Dystocia in Dogs

Dystocia means difficult delivery. It may be due to a number of causes including large fetus size, small pelvic size in the dam, malposition of the fetus, uterine inertia, or breed. Brachycephalic breeds such as Bulldogs, Pugs, and Boston Terriers have a higher incidence of dystocia due to the large head and shoulder size of the puppies. Many breeders of these breeds have the puppies delivered by a scheduled cesarean section.
Dystocia is diagnosed based on the owner's observations. It is considered likely in the following scenarios:
30-60 minutes of strong contractions without delivering a puppy
Greater than 4-6 hours between puppies (and more puppies are in the uterus)
Failure to start delivery within 24 hours of the temperature dropping below 99ºF
Crying/licking the vulvar area excessively during whelping
Gestation lasting greater than 70 days from the first breeding or greater than 60 days from the first day of diestrus

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