free whel after a c-section

Question
Hi, I was wondering what your opinion is on letting my chihuahua free whelp after a c-section, the reason for her c-section still angers me and it was a year ago.  I am about to graduate from college with a degree in veterinary technology and one of my instructors told me that I should begin to monitor temps and I did, her temp has always run low and and it was quite inconsistant to be honest but I trusted this Dr. When her temp dropped to 97.8 I was told labor would start after 12 hrs she was still acting normal and fine but my instructor insisted that she should have an immediate c-section which was done. As it turns out the pups were inmature and they all died which was heartbreaking enough but I allowed them to do it out of blind trust and she wasn't ever really in labor or close to it!  My question is would it be safe to let her try to free whelp a litter or would she have to have another section just because she had one before?  Thanks for your advice!

Answer
HI Tanya. This is why I have 3 different vets. While I respect vets, I also go by my own intuition. If you feels that something isn't right with one vet, don't feel one bit bad about going to another.

From what you said, I would think that she may be able to whelp on her own. I would take her to a different vet, and see what they think. You'll have to watch very closely for any problems that may pop up. Sometimes c-sections can set up scar tissue that can cause problems. Be prepared for that, and again, watch her super close. I'd let her try to free whelp atleast, as long as everything seems to be going fine.  Many dogs whelp naturally after a section. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience the first time, that shouldn't have happened. I'm sure the vet had good intentions. Temp taking by itself isn't a detection of impending labor. You have to watch for the mucus plug, and signs that the dog will give when her time is near. Chalk this up to a lesson learned, as bad as it was. Don't be afraid to take your dog to a different vet. And then another one if you feel it's necessary. While most vets truly care about their patients, the dog belongs to you. I hope everything works out this time for you guys!