(Continued)
When to call your vet
We have discussed in depth the issue of ‘difficult labour’ (actually, we have belaboured the point in two separate columns), explaining what you can do at home to initially solve the problem. But there comes a time when the problem is obviously too difficult to handle. Do not try to be ‘macho’ and show off a dexterity which you may not possess. As ‘vexed’ as a vet might become at a client presenting a dystocia problem on, say, Easter Sunday (worse, on Easter Monday – vets are human too and want to be with their families), no vet worth his/her salt will turn away a bitch with labour difficulties. In fact, I firmly believe that it is better to ‘disturb’ your vet on a ‘false alarm’ (even if only to gain reassurance), than to delay in the hope that in time the situation will correct itself without help. Often the problem can be dealt with rather simply, if attended to at once. However, the same problem, when neglected, becomes complicated – often leading to an emergency operation.
