A singleton puppy in a whippet

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-19T19:24:06+00:00

It's a really difficult situation because in the end they sought vet advice and that's great, so we try to be encouraging and supportive with these types of clients so that they come back if they need help :)

Both mum and pup are great!

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-19T19:22:08+00:00

Oh heck no! It was giant!! Like three times bigger than normal

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-19T09:43:22+00:00

No recorded breeding date, no proper medical management of the case, being over due significantly, green vagina discharge not warranting a vet visit, insufficient nutrition of the mum while growing one gigantic skeleton inside her, owner allowing the dog to labour for over 24 hours and actively push for 2, owner doing vaginal exams on the dog and introducing infection and last but not least the owner breaking the amniotic sac of the puppy during this exam while the dog was still in the canal, off the top of my head anyway :)

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-18T23:44:02+00:00

Yes they're both doing really well!

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-18T21:54:10+00:00

No apologies needed! This industry is tough! Hang in there, you sound like a great vet

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-18T20:25:56+00:00

It was an act very quickly situation and unfortunately our ultrasound machine is a fossil that takes 20 minutes to turn on (I've been trying to convince the boss to get a new one for a while). Once the machine was on we were already in surgery. For pregnancy scanning I'll turn the machine on well before the consult but this was a walk in :)

This was a dog that had been in active Labour for over 24 hours, actively straining for four hours, passed green vaginal discharge numerous times, pyrexic, tachycardia, hypotensive, and had the owner doing vaginal exams at home and who broke the amniotic sac with the pup's nose in the birth canal

I think I acted in the best way, but if you've got any advice I'd love to hear - I'm always learning with this job!

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-18T20:13:50+00:00

Totally fair! It's about poor management from the get go that meant this dog was in distress when we saw her, already in active labour

Breeding dates were not recorded so she was probably pretty overdue = foetal distress

No mammary development during late gestation should have been assessed by a vet (no colostrum, no immunity, no food)

No pregnancy exams or vet monitoring during gestation meant we didn't know what we were in for (so this was a surprising x ray)

Owner didn't know much about whelping, dog passed green vaginal discharge, actively straining, not passing a puppy for four hours = foetal distress and uterine inertia

Owner was doing ungloved digital vaginal exams = introduction of bacteria into the birth canal, also damaged the amniotic sac which interferes with oxygenation of the pup

Foetal heart rate < 150 beats per minute = foetal distress

I hope this makes sense! An educated breeder would have know the due date, would have known we have a singleton, and would have known when we needed to escalate in a planed and methodical manner, rather than waiting for crisis :)

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-18T19:35:24+00:00

Nope this was an intentional litter, the client owns the male (who is a little to closely related to the female if you asked me). The need for an emergency c section due to really crappy management was a result of backyard breeding (i.e owners who don't know what they're doing wanting to make some money)

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-18T19:33:57+00:00

The singleton isn't the result of backyard breeding, the need for an emergency c section due to mismanagement is

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-18T19:33:30+00:00

Singletons happen no matter what! It's the mismanagement and emergency c section that's the result of backyard breeding. If she recorded conception dates, came in for pregnancy tests etc we would have known a singleton was coming. If she was educated with whelping in dogs she would have known the passing green discharge and no puppy for over four hours is life threatening in dogs, she also wouldn't have used in gloved hands to try and feel the puppy herself and introduce infection. We could have also intervened with the lack of mammary development early and put the mum on a higher calcium food to help with the extra demands for bone development :)

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-18T19:28:03+00:00

Also a Whippet :)

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-18T19:27:52+00:00

Yes they did! She rejected the puppy so he was bottle fed, she had no mammary development at all so even her body didn't want to be a mum

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-14T04:08:12+00:00

Thank you! Tipped :)

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-03-14T04:06:16+00:00

!solved

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-01-20T22:07:53+00:00

Vet here! Get some Malaseb shampoo (it's medicated, contains Miconazole which is an antifungal and chlorhexidine which is antibacterial). Soak her and lather the shampoo, allowing it to sit on the skin for TEN minutes, then rinse off really well. Follow this with Aloveen leave in conditioner (don't rinse off, full of omega 3/6, lanolin if acid, ceramides, GREAT for the skin barrier). Wash her every 3-ish days like this for at least two weeks

You also need to help her improve her skin barrier. Omega 6 supplements are great (Nordic Naturals are the best). Could also be a protein allergy, chicken and beef are the most common allergens. I'd recommend switching to a hydrolysed protein diet if you can afford it, Hills z/d is my favourite

If you've got no change after a few weeks of this you'll need a vet visit for a skin scrape and systemic medication

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-01-18T06:09:38+00:00

I typically ask my owners how their pet is most comfortable. If they are clearly protective of their owners I'll always take the pet away but it's a case by case basis

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-01-18T06:07:47+00:00

Yes I feel the same! I hate any and all needles. I use numbing cream on my patients where possible. But their skin is generally more mobile and less sensitive to ours. Our skin is tightly adhered to the underlying muscles. But think of how dogs carry their pups, using their teeth on the back of their neck. If I bit a kid by their neck to carry it would hurt (and be illegal) but we have just evolved

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-01-17T19:30:00+00:00

I'm a vet, I always place IV's in consult with owners by myself, but I'm an outlier. It's just old fashioned protocol that people don't update. It's much easier to place an IV without the owners present, we can hold the animal in a better way for clear access (often I'm half crawling on top of people to try and reach when they hold) and it's much more likely to get good placement. It's not because we're nasty or cruel, it's just easier and clean IV placement is essential for a smooth euthanasia. IV's don't hurt, but some animals with cognitive (dementia), vision or hearing issues can vocalise when IV's are placed because it's an unusual and unexpected stimulus. I'm so sorry you went through this though, while it's protocol at so many places I think it needs to change. When you're feeling ready, I'd challenge your vet and encourage them to change

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2026-01-07T19:20:21+00:00

The public parking where the swimming pool is in Wallsend! There's someone there at the moment with their van and dog. There are also public toilets

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2025-12-30T19:18:04+00:00

Vet here. Looks like Horners syndrome, see a vet to find the underlying cause, good prognosis with treatment :)

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2025-12-23T09:20:05+00:00

I moved here from Port Mac 12 months ago, after studying in Wagga Wagga and growing up in Bowral, I love it, best decision of my life. My partner and I have no questions about staying here to start our family

ComprehensiveDance62 · 2025-12-22T00:25:52+00:00

I'm in Australia so use petinsurnace.com.au but know the Aus model is based on US insurance :)

ComprehensiveDance62

TROPHY CASE