Can I ask the breeders on here what you do ?
Speaking to breeders some always get the vet to check the bitch, and routinely give an injection to make sure nothing is left behind.
Other breeders have said that the injection can cause more upset to the bitch, and if she is settled and feeding her puppies leave well alone.
Over to you for your opinions.

We had our first litter just over 12 months ago. Easy whelping for mum, very settled and comfortable with the babies, and happy to stay and feed them; but I did have my vet come out to us after 24 hrs to check everything and everyone was OK (I was worried about one little guy as we had to encourage him to come round and latch on). He did give her a jab of oxytocin, as in his words 'just to make sure there's no more left in there' (she was huge and we were expecting more tho tbf to him. As it was there were no more puppies to come
  When we have our next litter, as long as everything goes smoothly, I will still probably get my vet to come to check everyone, but will not have the oxytocin jab unless I (& with my vets guidance) feel she needs it.

I did it for my first litter, then never again. I don't think it is fair. Either you drag mum and newborns off in the car to the vets with all the negative associations with that place (and all germs around), or you ask the vet to come to the house, inviting a more or less stranger into the house when the bitch feels the most vulnerable and protective and I would not even let my own family visit.

Never, ever had the need to involve a vet, well except of course when difficulties arise during the birth. 

I would leave her well alone unless you had any concerns.

I would never take a bitch a newborns into a surgery and would not be keen on having a vet handle my pups unless they were very carefully disinfected....as they do spend all day handling sick animals.

Have never used an injection after either.My vet said it can make the bitch a bit hyper and unsettled. I like homeopathic caullopyllum given during labour and after to keep expelling anything left behind.

Ali

I always have the vet come round to check on them after 24 hours, but have never needed the bitch to have a routine injection. The vet also visits three days later to remove the dewclaws. Neither time does the bitch see the vet with the puppies; she is always taken out to toilet when the vet does the first quick check of the pups, then the bitch is quickly checked before she goes back to them. It all takes a matter of seconds.

I always have the shot and the vet to check, With my lazy whelping breed and the size it is so easy to miss a pup. I wait for about 3 hrs from the last pup and if there are no signs of any more the vet comes to my house and scans and gives a shot. It is not uncommon in my breed for bitches to have most of the pups then once feeling less full to settle with the pups and forget that she has more to come !!! We scan to make sure. I have had pups born 48 hrs later dead and rotting, that's why we now scan. If we find any more we can get them out quickly. The girls are very used to the vets and I never have a problem with them getting stressed. I suppose other people may do and so can see why they choose not to call them out. I never ever go to the surgery always asking for a house call, we do the dew claws at home and any problems the vet comes to me. It would have to be a real emergency needing the equipment at the surgery for me to go there. Even the puppy checks prior to homing are done at home. It costs more but I feel it is a small price to pay for my peace of mind.
Aileen

unless bitch running a temp or i had a gut feeling there was something else, i wouldnt, after all suckling causes hormones to make the uterus contract back therefore expelling remnants.

I never get the vet to check.  Simply because I once had a vet tell me that there were no more to come.  I could feel one, he insisted it was the spleen.  Rather than argue I asked for a scan or an x-ray.  He wanted to do a scan to prove me wrong.  As soon as I saw the heart beat I asked for a C-section.

I feel that I am quite capable of checking my own bitches and would only use the vet if I felt there was a problem.   I have never, ever had oxytocin after a normal whelping. 

With the best will in the world Jean in my breed you would be hard pressed to find a single pup under all that coat and the size of them !! I wish I could ! For me it is a case of better safe than sorry. I know, I have been there. I think it is very breed specific. When I had the GSD's I never worried as I could feel anything but with a Bernese it is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Even a bitch at 7 weeks if it is a small litter it can be hard to tell she is carrying pups. I can, but I have experience but for someone who is an infrequent breeder it would be impossible. When my Merlot carried a singleton we struggled to find him on the scan, we did but it was a close run thing. The little boy born weighed in at nearly 2lbs! that's the same as a bag of sugar and neither the vet or I could feel him in there. Her Mum had a litter of 4 and never looked pregnant, the pups were clear on the scan but because the bitches are so deep bodied no one could feel them at all until the week before they were born!
So my motto now is better safe than sorry
Aileen

Re injecting (assume oxytocin or similar), personally I would never EVER want that done as a routine. If my younger girl had been given that following her mating she would have, quite literally, bled to death :-(  If there is no cause for concern then don't create concern.

Thank You for all the replies, quite a divergence of opinions and I suspect that a lot depends on the breed.
I had occasion once many years ago to have to take a bitch to the vets ( he refused to come out) she had retained a couple of placentas. But it was not a pleasant experience and I did not like the idea of leaving the puppies even though they were on a well covered heat pad.
It is a subject I think that a lot of breeders have strong opinions on, and probably very valid reasons for depending on their own personal experience.
After all the replies I think I will just go with my gut feeling and only call in the vet if I think something is wrong, but be very vigilant.
You can never be to careful, and the nursing care after the birth is the most important and stressful part. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experiences.