Hello I was just wondering in the event of a stuck puppy half way out the birth canal do you apply obsteric gel to the outside or insert it inside with a syringe? Then slowly start turning and pull gently downwards with every contraction.

P.S TOY BREED

As soon as my toy breed goes into labour I fill 4 syringes to be prepared!!

It doesn't matter if I squirt it down the sink after!

I empty all 4 syringes evenly around the vulva.  I have only ever put the syringe just inside.  And I never turn, slowly or otherwise.

And I definitely don't pull downwards.

Hi yeah I was going to do that with the syringes. Its in a book called `Breeding a Litter` where it says to turn the puppy and pull towards the floor away from  the spine. What is the correct way to do it?

Are you just assuming that the puppy and mother wont be able to do this themselves?
Intervention is ONLY for when it's needed not as a matter of course.

My bitches do all this themselves and I justa watcha nad make encouraging noises.

I only step in if there's difficulty. A 'stuck' puppy would need a vet if you are a beginner or risk causing damage to whelp and mother.

Have to agree with tooolz.  You are not anywhere near knowledgeable enough to risk injury to your bitch.  I've been involved in many whelpings, and had very many excellent mentors, as well as assisted numerous vets before I felt qualified enough to assist a bitch in this way.

And that is after more than 35 years of experience.  You must not be silly enough to think that you can manipulate a stuck puppy.  You could do untold damage.  As well as lose your bitch and whelps.  Leave manipulation to the experts. 

Hi No I hope she doesn't get into any complications and would never harm my bitch. It's just in the book of the bitch it says if a puppy is stuck half way out it is useless to ring the vet as the puppy would be dead by time it got to veterinary attention. It then goes on to say that to help the bitch gently pull on the puppy downwards with every contraction. This is only what I read in the book of the bitch. In all of her whelps I have never iterfeird I let her do everything. A friend on mine won't let his bitch clean the pups herself but I let her do everything and only step in if its required for the sake of the bitch and puppies.

yes the book does say this and thank god it did because ive had to do it afew times but the 1st time i just followed what it said in the book plus i had help with a very good friend from this forum watching and helping me via my web cam ,if i hadnt pup would of died before vet got here ,mum and pup was fine!

> It then goes on to say that to help the bitch gently pull on the puppy downwards with every contraction.

I'm sorry, but I do still disagree. 

I read another one that said to gently ease up towards the chest.  pull down and round sort of thing.  Have Vet on standby incase you can't do it.  Hope its not needed.

> I read another one that said to gently ease up towards the chest.

Correct!

yes thats the way i did it ,when mum delivers a pup it all ways comes round to her not straght down :)

I don't know about the gel, but if a pup is stuck then it's too late for the pup to take them to the vets, I read all the books and the most helpful to me on this was the leaflet that came with the whelping box.  I was lucky for the first two litters - all delivered by the bitches and all fine.  The third was not so easy, smaller breed and the first pup was stuck, properly breech.  Fortunately I'd read the leaflet and had help.  It took us both to hold her and for me to gently turn the pup so he was face down and ease him out.  Then we had a race to the vets as the second pup was clearly not coming out...she had a c-section for that one which was a lot plumper than the first.  The friend who helped had a bitch whelping last christmas and I went over to help, no action so off to vets.  We decided to stay in car in car park fortunately - we could have stayed in the vets but bitch doesn't like the vets.  When first pup on way it was clear he was stuck well inside the bitch and I struggled for a bit unsuccessfully before asking for help...being Boxing Day it was busy but vet came out and after what seemed like forever she managed to get him out.  How, I'll never know...but she handed him to me with a surprised 'he's alive!' and I worked on him to keep him that way.  Now he's huge!  His sister eventually was born and then she had a c-section because there were two more, but they were dead unfortunately.

There will be pups you can help ease out - with experience there will be more.  How the vet got this pup out I don't know - only glad she could.  In many respects we'd have been better insisting on a c-section but this is only hindsight!

> I read all the books and the most helpful to me on this was the leaflet that came with the whelping box. 

The best ever book I have read regarding helpful advice during malpresentations was when I bred my first litter back in the 70's.  It was called Dog Breeding for Professionals.  I have read many, many books since, but this is still my favourite - even above BOTB.