Pup Stuck in Birth Canal

After giving birth to two babies, the third pup became lodged and the mother could not expel it. The mother tried to pull the pup out with no success. The owner tried to softly manipulate the pup. Finally, after it was determined the pup had died, the owner attempted to remove the pup with hemostats, once again with no success. The mother was taken to the vet for an emergency spay and the rest of the litter was lost.

Since the mother was unable to nurse, the owner hand-fed the two surviving babies. One of the babies was lost after a week. The other survived.

Had the owner had access to an emergency vet sooner more of the babies may have survived.

Photos by Joanne “Bella” Hodges