Reasons a Dog Stops Labor

It's only natural to feel a little anxious while watching your dog in the midst of the labor process. Although female pooches usually can handle parturition with flying colors, your company can be of great assistance in the event of possible delivery complications. Stay close to your whelping dog and offer her all of the calming support she needs.

Women often find birth to be a physically tiring and stressful process, and this concept is not foreign to canines. Female dogs frequently pause for much-needed relaxation sessions between giving birth to their puppies. These sessions do not signify the stopping of labor, but rather recharging. As long as they don't exceed four hours and the mom keeps busy tending to the little puppies who came out beforehand, things should usually be A-OK.

Dystocia is a common cause for halting whelping in mother dogs. The word refers to complications with parturition in canines. An assortment of different things can trigger dystocia -- and the abrupt stopping of labor -- in dogs. If puppies are too big to come out, that can lead to it. If their tiny bodies are situated in a manner that isn't conducive to emerging from the birth canal, that also can lead to birthing dilemmas.

Not all cases of dystocia are triggered by the puppies, but sometimes instead by something related to the mama dogs. A mother dog's unusually narrow birthing canal can often bring upon dystocia, the same with a particularly tiny pelvis. Some mother dogs experience uterine inertia, which is a complication of parturition that comes about from uterine contraction problems. Certain varieties of expectant female dogs are particularly susceptible to dystocia, specifically overweight or elderly specimens. Dystocia also is especially prevalent in mothers of some breeds, such as French bulldogs, pugs and Boston terriers. Dystocia occasionally results from components linked both to puppies and their mothers.

The bulk of mother dogs out there welcome their puppies into the world without requiring any major help from their owners or veterinarians. Despite that, having someone nearby to look out for potential complications is a must. Be attentive to everything that goes on during your pet's whelping and keep your eyes open to any clues that labor might be on hold. These signs include exhaustion, depression and fruitless, consistent contractions that last for upward of two hours. Marked signs of physical discomfort also often denote the halting of labor, like whimpering in pain. If it takes over two hours for a mother dog to give birth to her next youngster, dystocia is a major possibility. Call your veterinarian for immediate help as soon as you detect any hints of birthing problems or delays.