Hesitate to start a new topic, since this could easily be added to 'Pregnancy Complications' or 'Breeding for Profit'. Unable to decide where it fit best, I elected to post it under it's own topic.

After nearly loosing one of my dearest westies today, I question whether any amount of profit we breeders may or may not make, would it ever compensate for this immeasurable loss.

With the many years breeding westies this was the first I had ever experienced a "twisted uterus".

For all the criticism I've read on this board directed at veterinarians, I thank God for mine and their dedication, knowledge,skill and gifted abilities to preserve life.

Just a statement not a querry

Bee!
I'm so sorry. You didn't mention it in your e-mail. Is she doing okay now?
Vets can definitley be heaven sent, or a nightmare. I've had experience with both. I'm happy that you have such a good one where you live.
Let me know how things are going.

Sorry Bumblebee, I suppose in the excitement of Kay's little Jack Russells entry into the world, it helped put my misfortune behind me. Zena is recovering nicely, thanks for asking, as well as, the one surviving male puppy. He may have started out tiny.....but with all the milk to himself he's going to be a very chubby puppy.

My vet/vets are very good and with the benefit of having quite a long history with my dogs they have earned my complete faith & confidence. There is nothing more re-assuring than knowing the balance of your dogs life is in the hands of a trusted surgeon. Even though we lost the two puppies from the twisted left horn, the little guy in the right horn was saved. I was in the surgery with Zena and being able to actually see the twisted uterine horn for myself, I am even more certain that, but not for my vets gifted skills as a surgeon, Zena would not have made it. It was a rather dramatic and heart-stopping experience. But after rescuing the doomed puppy, repairing the internal damage, and stitching Zena up, we were all back home later the very same evening. (This past Monday).

It's now Friday, and Zena and baby are here in my office with me and it remains only a distant (bad) memory. Since Zena was spayed, this special little guy will be her last puppy, which is kinda nice since she will be able to relish him with the attention, a single pup normally receives.

It has certainly been a very "eventful" week.
Thanks for caring, all the best,
Bee
:D "Happy (belated) Birthday" :D

Hi Bee,

Pleased Mum and pup are doing well. Did your vet open her up for a caesar and find the twisted uterus or did he suspect something before operating. If so what were the symptoms please - not heard of this problem before?

Christine

Hi Bee
So sorry to hear that you had all these problems...I had know idea,and yet you still managed to help me with mine...you are very kind lady!

So your little pup is just one day older than mine...
Hope Mum is doing well after her op,and sorry that I did'nt see this post earlier.
Really hope we can stay in touch Kay

Thanks Kay, How are your little ones?
I must say, I am thankful for your event. It was like taking medicine. So maybe we both should thank your little girl and her puppies for coming at just the right time.
I hope you will keep us all informed about your girl and puppies even if it is nothing more than to tell us they're fine. But I suspect, in about three weeks, you'll have all sorts of little stories to share with us.
All the best,

Thanks Christine,

Zena started started showing signs she was going to whelp, typical scratching papers in her box, restless, panting, but after a couple of hours late Sunday nite, she seemed to settle down resting in her whelping box.
This was now about 2:00 a.m. and I fell asleep to awaken suddely as if by telepathy, to see Zena standing two feet away from my bed staring at me. It was now 6:00 a.m.

I noticed her tummy had dropped, but was still definately pregnant. She felt tight, but was not having any contractions, that's when I noticed she had dark brown staining on the fur along her back legs.

I knew something was wrong, so I called my vet at home and he met me in the clinic at 7:00. He did a pelvic exam and said he could barely feel what he thought was the foot of a puppy which he thought was breech and sideways. He telephoned the vet surgeon to tell her to hurry in that Zena needed an emergency C-section.

When the surgeon arrived followed by the third vet. They all three again examined her and agreed it was time to get her on the table The twisted left uterine horn was not discovered until after they opened her.

It took quite a bit of physical force to untwist the horn, which appeared to look like a sock that someone had held by both ends and twisted. But both ends where still attached internally.

The puppy at the end leading to the birth canal had been caught in the twist of the horn, which turned him crossways and ruptured his embryonic sack. (his was the foot they had felt)

Ofcourse he was dead, and the next puppy although had a faint heartbeat, we were never really able to get him to take his first breath. His distress was created by the toxins released from the first puppies trauma.

There was only one little boy in the left horn, which had not been affected by the toxins yet. So he
recovered the same as any c-section puppy would. A little slow to start, but soon after being put in the oxygen tent was crying as they normally do.

Back to Zena, the surgeon repaired the internal injuries, did the spaying, did a lavage to flush the toxins from her system, stitched her up, took her to recover. A couple hours later she was nursing the sole surviving puppy, who along with his mum would have never survived without a surgeons intervention.

My vet told me it is a very rare condition, that had occurred the nite before, most likely caused by the uterine contractions attempting to expel the first (breech) puppy turned crossways, twisting the uterine horn.

But like I said, Zena and baby are doing fine. Both laying here beside me asleep, while I type the details of their ordeal.

"Life is truly a miracle"

Since I am having my normal boring Friday nite, with nothing better to do, I'll type you out the full details, but I am not sure anyone would be able to recognize the trouble and doubt if most will ever experience it.
It is considered very rare.

Sorry, this should have been above the beginning of my above short story. Somehow, the story came first. Sorrry for all who had to read more than they asked for. :D

Hi Bee...Just to let you know that they are all doing fine...although still moving house in the mornings,only time she does it...one even got dragged up the stairs kicking and screaming,poor little fella.Anyway all are were there supposed to be now,happy and content,have to see what tomorrow brings.
Kay

Hi Bee,

Many thanks for explaning and sorry to put you though it again - thank goodness you have co-operative vets.

Best wishes
Christine

Bee,
What a tremendous ordeal for you and Zena. I'm so glad your intuition led you in the right direction and you listened to it. Isn't it funny how sometimes you can just sense something's wrong. I always kick myself when I ignore it and have to find out later that I should have listened to it. So happy that she was able to have one of her babies live. It makes all the difference. It's wonderful to know you have such good vets ready to help out. I want a pic of the mom and son asap!!!!;)