I have a bitch just confirmed in whelp at 28 days and this is her second litter.  My vet suggested using calcium liquid for the duration of the labour at a dose of 5-6 mls (less than a 1/4 of your ounces - I think) every hour.

She had problems last litter.  After her waters broke, she really didn't progress and only gave one or two tiny pushes as there was no puppy in the birth canal.  She eventually had a c-section and the vet (a different one) said 2 of the puppies had blocked things up.

My current vet suggested as my bitch had been streaming milk during the labour she might have been depleted in calcium and lacking tone in the uterus which contributed to the problem.  Hence the calcium this time.

Just wondering if many breeders use it routinely during whelping?

TBH I wouldn't be breeding from a bitch that had had a C section previously. :(

If the c-section was due to overcrowding then I would breed again. If it was for any other reason then I probably wouldn't. My bitch had a c-section (13 pups!) because one had become stuck across the birth canal. I would have liked to breed again from her (too many dogs, not enough bitches ;-) ) but for various reasons couldn't.

I don't give calcium, but would have it handy, just in case she started eclampsia.

I don't ever give calcium while they're pregnant - having heard the horror stories of it actually being the cause of eclampsyia.

If a decent food is being fed, then all the nutrients that your girl needs are already there.

Having said that, like one of the other posters, I have never mated a girl again after a C-section.  I have them spayed when pups are 12 weeks, and keep them as much loved pets.

Hi Beaglelady

I personally don't use calcium during pregnancy or routine labour.  The body is normally very good at mobilising calcium when it needs it.  If you supplement with calcium during pregnancy you will be "turning off" (not the best way of describing it!!) the body's ability to draw its own calcium.  When the body is looking for calcium it can generally get hold of it (from muscles/bones) quickly, supplemented calcium takes a while longer to be utilized and this time lag can have a detrimental effect at a time of crisis.

The muscles of the body (in particular the uterus) will use Calcium during labour/delivery as the uterus contracts.  In some bitches there can be more calcium used/needed by the muscles than they are able to provide for themselves (usually but not always in cases of prolonged labour or difficult deliveries as the uterus is working for longer or working harder) and these bitches can be helped with supplemental calcium (in mild cases orally, in more severe cases subcutaneously and in extreme cases intravenously).  I would of course recommend that if you have concerns about your girl during her labour/delivery that you seek the advice of your vet as appropriate as elevated levels of calcium can lead to problems with the rhythm of the heart and any supplementation during labour should be done under the advice/supervision of a vet.

In the case of your girls previous labour/delivery (without knowing all the facts) it would appear probable that her uterus tired during labour (due to the dystocia) and her contractions became weak and unproductive.  This scenario may or may not happen again with her next labour/delivery.   Badly presented pups happen from time to time, the fact they've happened once is no indication that they will happen again. 

Calcium under these circumstance can often rectify the situation.  If a bitch is still producing oxytocin the supplementation of calcium can "refresh" the muscles and together they can aid good contractions.  Oxytocin is responsible for the duration/length of a contraction and calcium provides the oomph!  If you like the calcium is the fuel and the oxytocin is the train!

I personally would sit tight during the labour and react accordingly.  If you feel the labour isn't progressing and the bitch is having only mild contractions or she's been working hard for a long time without much progress or the deliveries have been protracted than that's the time I'd contact the vet and that's the time I'd take their advice about giving calcium and/or oxytocin to help things along.  I personally would do nothing until a situation arose where calcium and/or oxytocin supplimentation is warranted as you risk doing more harm than good.

Thanks for the responses so far.

Yes LindyLou, the vet that performed the caesar said that 2 of the puppies were head to head creating an obstruction.  Hopefully she will whelp normally this litter.  She comes from a long line of free whelping bitches.

She is fed Royal Canin Junior throughout the pregnancy and lactation period.

The calcium was a suggested by my reproduction specialist vet ONLY to be used during the actual labour, NOT during the pregnancy!  This was due to the fact that she was running with milk.  I mean streaming out down her belly.  She felt she may have a mild depletion of calcium which interferes with contractions.  She said the small oral doses of the "correct" calcium supplement would not harm my bitch.  So it is just for the labour, nothing to do with a major depletion of calcium which is eclampsia and requires urgent veterinary treatment with IV calcium.

Just wondered if anyone else had used it during labour to aid contractions.

Thank you Chris!

Your post was very helpful in understanding why she may have suggested the very small doses of calcium.

We were very lucky in the end with the 2 little obstructing puppies surviving (the other 2 in the litter were fine).  The more I have read up on indicators for the use of oxytocin, I realise the emergency vet we went to (it was the middle of the night of course) should not have administered 2 shots over quite a long period of time before I finally insisted on a c-section.  He actually wanted to try a third dose.

Last time my bitch never went off her food at any stage of the pregnancy and while feeding her puppies so I was not concerned that her diet may be inadequate. In fact she was the opposite which made life easy, as I know some bitches can be a worry with not eating.  She's already ravenous at 4.5 weeks in whelp this time LOL.

Thanks again for the interesting and informative reply.