Slight spin off from another thread at the moment. I just wondered how often vets do a C sect and don't let owners help. On the odd occasion when I have had one my vet likes us to stay and help out with reviving pups. I would be horrified if they asked me to leave and go home to await a phone call. I think I would be changing vets. What do others do?
Aileen

I have not yet had this experience thankfully.
But if I did, I would NOT be leaving my girl...simple. I would camp out in the waiting room if I had to but I would not leave the vets.

I think it is very common. I would imagine there are some grey area about insurance and some vets probably don't mind whilst others will. It probably depends on how much you really trust your vet if they preferred you not to be there.

I have had both senarios and both worked out fine.

When I had my first ever C Sec in Aug 2009 at 0230 in morning I had to sit in car park for a couple of hours and then went stright back in as soon as it was all finished and cleaned up.

My vet doesn't let us help in any way, we sit in the waiting room waiting for news being supplied with tea and coffee, then we wait until mum is 1/2 awake then take them all home!  Sometimes they ask us to go home and ring at a certain time, but we've never done that, we always wait, even if it's hours.

The  First ever and hopefully last C section we had we took bitch in at 2am stayed with her. We being my daughter and I were asked if we could help bring puppy's round, as only one vet nurse on duty and save bringing one back who had just gone home. As each pup was born we were handed it with clamp still attached was hard work trying to get 6 pups going as they come so quick.

Bill however did reflect the fact that we did most of the pup work and needed no help in getting the pups to feed asap mum was still very drousy we then took her home about an hour and half later.

My vets are a 24/7 veterinary hospital, so they say the operating theatre is fully manned so don't need any help, even during the night, I know many of my breeder friends are allowed to assist.

I hope if I am ever in that situation I would be allowed to assist, as a trained midwife who is used to resuscitating newborns I would be a great asset to proceedings.

My old vet wouldn't allow me to be present for a scan when I had concerns at day 60 so now have a new one which seems more breeder friendly.

Rhona

I never thought to ask when my girl had one last year, but my friend who uses that vet says there is no way they would let the owner watch or help.

I think it all depends on how well your vet knows you, last thing the vet wants is to have a fainting owner in the room. Also how nice/good/call it what you like your vet is.  If I felt something would help me or my dogs and my vet refused I would turn and find a vet I had confidence in, trust is two way.  I had a bitch that was going to have major surgery.  I told my vet the only way I could leave her was to be with her till she was asleep on the table.  My vet knew the reason I needed to have this and was more than happy to oblidge.  I imagine a lot of owners dont want to/dont think of what is going to happen.  at the end of the day we are paying a huge amount of money, therefore we need to be considered.

I think we use the same vets Aileen, and my last litter was a c-section at 4am Peter asked me if I could assist and to bring someone else with me as well.

I know we do Lynn !!! maybe I am a scarey person but not one of our Vets would ask me to leave...LOL

our vets asked us to leave and wouldnt start the c section til we had paid for it first, £700.

> our vets asked us to leave and wouldnt start the c section til we had paid for it first, £700

   

Blimey!  I have to be fair and say that, for me anyway, a C-section is usually at night, and I pay next time I go in.  To pay up front is awful!

I have been asked to go into the operating theatre at night for one of my Collies (not a section) just to assist until she was anaesthetised (saved calling the vet nurse back out when she had just gone to bed.)

I couldn't stay and watch though - daft really when I've watched post mortems at work, but I wouldn't want to watch you cut one of my dogs open!  However, I only stay in the nurses kitchen next door to theatre, and make myself a coffee if I have a bitch needing a section.  Most of the vets will call me in afterwards so I can wait for my girl to come round, and watch pups with an oxygen mask!  Very tiny pups, so all heads in the same mask!

I once had an emergency section with a vet that was fairly new, so didn't know me.  He asked if I usually go home and wait for a phone call.  I said no, I go upstairs with you and make a coffee while you operate.  They must think I'm a cheeky so and so!

I accompanied a breeder friend with one of her bitches a few years ago, for a c-section. There is no way on earth that she'd leave anyway, but vet was more than happy for us to wait, and as you've said, we were reviving pups. I hope to goodness that I never experience a c-section on one of my own girls, but I would stay at the vet.

If I'd had an expectation of a large litter I might have asked to stay in case they wanted help reviving pups (not that I've ever done it, but I know their focus is on the bitch). But with Ellie I needed the C-section because she only had 1 and wasn't starting labour naturally.