Comparative Evaluation of Different Methods Of Management of Dystocia In Dogs

In recent years, advances in canine reproduction have facilitated pregnancy

management to emerge as an important clinical service that has application from the

beginning to the end of gestation. The advances provide new and improved methods of

pregnancy detection; improved use of ultrasound to determine gestational age, assess

fetal wellbeing, predict the date of whelping, detect animals prone for dystocias and

formulate treatment protocols to reduce maternal and fetal mortality (Concannon and

Verstegen, 1998).

Over the last two decades, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of

pedigreed dogs, particularly in the urban areas with the kennel owners even importing

fancy breeds, at an exhorbitant price. The kennel owners have become increasingly aware

of the importance of pre-breeding evaluation of the bitch, availability of the techniques to

determine the exact time of mating, early pregnancy diagnosis and regular monitoring of

the general health of the pregnant animals by the Veterinarian.

The act of parturition perhaps is the most anxious time for the dog breeders, as the

puppy survival rate and the future reproduction of the dam are influenced by events at

this stage. In a study by Forsberg and Forsberg (1989), the frequency of puppy deaths

upto three weeks of age following normal parturition was reported to be 11.9 per cent. In

comparison, the frequency of pups born dead or die during abnormal parturition was 22.3

per cent (Darvelid and Linde- Forsberg 1994).