My bitch appears to have some sort of infection, most likely caused by a piece of placenta that was retained. This is possible because 2 were opened already when the pups came out and may not have been whole.
She whelped her litter 5 days ago and today is the first sign of diarhea, a lot of it
The vet wants her to come in for a shot of pit in the morning.
I have never heard of giving it this late after whelp.
Looking for opinions if anyone has past experience giving pit several days after a litter to "clean out"??
I'm not so sure I want to allow this...

I had a bitch with a bleeding uterus 48 hours after whelping, which I watched for 3 days. I consulted with my repro specialist who absolutely felt that oxytocin would do no good after 48 hours as it acts on the hormones present at birth and you've lost your window of opportunity after then.
Consult a repro vet just to be sure, as most (not all)regular vets and emergency vets do not understand pregnancy hormones and how to manage them. That is *most*, I would interview the vet to see if they have an interest in repro medicine or if they're the run-of-the-mill anti-breeding kind!

I'm not a vet, but was a vet tech for years. My opinion is only my opinion mainly as a breeder.
I'm thinking there is more concern than just a oxytocin injection. Have you taken her temperature?

I would assume he will give her the once over, with several injections. Good luck,,,hope your girl gets well fast. I'd get to the vet first thing.

If she has an infection, she needs antibiotics, not pit. Pit would be used if there was bleeding. If she's nursing her pups well, there is a ton of oxytocin already circulating.

Diarrhea can be a symptom of many things - you have to find the root cause quickly, especially since she so recently gave birth.

First thing to check is her udder - any hard or hot areas? If so, this is an emergency and get her in to the vet right away. Mastitis can set in quickly and it can be fatal.

Also very important is her attitude. Is she eating/drinking normally? Does she act sick? Is she taking care of the pups? If she doesn't seem normal except for the diarrhea, again, get her straight in to the vet.

The next thing I would check is that she could simply have a bacterial overgrowth or coccidiosis. Whelping is a stress on the system and these bugs are opportunistic. I'd try Tylan water (I use 1/8-1/4 tsp per gallon of water) and/or Tylan sprinkled on her food (1/8 tsp or so.) I only give Tylan until the problem resolves. Should be gone in less than 24 hours.

I'm not sure I would go to a vet that suggests pit at 5 days without examining the bitch. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding over the phone? Reproductive knowledge is of primary importance when a breeder chooses a vet. You might want to contact local breeders and make a switch to someone who has more experience with purebred breeders.

Keep us informed!

Excellent post with very good information.
I too would be worried about a vet that would even suggest Oxytocin without actually examining the girl to see if her cervix was still open.
I too would think antibiotics are in order and quickly, is she running a temperature?

Ok, sorry for the lack of all the info last night but the vet I had spoken to was not my regular vet. I had called the emergency clinic nearby. I did not trust them BEFORE that phone call, now I really don't.

So, I called my regular vet first thing this am. He asked the normal questions, many the same as Nancy

The ONLY symptom is the diarrhea. No fever, no mastitis, acting and eating fine, attentive mother, etc.
So he wants her on Clavamox and that's about it unless symptoms worsen.

Thanks all!

Diarrhea post-whelp isn't all that unusual, especially if the bitch ate some placentas. She's cleaning up all sorts of puppy pee/poop, plus perhaps eating more than usual as well. Does she just have loose stools, or is it uncontrollable diarrhea? I would think antibiotics wouldn't help diarrhea - have you tried giving her yogurt and/or canned plain pumpkin to help firm up her stools?

Yes, loose stools would not concern me but this is watery, gassy and she had numerous accidents in the house. Not normal at all for her.
I have started the yogurt and a powder pro biotic. Gave Tylan last night.
No runs yet today, no "movements" at all yet actually.
This is a good thing - boy was the house stinky last night!!
Poor girl!!
Puppies are doing wonderful!

My girl has had diarrhea since Friday. Started giving her yogurt and Forti Flora. Vet does not want to give her any meds (15 day old puppies). Tried cutting back on food. Still has diarrhea.

try canned pumpkin...or a SMALL amount of pepto or kaopectate....she probably just ingested too much afterbirth or puppy poo or is not yet used to extra food....is tylan safe for the nursing pups..not sure about giving sulfa drugs to a nursing mom.

Cottage cheese worked for us with our last whelp.

Only a tbspn or 2 per day. Too much can bind the dog.

Please excuse my ignorance - what is tylan?