My Boston has free whelped her pups with my help, and I'm getting a c-section and spay on her this time,I have never had a c-section and was wondering if there is anything to worry about with her and the pups. I'm all stressed out with this big day soon approaching. Temp. reading starts tomorrow and 10 days left. Any advice would be greatly appreciated..thank you...

I have no experience of C sections+ a spay and wonder why you are electing to have this done if she whelped easily last time? Forgive my ignorance but I have only heard of this happening during a regular c section when things go wrong, or is this common practise? There is always a risk with any op, and I certainly wouldn't inflict an operation on a bitch that is not neccesary. If you go ahead there is always a chance that she may lose the puppies and then she is spayed with no way back to try again, if its important to you to keep a puppy. Are there reasons you haven't mentioned for the c section + spay - is the vet expecting a problem whelping? Although most c sections go ok there are no guarantees. If she were mine I would let her whelp and then have her spayed a month or so after the pups are sold. Please dont think I am "having a go" cos I'm not, just surprised at what seems to me an uneccesary c section. Although its a routine op, its still a big one and very traumatic and dehydrating for the bitch, which sometimes means a poor milk supply to begin with and always the chance of infection afterwards. If you have her spayed later she will not have puppies to look after and can recover much more quickly.

My vets will not do a C-Section and spay at the same time unless it is an emergency as they feel that the massive sudden loss of fluids from the bitch are life threatening

C-Sections are generally little problem and with my current litter the last two were born this way and if we had not known we would not have been aware that the dam had had one. The wound had healed and scarred by the time the stitches came out.

Christine

I guess I should be more clear...sorry...Boston's are very well known for c-sections because of their big heads and narrow pelvics. Well the last time she was bred it took 3 hours a puppy and I'm pushing them back to turn around, lots of ky to lubricate them,they were way up there and was getting ready to bring her in when she and I finally got him out,they had very big heads which is nice for a boston but to hard to get out.Labour and birth was much longer than before. If I'm going to open her up I would rather only do it once than twice, I don't want to put her under more than I have to.They are very much like english bulldogs/french bulldogs for whelping except don't need to be artificaly insemenated and some times can free whelp with help. Thank you for the reply's, just worried cause I know its a big surgery..sorry for not explaining why...

Hi dollface, I dont wish to be rude, but how can this be "nice for a boston" Im sure you mean it is nice as that is what a Boston is supposed to have, but how can having stuck puppies, bad births, pups manually rotated,be correct? I know Bostons are not the only breeds to suffer these kinds of problems, but if breeders didnt always try to breed for extremes of breed standards, these sort of problems would occur only rarely, not on a regular basis.

Thanks for the info. I still would do "one op at a time" personally. I think it will be too much of a risk as Christine said to do both at once, and if you want a puppy to keep for yourself I would definately wait and spay later, for her sake AND yours. It would be so disappointing to lose maybe the only bitch/dog (whatever you were hoping to keep) and have no way of trying again. I know that two seperate ops will cost more, but would be safer. Sorry I have digressed a bit as you were asking for experiences of those that have done "the double", has anyone had this double op done succesfully. with live puppies and quickly recovering bitch who lactated well?

My vet said that we would do the c-section and go from there, it depends on Tiva of course on how she is before she does the spay. (there is no way she would endanger her life,she treats them as her kids which is nice. I'm hoping I can go in.).I have already kept 2 Boston pups(male and female) off of her,not keeping anymore,not planning to,knowing me if I could I would keep the whole litter.).They are all fixed, her and my dog are the only intact ones in my house soon to be just him though. I just called my breeder(happy I got a hold of her) to ask her and she had 2 go in for a c-section and one was spayed, the other wasn't because it wasn't safe. Calling other breeders it is very unheard of a boston free whelping. So far her temp.37.5 C, but she is getting restless and uncomfortable. She also had like a piece of skin coming out of the vagina during her labour (reading over my notes)I had to push it and keep it out of the way,but it went away a couple of hours after delivery,had her vet checked and can't remember what she said it was I was up 48 hrs that time.
Thank you all for the replies, they have been helpful,after reading the first posts I called my vet and that is what she told me. So that makes me feel better. According to exrays these pups have pretty big heads compared to her pelvic. I'm hoping for the best...thanks again...

Hi dollface. do I read your post correctly? You are NOT keeping a puppy, and yet you have mated your bitch knowing full well, she will probably have to have a c- section? :(

Phil,
It's basically the entire breed that needs the c-sections. :( Something about the bull-faced narrow hip types.... English Bulldogs are another with high c-rates.

And yes, without human intervention, the breed would vanish---epecially since dogs will mate rather non-selectively ;) :D :D :D Then again, all breeds are basically man-made constructs :rolleyes: ;) :D

Thankyou eoghania for explaining...
Before you jump down my throat here philippa you should check out the Brachycephalic breeds.(the size between the bitches narrow pelvis and puppies thick head and shoulders makes it impossible for natural whelping). That is why these breeds cost alot to keep going(which I know breeding any dog breed does). Boston's are mostly always c-sectioned(as all Brachycephalic),but I have been lucky with my bitch to free whelp (not common),bulldogs can't breed on their own either, bostons can, I have to get x-rays due to big heads before so free whelping is not an option for me this time,I'm not about to lose my bitch and her pups. Not everyone keeps pups off their litters,if you read my earlier post you would of read that I kept 2 pups.I have 4 Bostons.Yes these breeds you do breed them knowing full well that they ALL need c-sections,because of man made dogs we have come to this,and I happen to love the Brachycephalic breeds,all our dogs more or less came from the grey wolf(which does come in other colors)but we made them to suit what we like. I was just wondering if I was getting all stressed out for nothing because I have never had a c-section and if able she is also getting spayed..Since her pups have been as big as 10 ounces which is pretty big for a boston...My replies were very helpful so I called my vet and everything depends on how my Tiva is doing,which did make me feel better.

If your vet knows in advance that you wish to have your girl spayed then if it's possible he'll spay her during the c-section.

I hope it all goes well for you,

Fiona
x x x

Could I just ask though if you're not keeping any from this particular litter (the two you mentioned earlier were from a previous litter by the same bitch), then knowing the health problems etc with whelping- what were your reasons for risking things by having another litter?

Stacey x x x

P.S; Not being funny or anything just trying to establish if there is any logical reson to having this particular litter since you're not keeping any? Trying to suss out the method in your madness

For one I explained all this..Because of the size of her pups this time there is absolutley no way around it she needs a c-section and I am also planning on spaying her. Bostons are not known to Ever be able to free whelp, they are Always c-sectioned which makes them a hard breed from the getgo. If we never did this there would be no Boston terriers, English bulldogs, French bulldogs ect.So yes even knowing that these breeds are c-sectioned breeders still breed them they are fully aware of them not being able to free whelp, or there wouldn't be any of these breeds. Man has made these breeds what they are today. To keeping a puppy,does everyone keep pups off every litter? If all breeders kept a pup from every litter just imagine how many pups /dogs you would have.You could call any breeder and I'm sure they don't keep pups off every litter.
The reason for it is because this is how these dogs have their pups there is no way around it (pups big head and shoulders bitch small pelvic). When I was calling breeders for my stud they only had 2 or 3 in a litter (c-sectioned all the time) and they were selling all, they weren't keeping them, and yes I'm sure some breeders keep a pup to keep the line going.

Hi doll face, I dont think you will find many breeders on this board breed a litter unless they want something to keep themselves. If a breeder dosnt keep a pup, then obviously the bitch was only being bred from, for financial gain.

If all breeders kept a pup from every litter just imagine how many pups/dogs you would have. You could call any breeder and I'm sure they don't keep pups off every litter

You'd have 8 dogs- my breeder keeps one from every litter, which averages a litter every 18 months or so. And YES she does keep a pup from every litter! This is the only reason she has a litter in the first place.

Stacey x x x

I have kept pups from all of my litters, otherwise what is the point of having the pups. When you breed at best you break even, at worst you lose your bitch. I would not risk my bitches for others to have pups.
This year I had a bitch who needed a c-section, the vet said the litter nearly cost her her life, yet some breeders told me to have another litter next year from her. I had her spayed, I love her and would not risk her life having another litter.

Why would you risk your bitch just to sell the pups on???????????? What's the point????????
I have 8 dogs at present and have kept pups from all 4 litters I have bred. The mother who was spayed produced boys and I wanted a girl but it was her first and only litter and I have kept a boy. He is now 7 mths old and boy am I glad I kept him.

I can see why a breeder may end up not keeping a pup from a litter - ie they did not come up to expectations for show standards, new breeding stock(hate that term!!) etc - but to plan a litter with no intention of having a puppy especially when you know up-front that it will not be a normal straight-forward delivery seems at odds to me.

jmho

Pam n the boys

My bitch had her final (third) litter4 last August, after which I had planned to spay her. She ended up needing a C section due to Inertia (small litter) and she was spayed at the time, to save having another abdominal opl, as the C section had gone quickly, and the vet was happy she was fit to have it done.

My vets will not do a c-section and a spay together because last year they did one and the bitch haemorraged (sp) 24 hours later and was back on the operating table for 2 hrs and then the day after the stitches were removed she haemorraged again. She survived but the practise no longer do both together!

I had a bitch that had inertia, and spayed. No problems came from
this except she was more sore than usual. But after day three she
settled back. It did not stop her mothering the pups either. The vet
told me that if its a first time mum then spaying can make them not
produce milk or bond. However an experienced bitch will be fine.
I dont know as I have never had a first time bitch spayed at whelp.
Nutkin

whoops replied in wrong spot,thank you all...

ive just had an elective ceasar on my bitch-for the same reason in as much as she had an awful time passing the pups in the last litter-however, unless shed had a lot to offer the breed, which in my opinion she has, [also judges and her puppy owners] then id not of ever had another litter from her------and certainly not if id had no intentions of keeping any for myself-i cant think of any other reason than [MONEY] that youd put your bitch through it all ,then suggest having her speyed at the same time-havent you been warned doing the two together [although obviously cheaper] --will infact put the bitches milk supply at risk! --sorry but i dont think it was for the best , !

Hi diz, I had asked exactly the same question but didnt get a reply. If the owner is not keeping a pup, why put the bitch through it again?