After a bitch has had a c-section, should she still pass placentas or should they have been removed during the op?  No pups were born naturally all by c-section?

They will all have been removed by the vet.

That's what I thought, so how come she's passed one yesterday, now I'm getting worried :-(

Go back to vet, and if you are worried don't be fobbed off.  My friends bitch had a section and she knew a day or so after that her bitch wasn't right she went back to the vet to ask if there was a chance there could still be a placenta there and was told not to worry the bitch would be fine against her better instincts (she herself is a midwife so knew what she was talking about) she took her vets advice and to cut a horrible long story short her bitch died of scepticemia (dont think thats spelt correctly!!)  from infection from the retained placenta a few days later.  So I don't want to worry you as the majority of bitches are fine but you know your bitch better than anyone else and if you are at all worried about her go back to the vet.

> That's what I thought, so how come she's passed one yesterday,

Oh Sharon, that is awful.  I would be so, so mad if my vet had left one in.  Agree that you should go back with haste.  And perhaps change your vet once you know that your girl is ok.

So sorry for you, you must be demented.
Jean

Hi Sharon,

How is your girl?

I had a placenta retained and my girl got really sick really quickly, i always count them out but this bitch is sooo fast she gets most of them without me really seeing them so there was a ? over 1 placenta. 2 days later she began shaking and was unable to stand, i carried her to the car (not easy with 50kg bitch) and my vet said she had a retained puppy. Operated to find no puppy but a placenta trapped in a pocket of the uterus that had managed to flip back itself, she is fit and well now with her 7 babies....but i was in tears as i really thought i was going to lose her she was so sick.

I do hope your girl is ok, but very bad of the vet to leave one behind :(

Blimey thats bad on the vets part :(

How is she now??

Thankfully this afternoon she seems a lot better, all pups were born by c-section so was totally shocked to find her passing a placenta, her discharge has cleared up slightly too now, she is on Anti-biotics so at least has some cover, I spoke to my vet and he tried to say it was just 'placental matter' but I actually laid it out  (with my gloves on) and it was a full placenta!

The only problem with changing vets is that the vet we have now, covers 99% of Bristol vets out of hours surgeries so we would probably end up there anyway should we need an out of hours vet.

Sharon

I am so glad that your girl is ok.  I understand your reason for not changing vets, but it isn't insurmountable!  I will only use a vet that does their own out of hours.  If I call at 2am I know someone will meet me at the veterinary hospital, and it will be a vet from the practise that I have already met.

I do have to get on the motorway, but it's only 20 minutes, and I guess (as your coming from a different direction), that it would take you around half an hour on the M5.  They are definitely used to your breed.  PM me if you want more info.

I have actually met you, you just don't know it!  :-)

Anyway, I am so glad that you didn't end up losing your bitch - which could so easily have happened if you hadn't been on the ball.

Jean....have PM'd you thanks