risks with carrying only 1 pup

Question
QUESTION: hi,my jack Russell is 24 day pregnant, she went to the vet yesterday to have a scan to determine if she is pregnant the vet said he can only see 1 pup and it is harder in labor for her to deliver only 1 pup. is this true? what are the distress signs to watch for when she does go into labor. i am abit unsure if he has made a mistake with the amount of pups as her belly seems to be more extended to only have one pup.
please help, I'm worried
many regards


X-Rays   ANSWER: Hi Kelly.  The problems associated with haveing only one puppy is the size of the puppy at birth.  Before birth, puppies are in their own sack but has to share room within the uturin horn while in the mommys tummy.  The larger the litter, the smaller the space that have to share, and they also receive smaller portions for the mothers neutriants.  In the case of only one or two puppies, their is much more room to grow, and a greater supply of neutriants.

The size of the fetus, size in relation to the mother, is a factor; especially if it's a one-puppy litter. Such litters often result in an oversized fetus. Often a single fetus cannot produce enough hormonal stimulation for a normal birthing process

I'm assuming that your vet took X-rays to determine that only one puppy was visable?  If so, did they show you the X-rays?  I am attachiing a photo of an X-ray of a pregnant dog.  This dog has 4 puppies, that are clearly visable.  As you will be able to see, the skin and fur do not show up on an X-ray, but the spines and skulls are clearly visable.

Most vets order multiple X-rays in different positions to help insure that any "hidden" puppies are not found.  With this said, I can only assume that this was done by your vet and that only one skull and spinal colum was found.

A lot of times one puppy can be hidden behind a group of puppies, but that is very rare in the case of only a couple of puppies.

When the time comes, and your female goes in to labor keep a very close eye on her and be prepared to seek medical attention if necessary.  In some cases, a puppy can get stuck in the pelvic canal, and if this happens it will require assistance.  An experienced breeder, or a veterinarian, may be able to help the puppy out manually with out the need for a C-Section, but this is not something an inexperienced breeder should attempt.  Also prolonged labor can cause shock and or dehydration in the mother which may call for IV fluids.

When the time comes for your dog to go in to labor, keep a very close eye on her.  If you observe signs that the mother to be is straining for more than a hour without producing a pup, it is time to seek medical attention. Your  veterinarian may administer intravenous calcium and oxytocin, a hormone that stimulates uterine contraction. It should be noted, however, that calcium has the potential to disturb the normal rhythm of the heart and therefore must be used by a professional and where the animal can be closely supervised.
If the mother-to-be does not respond to this medication, it may be necessary to resort to caesarean section.

Good luck, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions.

Sincerely,
Penny DiLoreto
www.puppies-dot-com.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi again, the mother to be has only had a scan, and no X-rays. the vet never mentioned to have an Xray, i wasn't aware she could have one to determine how many pups are there, the vet could only see one heartbeat on the scan should i get intouch with my vet and ask for X-rays?

Answer
Hi Kelly.  I suggest that you talk with your veterinarian and discuss the pro's and con's of having X-rays taken of your mother-to-be.  Possibly he/she has a medical reason for not ordering X-rays when your dog was examined.

If you elect to have X-rays taken, I suggest that you wait until closer to her due date.  This will allow the puppy (or puppies) time to mature and will give you a better idea of how big they will be at birth.

Good luck, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions.

Sincerely,
Penny DiLoreto
www.puppies-dot-com.com