Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Risks for puppies born by cesarean in US and Canada
By Moon, P F et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2000·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Perioperative risk factors for puppies delivered by cesarean section in the United States and Canada.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at the survival rates of puppies delivered by cesarean section, finding that most puppies (92%) survived immediately after birth, but this number dropped to 80% after a week. Factors that helped puppies survive included having a planned (non-emergency) surgery, the mother not being a brachycephalic breed (like bulldogs), having fewer than four puppies in the litter, and all puppies breathing and vocalizing at birth. The study suggests that careful planning and monitoring during the cesarean can improve the chances of puppy survival.
People also search for: puppy cesarean section survival rates · bulldog cesarean delivery risks · factors affecting puppy survival after birth
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate perioperative risk factors affecting neonatal survival after cesarean section. Data from 807 cesarean-derived litters (3,908 puppies) was submitted by 109 practices in the United States and Canada. Survival rates immediately, two hours, and seven days after delivery were 92% (n=3,127), 87% (n=2,951), and 80% (n=2,641), respectively, for puppies delivered by cesarean section (n=3,410) and were 86% (n=409), 83% (n=366), and 75% (n=283), respectively, for puppies born naturally (n=498). Maternal mortality rate was 1% (n=9). Of 776 surgeries, 453 (58%) were done on an emergency basis. The most common breed of dog was bulldog (n=138; 17%). The most common methods of inducing and maintaining anesthesia were administration of isoflurane for induction and maintenance (n=266; 34%) and administration of propofol for induction followed by administration of isoflurane for maintenance (n=237; 30%). A model of cesarean-derived puppies surviving to birth, between birth and two hours, and between two hours and seven days was designed to relate litter survival to perioperative factors. The following factors increased the likelihood of all puppies being alive: the surgery was not an emergency; the dam was not brachycephalic; there were four puppies or less in the litter; there were no naturally delivered or deformed puppies; all puppies breathed spontaneously at birth; at least one puppy vocalized spontaneously at birth; and neither methoxyflurane nor xylazine was used in the anesthetic protocol.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10914537/