Dog breeding can be a painful procedure for the female dog as she is forced to give birth to one litter after another just to produce offspring of a particular breed. Why it is even more draining to the bitch is because she is bred continuously, which can be exhausting for the body. There are two ways in which dog breeders go about this.
The surgery method – a Cesarean section is not something that one puts their dog through on a regular basis. While back-to-back deliveries using the C Section method are not possible, a dog can have puppies again after one major Cesarean operation. The next birth procedure need not be an operation again as natural birth is possible.
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In this article, we shall discuss everything you need to know about this complicated topic.
Can A Dog Have Puppies Naturally After Having a C Section?
Yes, a female dog can have puppies naturally after having a C-section surgery. However, this mostly depends on the reason for her C-section in the first place. For example, small dogs like Terriers or Mastiffs often need these surgeries due to their small size.
Often, the reason for a C-section operation is also the fact that your bitch may be carrying a singleton in her belly. Singletons are just one puppy born alone, and they tend to grow very big in size, which is why they require surgery to be delivered.
In cases when the first birth was a singleton, then you might want to do an X-ray the next time you are going for natural birth and consider what the vet says on the matter.
How Many Times Can You C-Section A Dog?
Technically speaking, a C-Section can be done multiple times on a dog. There is no limit to how many times the operation can be performed, as doing surgery with marks from the previous one can definitely help ease the procedure and do less harm to the bitch. This brings us to the ethics of doing multiple surgeries on one dog.
Most responsible breeders believe that C-section births should be done not more than two or three times for a dog. The procedure is draining; hence it is important to limit the quantity so that the health of the bitch and her litters can be maintained.
When Do Dogs Need A C-Section Birth Surgery?
There are many different reasons why a C-Section Surgery will be recommendable as well as necessary in your female dog’s birth procedure. Some of the reasons are as follows.
1. Difficulty in Labor
Some dogs have a condition called dystocia, which causes several problems during birth and can happen due to many different reasons – mother dog being unable to push out babies; half of the litter has been pushed out but the rest remain for more than four hours due to exhaustion or blockage in the birth canal.
Sometimes, a fetus can be facing the opposite direction or maybe tilted sideways and such, which can make it very difficult to pass through the birth canal. Since birth is a very difficult process, female dogs can also go into ‘uterine inertia’ wherein one body part becomes too exhausted to function.
2. Breed
As you may have heard before, breed dogs normally have a lot of health issues in their lifetime due to the fact that they are pedigree breeds. A lot of breeds tend to have flattened faces and noses like bulldogs, terriers, or pugs. They are known as brachycephalic breeds, and they tend to have a lot of breathing problems.
Brachycephalic dogs are also generally small in size and have a more narrow pelvis, which makes pushing babies out difficult. Combined with their medical condition of breathing, natural birth can be a risky procedure for them due to the strenuous pain and long hours of laying down that birth requires.
Some breeds that may need a C-Section birth surgery are English and French Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Pekingese, and Shih Tzus.
Larger dog breeds that might require a C-Section birth are Mastiffs, St. Bernards, and German Wirehaired Pointers. These require surgery due to medical conditions like hip dysplasia or long birth canals.
3. Internal Disturbance
Sometimes, a C-Section surgery might be required when there is some internal disturbance in your bitch’s stomach. This can be either infection, internal bleeding, or the death of one or more puppies inside the womb. In cases like these, you would require getting surgery to get the creatures out.
You can check for any internal organ disturbance through vaginal discharge may that come in your female dog’s pee. If the discharge is any colored substance like red, yellow, green, or black, you might need to go get your dog checked by the doctor. At such times a C-Section can rescue puppies that still have a chance of survival.
4. Overdue Birth
Birth is a new process for any female who is going through it for the first time. With animals, the changes and instincts can be difficult to understand, and sometimes, your bitch may not be going into labor way past her due date. The reasons can vary – from the size of the pups to the mother’s immunity.
Hence, in these cases, C-sections can be used to remove the stuck puppies and relieve the mother dog.
How Long Does It Take For A Dog To Get Over C Section?
Since a C-Section operation is a complicated procedure that can cause a lot of blood loss, the recovery period of your dog mainly depends on her immunity and health. It is not just the anesthesia she has to recover from; she also needs to gain back the strength after an operational birth.
Taking into account all these factors, your female dog should be completely healed and ready to go about weaning her pups in around 3 weeks’ time.
How Long Should A Dog Wait Between Litters?
Most well-bred dogs can usually handle giving birth to a lot of litters without draining their bodies. However, the healthy number of litter per dog is normally 4-6 litters. Although breeding back to back is possible, it can have a lot of harmful consequences.
The safe frequency at which a female dog should give birth is one litter every 18 months to 2 years. The legal way to go about breeding your dogs is to breed one litter per year for those bitches that have not reached the upper limit 6. No more than 2 C-sections are also healthy for your dog.
Although scientifically, it is possible for female dogs to give around 3 litters every year, the situation should be best avoided. Ethically, you should wait until the next heat period for your dog.
Related Questions
What Happens To A Dog After C-Section?
Dogs usually get better in a total of 3 weeks time to start weaning the newborns. A cesarean section surgery can be difficult, but it does not affect the dog mentally or physically. Your bitch may take time and effort to recover, but most dogs survive C-section surgeries, and it is a safe procedure.
How Long Is A Dog’s C-Section Birth?
A dog’s C-Section birth surgery usually takes around 45 minutes up to 1 hour with the inclusion of time required to prepare and anesthetize the dog. Obese or larger dogs might take slightly longer.
When Can I Wash My Dog’s C-Section Incision?
Post-surgery, you need to wait at least 2-5 days after the operation to wash your female dog.
Why Does My Dog Reject Her Puppies After C-Section Operation?
Cesarean birth can very well make the mother more distant from her puppies than a natural birth would. She might even reject and try to harm the babies; hence you need to be very careful about monitoring their interactions.
What To Do To Make My Dog Accept Her Puppies?
You need to make sure to always supervise the puppies when around a mother who is rejecting the pups. Start by initiating supervised breastfeeding sessions every 2 hours. Be prepared for mood swings and understand your female dog. In a while, the mother might start recognizing the puppies as her own and accept them.
Final Thoughts
Though a C-section operation is major surgery, it is mostly considered safe. An analysis showed that around 70% to 90% of puppies survive a Cesarean section, and around 99% of dog mothers recover from this procedure. Apart from blood loss, there is not much of a harmful threat when it comes to C-Sections.
Despite all this, natural birth is always more favorable for avoiding cases like oxytocin administration, hemorrhage, or ovariohysterectomy. Most of the time, it is small dogs who require this complicated procedure. Hence, always go about what your vet instructs in cases of dog birth.