDirect.com		To order high quality pet foods such as Eukanuba, Pro Plan, Iams, Nutro, Wellness and dozens more brands... visit PetFoodDirect.com
See spay and neuter surgery...	Veterinary technicians keep a watchful presence until all vital signs in the mother and the pups are normal.	Learn more about Veterinary Technicians...

(A note from Dr. Dunn: If you choose not to spay your dog or cat, be on the alert for pyometra. It can be very serious.)

* From Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
Main Entry: cesarean section
Variant(s): also cesarian section
Function: noun
Etymology: from the belief that Julius Caesar was born this way
Def. surgical incision of the walls of the abdomen and uterus for delivery of offspring

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