Effectiveness of obstetric procedures in miniature dogs

The aim of the study was to evaluate the course of labour, incidence, and causes of dystocia and effectiveness of obstetric aid for minimising the neonatal loss in bitches that belong to miniature breeds. Fifty parturitions proceeded under obstetric supervision from the first to last puppy born. Most of the bitches (n = 34) belonged to the Chihuahua breed. Others included Yorkshire terrier (n = 14), Shih Tzu (n = 1), and Miniature Schnauzer (n = 1). Obstetric procedures consisted of conservative aid in the form of medication, manual manipulations and combination of both, or caesarean section. The litter size was 3.58 on average. Dystocia occurred in 68% of cases, mostly caused by foetomaternal disproportion. The condition took place less frequently in multiparas than in primiparas. A caesarean section was performed in 20 cases (40%), while remaining 30 bitches delivered puppies through genital tract using manual assistance, oxytocin injections or both procedures simultaneously. The shortening of expulsive stage using conservative aid or timely performed caesarean section resulted in low stillbirth rate (5.59%). The kind of obstetric aid used in the study was related to the specificity of miniature dogs enabling successful conservative treatment. However, conservative obstetric procedures require skills, clinical experience, and are time-consuming. These may be the reasons for a frequent overuse of caesarean section. It was concluded that both surgical and conservative treatment methods, if chosen appropriately, are effective at the same level.