# Cesarean section versus self whelping in British Bulldogs



## Mrsk9 (Dec 18, 2011)

Your experiences please. 

I have my vet who will book an elective section for me but I am just looking for your experiences. 

I do not want my bitch at any additional risk but thought I would see how many bully's have been able to self whelp or how many book the elective section and anyone who has needed an emergency section after trying the self whelp. 

Thanks in advance. 

Mrsk9


----------



## pop pop (Nov 4, 2010)

does you bitch come from self whelping lines? im always a little against an elective c section, just due to the fact that it seems like your making the option for the bitch,and also some bitches dont cope well with ga and can find it hard to bond with pups after a c section, i dont breed bulldogs but if i did would rather let the bitch have them naturally and only step in if there were problems, i know most people in this breed are now trying to achieve dogs that can breed naturally which is great but if everyone chose a c section planned then they would never achieve this, maybe an xray at vets to check size of pups and go from there with what you decide.


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Mrsk9 said:


> Your experiences please.
> 
> I have my vet who will book an elective section for me but I am just looking for your experiences.
> 
> ...


Best place to contact probably would be The Bulldog breed council, lots of health details on there including details of Bulldog Health surveys and links to all the area Bulldog Breed Club Members, Likely link to Bulldog welfare too, probably the best people to advise you on a status report for health and breeding. I must admit I cant recall any regulars on the Forum who breed Bulldogs offhand. May if such a thing exists a Bulldog Forum might be a better bet for information. I understand the incidence for Cesarean section is quite high apparently.
Bulldog Breed Council


----------



## Quiddelbach (Dec 5, 2011)

I would find out how many of your girls ancestors were self whelpers. 

Speak to her breeder 

Is this your first litter? Are you likely to recognise signs of inertia or other problems, if not you may want to think about the elective, but if her dam/grand dam are self whelpers she may well be one too. 

I would definitely talk to someone who has good knowledge of the dogs in her pedigree.


----------



## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

hi..............you need to speak to her breeder and find out if her lines are self whelp


----------



## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

a poster called bullyb breeds bulldogs try them


----------



## Pregnancy scan (Dec 30, 2011)

Hi there

We have also been in this situation with our French bulldogs, our first litter was quite a difficult one we used a vet that said an elective section was best and not to even try letting her whelp, we booked her in at 61 days and had 5 live pups all healthy, by the time we got home all the pups were gasping for air, mum had no milk and was aggressive to her puppies, we lost 1 pup and the. Remaining 4 were rushed to an emergency vet they need oxygen and various other treatment to save them & spent 5 days in intensive care, this vet said the puppies were taken to early and just wasn't ready to be born and strongly advised against elective c-sections. The remaining 4 did pull through but it was very had on mum & babies which had to be had reared.
So our next litter from the same girl was very different, we waited for her to go in to labour she pushed for 45mins no pups so we went straight to the vet for section, 6 puppies all strong and feeding within the hour & mum had milk.
After years of practice with bull breeds I would strongly advise waiting for the onset of labour and at least let her try have the vet on stand by if no puppies are born 40mins from 1st push then go for section. We use this method on all of ours now and have never lost another puppy.

Hope that helps a little.

Good luck with it all.

Ellie.


----------



## Blondie (Feb 27, 2011)

I helped a good friend with her self-whelping bitch last year - after owning and breeding bullies for many years, this was the first time she had a self-whelping bitch (she was bought as an adult and had had one litter previously)


----------



## Alice Childress (Nov 14, 2010)

After speaking at length to a breeder with a lot of experience of self whelping Bulldogs, I believe that many bitches are not given the chance to self whelp, which in turn perpetuates the idea that Bulldogs cannot give birth naturally. The breeder I spoke to felt strongly that just with any other breed, a c-section should be used for emergencies only. Besides putting the mother through a potentially unnecessary surgery, it also impacts the bond between mother and pups. 

bulldogowners.co.uk is a Bulldog forum with a lot of breeders on - some breeders are fantastic on there, while others I don't quite share their ethics.


----------



## Pregnancy scan (Dec 30, 2011)

I totally agree with the above post, I strongly believe that you should allow the bitch to try and I would never go for an elective section again after our first experience years ago.


----------



## Mrsk9 (Dec 18, 2011)

hi, thanks all for your replies. 
I have spoken to the breeder and all are bred with elective sections. 

I do agree with the self whelping try but I don't want to put her through an emergency so I will wait until she starts labour and see if she can self whelp and have emergency numbers at the ready.

Thanks.


----------



## Pregnancy scan (Dec 30, 2011)

Weather its an emergency section or an elective she will still have to go through it, but it is much better to let her go in to labour first, she will at least have milk for her puppies & these gives them a better chance of survival. She may surprise you and self whelp.

Good luck.


----------



## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

I was reading some4thing on bullys the other day & french bulldogs, cant they breed bulldogs so that they can all self - whelp? is it just due to the size of the pups head?

and with french bulldogs I was told that they cant even mate, also see this on a tv program they have to inseminate? cant they breed dogs that can mate? seems odd?


----------



## Pregnancy scan (Dec 30, 2011)

I have never seen a French bulldog that cannot mate naturally in 20yrs, and I've never used artificial insemination, some do struggle but it's certainly not impossible, the problem with the bull breeds is shoulders not heads and the way the pelvis is angled.


----------



## Blondie (Feb 27, 2011)

Taylorbaby said:


> I was reading some4thing on bullys the other day & french bulldogs, cant they breed bulldogs so that they can all self - whelp? is it just due to the size of the pups head?
> 
> and with french bulldogs I was told that they cant even mate, also see this on a tv program they have to inseminate? cant they breed dogs that can mate? seems odd?


Bulldog breeders are trying to improve things but these changes dont happen in one generation, it takes time.


----------



## kirksandallchins (Nov 3, 2007)

Taylorbaby said:


> I was reading some4thing on bullys the other day & french bulldogs, cant they breed bulldogs so that they can all self - whelp? is it just due to the size of the pups head?
> 
> and with french bulldogs I was told that they cant even mate, also see this on a tv program they have to inseminate? cant they breed dogs that can mate? seems odd?


It was in the news recently that more human babies are born by caesarian than ever before. I'm just waiting for vets doctors and do-gooders to call for the human species to be banned as it can not reproduce naturally


----------



## kodakkuki (Aug 8, 2011)

kirksandallchins said:


> It was in the news recently that more human babies are born by caesarian than ever before. I'm just waiting for vets doctors and do-gooders to call for the human species to be banned as it can not reproduce naturally


Well yes, it has been said in the past that those who cannot reproduce naturally should be sterilised- but I'm pretty sure the death penalty was called for for such thinkers. 

I adore bull breeds, but that doesn't mean that I am all for everyone breeding them. Many breeders are working on these issues (as I'm sure ceearott is more aware of than myself) but then on the other side you have people who will breed from any pet bitch, risking her and her pups life because a few generations back someone decided to exaggerate a trait regardless of the health implications not only to those few dogs, but to the entire breed and people's perception of it.
I mean, I have a breed who can whelp naturally physically, but without someone there to fully midwoof, they would just lie there staring at the half born pup still in it's sac until it is too late. Or on the other hand many others (and a heck of a lot of 2nd timers) would get so excited about the arriving pups they are too quick- almost frantic- and rough when tearing the sac or severing the chord, to devastating results including loss of limb and torn bellys. No one is calling for yorkies to be wiped out, their enthusiasm is mostly our fault- they were created for it after all- but when you combine that with the spoiled, lapdog life they are now adjusting to, you either get a dog who will expect things to be done for it, or be too eager to carry out the task themselves.
so we need to do our part in insuring as little harm comes to the dogs during the whole process, and if that means human intervention then so be it; as lon as steps are being taken to rectify the problems we have created.

(and for the record, this in no way is aimed at you OP- I wish you and your girl the safest whelp possible, be it natural or section) (and apologies yet again for the excessive ramblings)


----------



## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

Ceearott said:


> Bulldog breeders are trying to improve things but these changes dont happen in one generation, it takes time.


Oh I know that lol! :blushing: I was wondering if a outcross program would help? I like bulldogs, have friends with some, real characters! lol 



kirksandallchins said:


> It was in the news recently that more human babies are born by caesarian than ever before. I'm just waiting for vets doctors and do-gooders to call for the human species to be banned as it can not reproduce naturally


lol I think there are alot of people that should be neutered for man kind!!  :laugh:


----------

