If a dam has had her 2 last litters via C section, do you think that is something that runs in lines?

I will be breeding my bitch in the fall for the first time, and I wonder if the mom had 2 large litters in the past and had a C section for both, is that worth keeping in mind when I do a breeding?

My repro told me that for my girl, who has had two c sections, that its like in humans, some people have issues and cant deliver naturally... We cannot find anything that causes the issue in particular, its just her uterus does not trigger full labor. I have been told by some that its not hereditary, and my girls dam had natural litters without issue. BUT now I heard that my girls full sister just had a singleton... makes me wonder I kept a girl out of this last litter, so I will see what kind of whelper she is.

It just depens on why the mom had to have a
c-sections? Sometimes it is owner opted
and sometimes it is because of necessity.

Each dog is different. Like any litter,
BE PREPARED..

I've had a bunch of c-sec litters, and looking back it may have been that I was feeding too much calcium pre-whelping which may have caused dystocia. Some breeds have c-sections routinely. Since c-sections are much safer than they used to be, I don't think twice. Cheaper and otherwise preferable to have a natural whelping, but live pups are the goal whatever method of delivery is.

My bitch's breeder reported that the dam had such large litters that she had some kind of uterine inertia, where the contractions weren't getting the puppies out. So I guess when the time comes and we get a guess at how many puppies, I might as well get prepared for the c if there are too many in there.

Nancy; I was told by other breeders and my vet never to give calcium prior to or during whelping. Do you mind if I ask the reasons for giving it prior to whelping, maybe a reason I am unaware of? I understand it is great for alot of reasons post whelping including milk production. Do you feel you will avoid sectioning by not giving it in the future? Thanks.

I knew not to give calcium, and I didn't specifically give calcium, but I did what many other breeders did and switched to puppy food the last few weeks, which effectively increased the calcium. Why that never occurred to me I'll never know. I've stopped doing that, and gotten a better result with the most recent litter. We'll see how things go in the future.

I think it does truly depend on the situation. Both of my girls recently whelped (April) and both needed c-sections. My 1 Bitch because she had such a large litter and like the other message here her uterus didnt' have enough room to contract. This was her third litter first two large litters delivered fine. My second (this too her 3rd litter) delivered the first 5 pups normally and then had a little boy present tail first and was stuck. So my personal experience is truly each situation as it presents.

Nancy, did you say you do or don't start feeding the puppy chow to the females early. Like two weeks before. But you think that does add the extra calcium they need ? I have heard give extra and not also. Good question.

No - you don't give extra calcium before whelping, or it inhibits their ability to mobilize the calcium for labor and lactation.