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Labor and Whelping 
Some Obstetric Difficulties
The Newborn Pups
Eclampsia
Hand-Rearing the Pups
General Care of the Pups
SOME OBSTETRIC DIFFICULTIES
There are various reasons why a bitch may have a difficult time in whelping. Some are due to physical conditions of the bitch herself, such as a weak pelvis, disease, etc. Others may be due to the conformation of the pups, such as a large head, large body—or two pups may arrive in the birth channel at the same time. Breech deliveries often cause difficulty, too.
Breech delivery
As we stated before, the breech pup comes feetfirst. Usually the head of a breech pup is large and the bitch has trouble in expelling the pup. You may have to help her. As she strains to deliver the pup, grasp the pup's feet and part of the body, if possible, with a clean cloth. Gently pull the pup and only when the bitch strains. Be careful, you can easily injure the pup. If you are not getting anywhere, don't delay; call the veterinarian.
Caesarian section
A Caesarian section is usually performed by cutting through the abdominal wall into the uterus and removing the pups through the opening. The technique was so-named because
Julius Caesar was supposed to have been delivered in this manner.
Caesarian sections are usually necessary when the pups are too large to be delivered in the normal way. It's possible to tell before birth whether the pups are too large and a Caesarian section can be planned. Many times the operation is done after a bitch in labor gets into difficulty. After straining for hours, the uterine muscle simply loses its power. If your bitch labors for more than 6 hours without any results, get her to the veterinarian as soon as possible.
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