A pregnant German Shepherd bitch was brought to the University of Nairobi Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a history of prolonged gestation period. On radiography, I found an oversized puppy in the abdomen. Cesarean section to deliver the puppy was recommended as the bitch could not deliver the puppy per-vaginally. Surgery was done under general anesthesia using 1% propofol at 5mg/kg body weight and 2.5% isoflurane for maintenance. One oversized puppy was removed but died soon after delivery. Also removed was another small, mummified puppy. Following the delivery of the puppies, closure of the uterus and abdominal wall incisions was done routinely. In conclusion, this was a case of dystocia where the bitch could not normally deliver due to an oversized puppy, and a cesarean section was deemed the most appropriate management method. The anesthesia protocol used in this case has been proven to be ideal for use in cases of canine cesarean section. In this case, the puppy that died soon after delivery could have been caused by asphyxia (fetal hypoxia) caused by inhalation of fetal fluids occurring due to delayed delivery.
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