Hello,

I have trawled previous posts looking for some answers but nothing quite fitted my problem.  My large breed girl had her 1st litter 6 days ago, she had 8 puppies all living (varying weights though) and it was a long hard labour, the vet was on call at one stage as there had been 2 hours between delivery's.   We ended up in the vets anyway as she seemed to  settle fine and the re started an hour later but had run out of energy to push. She had a scan,  2 xrays, and the vet said there were  no more puppies left inside. All good, ( i thought) the vet gave her long acting antibiotic jab and anti inflammatory. I had counted placenta's during labour and she was missing 2, however she passed them when we got back from Vets so I don't think there is any left.

She panted constantly (even in sleep) for 3 days afterwards, I was just about to go back to vet when she eased up the panting.

She has not had any appetite, but I am managing to get her to eat and drink, mainly by hand or by offering really tasty stuff !!!

She is a good mum, feeding her puppies well, and keeping them clean, but has seemed pretty depressed since she had them, she didn't leave the puppies for first 2 days but now happily gets out of the bed and sleeps nearby, I leave a selection of food down for her but she tends to want me to hand feed it.

I put the panting down to pain form a long labour and stress of being a 1st time mom, but im questioning myself now.... this evening i noticed a  has a thick black discharge, sticky and lumpy and her tummy feels quite hard, she has not had a temp at all (I've checked several times a day) and she has been moulting terribly since the birth.

Im worried the on call vet got it wrong, she didn't give oxytocin or calcium shots, and the x-rays were done twice as she seemed not to know how to set up the machine, also the scanner was portable and prehistoric and i couldn't make anything out on it but vet pronounced it all clear.

I will go to a different vet tomorrow, one with better equipment, but in the meantime wondered about the black discharge, the first few days after whelping it was a quite normal red / brown and not much of it after day 4, then this evening the horrid black / green stuff, doesn't particularly smell that offensive, but does have a odour of sorts.

Does any of this ring a bell with anyone?

thanks in advance

The panting is normal, she is just experiencing her uterus contracting back down to size.

The black discharge is something i would speak to the vet about ASAP, as it could be Pyometra which is infection in the womb and can be quite dangerous.
I would give your vet a quick call now and explain.

Hi,

I'm a bit tired to post a long reply but just wanted to say that of the six litters i have done on day 6 my bitches are still passing a thickish black/green discharge and panting quite hard.

Her tummy will probably still feel quite large,it's been stretched a fair bit.

I really don't think you've got anything to worry about

If you're worried about infection, get your vet to swab her and check for white blood cells in the discharge. WBCs means she's fighting an infection.

Hi, Thanks for the late night response, I didn't call the vet as it would be the same one from last time on call, and she seems well, pink gums and no temp.

I want to put my mind at rest so will take her to a different vets this morning, they are out of town but the only ones with half way decent surgery, I didn't go there on the night as I was trying to reduce anxiety of a long journey for mum and pups.  I live in farming country so most vets nearby don't do much with small animals.

Will let you know how she gets on later.

thanks

Leave her be!!lol.  You are sounding like my mother fretting about.
All bitches loose their hair, it's how they would warm the nest in the wild.
The tar discharge is normal, it's just her shrinking back(wait till her next season, yuk!)
She's not hungry because nature made it that way.  Placentas are full of protein which keeps her going for a few days.  Would've stopped a wild bitch having to hunt for a few days in the wild and have to leave her pups.
She doesn't want to leave her pups because she's not supposed to.  I always make my girls go out at least once a day in the early days but instinct is telling her not to leave those babies.
She's panting cos she's got several hot water bottles snuggled up to her and it's hard work being a mommy!
Sounds like you've got a fab mum who's getting everything right!

All normal.... text book in fact.

agree she will have a discharge for a while, better out than in ! wanting to be  hand fed and subdued is normal let her look after her babies. Get her out to toilet with a lead on if you must ..she will feel more comfortable afterwards.

Have her checked if you are concerned even if its just for your own peace of mind.

Hi,
Well we did go back to the vets in next town, she has been scanned and there is a "mass" in her uterine horns, the vet said it looks to bog for placenta's and too small for a fully formed grown puppy.  She said the cervix was still open so has given the oxytocin (she was also amazed the vet on the night would not give it) the oxytocin may not do anything 6 days later but she has given it a go.  Her calcium levels are normal.

She also called the other vet to check what drugs she had been given and discovered it was not long acting antibiotic but one they often give to sheep and only lasts 2 days at most, and should have been backed up with tablets.

She hasn't wanted to sleep with the puppies much for last 48 hours and she herself is sleeping most of the time, she will eat and drink if its something very tasty. And she does tend to her puppies when they cry.

She is due back to the vets on friday for a re scan and take it from there.

The discharge is now increasing and a little smelly (the vet has taken swabs)

I know I'm worrying and I have had litters before but my gut wouldn't settle on this, I'd hate to loose my lovely lady so I had to make sure.

Thanks

just shows you to trust your own  instincts ..good on you.

Hope she is improving.

Everything did sound to be quite normal in the first instance, but you did right to follow your gut instinct you did the right thing by your girl x