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Dam Almost Dies 6 Days After Pups were Born
Pups are out, and you THINK, all is well...
The call came in at 11:00pm... My advice... Go to the vet NOW, no matter the cost!
Scenario: SEPTIC, Dam almost dies on Day 6.
All seemed so good for the first 5 days. But then???
This is what happens if you leave your dam alone to whelp. You just do not know if all the placenta's came out. This dam was NOT left alone, but, she had one puppy, unwitnessed... Silently while we were sleeping RIGHT beside her. The remaining litter was delivered, With the placenta's. But the ONE sneaky puppy, was born, and mom had the sack off, and the pup was breathing, cord clamped, and no placenta. (We assumed she ate it when we woke up to a puppy cry, which is quite exciting. Some dams deliver silently. A retained placenta is not always a problem, but it can turn very, very serious, very very fast.
Here is the story
Dam Delivers her puppies on a Thursday...
Thursday, we call this Day 1
Friday all is normal & fine Day 2
Saturday all is fine & great Day 3
Sunday fine, pups gaining Day 4
Dew claws are removed from the puppies. The vet is happy with everything, BUT... Sunday on night, the dam didn't want to eat her dinner, which is not normal, but not a concern at this time.
Monday the pups are fine, Day 5
Concern: Dam is still not eating, but she is drinking. We try some better foods, and she still refuses? hmmmm?
Tuesday, the pups are fine, BUT the dam is not!! Day 6
She has now Stopped drinking as well as refuse food. As the Day progresses, she becomes Lethargic. We try cooking pure chicken, and she refuses that. Something is wrong. By midnight we are in EXTREME worry, that she wouldn't make morning. She has suddenly become a totally different dog. Looks like she is going to die. She is a total rag doll and fading. Dam Syndrome... We are amazed how fast she has turned on us. We make a midnight emergency vet call. We will NOT wait until morning. She is immediately given antibiotics, BEFORE tests are run. There is no time to wait. She is not dehydrated, as we had been syringing water in her, but she is put on IV, and given a few different proteins by the vet.
Wednesday - Day 7 - She remains at the vet all day on antibiotics without a lot of progress.
Thursday - Day 8 - The vet gives the okay to go home. She has come around. PHWEW !!!!!
Pups have been hand fed, puppy milk replacer for the last few days, every 2 hours and are doing great. They have gained weight in their moms absence.
DIAGNOSIS: The dam went septic!! Canine Septic Shock - Retained the Placenta (Acute) leading to uterine infection toxicity.
And oh my, you cannot imagine how fast your dam will die. Septic is producing sepsis, which is infection by pathogenic micro- organisms.
| The prognosis (outcome) for animals with a retained placenta varies, depending on the length of time that the placenta has been retained and the speed with which veterinary care is sought. Acute infection of the uterus can develop if the placenta is not passed. If infection does not develop, the prognosis for future successful pregnancies is good. If infection does occur, the animal's ability to become pregnant again is fair to poor. Treatment is a must for recovery. |
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Other things that can happen
Subinvolution of Placental Sites: where the placental sites do not degenerate and serosanguineous drainage is noted at 7-12 weeks post partum. It usually occurs in dogs 2 1/2 years old, with the first or second litter.
Metritis usually occurs at postpartum and is associated with a retained fetus or placenta. Signs: anorexia, depression, vomiting, vaginal discharge, fever, mastitis. Usually occurs immediately postpartum
Metritis is an inflammation of the uterus. This uterine disease is similar to pyometra, but it has some differences. Unlike pyometra, metritis is most often a bacterial uterine infection that develops in the immediate post partum (after giving birth) period and occasionally after abortion or breeding. It is most often associated with retained fetuses or placentas.
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Courtesy of MistyTrails Havanese
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Although this section is based on a
whelping of an English Mastiff, it also contains good general whelping
information in large breed dogs. You can find more whelping information in the links above. The links below
tell a story about Sassy, an English Mastiff. Sassy has a wonderful temperament.
She loves humans and Adores human children. An all around mild mannered,
wonderful Mastiff. Sassy however is not the best mother towards her puppies, she
is not rejecting them, she will nurse them when a human places them on her to
feed, however she will not clean the pups or pay any attention to them. It is as
if, they are not her puppies. This litter is getting moms milk, with major human
interaction, manually giving each and every pup what they need. In return, the
pups will be super socialized and will make remarkable pets, however the work
involved is astounding. It takes one dedicated breeder to keep this situation
healthy. Thankfully this litter has just that, a dedicated breeder. Read the
links below to get the full story. There is a wealth of info that everyone can
appreciate and benefit from.
C-Section in a Large Breed Dog
Newborn Puppies... What you need
Whelping Mastiff Puppies One to Three Days Old
Things do
not always go as planned (imperforate anus)
Orphaned Litter (not the plan)
10
Days Old Plus ++
3 Week Old Puppies
Puppies 3 Weeks - time to start
potty training
Puppies 4 weeks old
Puppies 5 weeks old
Puppies 6 weeks old
Puppies 7 weeks old
Socializing the Puppies
Mastitis in Dogs
Whelping Large Breed Dogs Main
Whelping, a new
found respect
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