Dystocia in the bitch: a retrospective study

This study is based on the medical records of 648 cases at the Department o f Gynecology and Obstetrics of the Veterinary College, University of Munich . From January 1980 until December 1994, a total of 311 bitches were hospit alized to monitor whelping and 337 bitches were admitted due to dystocia. A total of 464 cases of dystocia could be analyzed. Causes of dystocia in th is material were mainly of maternal origin (86.6 %). Among these cases all but two bitches were diagnosed to have an uterine inertia, classified into primary (36.4 %) and secondary uterine inertia (49.8 %). Dystocia of fetal origin (13.4 %) resulted from malpresentation and malorientation (6.9 %), o versized fetuses (5.7 %) as well as malformation and/or dead pups (0.8 %). Dystocia was not related to the age of the bitch or the number of previous litters. Miniature breeds (shoulder height < 30 cm) showed a predisposition for dystocia. In bitches with small litters (1 or 2 pups) a high incidence of dystocia was apparent. Only 19.9 % of bitches treated with ecbolic drug s whelped without further therapy. In a small number of cases (5.1 %) digit al manipulation including forceps delivery were successfully applied. In 75 .0 % of the cases with dystocia a caesarean section was necessary. The prop ortion of dead born pups during dystocia was 31.9 %. Puppy mortality increa sed up to 47.8 % when the duration of the second stage labour period prior to the delivery of the first puppy exceeded 10 hours; it reached 100 % when this period lasted longer than 30 hours. The results of this study demonst rate the significance of early diagnosis of dystocia. A prompt decision for caesarean section will considerably improve the prognosis for survival of bitch and puppies.