Fetal anasarca, also commonly referred to as “water baby”, or “walrus baby”, is when a fetus has generalized subcutaneous edema and fluid accumulation throughout the body. Often the pup is twice the normal size causing dystocia and necessitating C-section. There are degrees of affliction, mild, moderate and severe.
We can learn a bit from "people" medicine—water babies (hydrops) usually occurs from lack of red blood cells in the baby as a result of an infection or immune reaction. It can affect only one pup in a litter or the entire litter.
Water puppies are generally stillborn or die shortly after birth. While anasarca affects many dog breeds, it appears to be more frequent in the brachycephalic breeds including the Bulldog, French bulldog, Pug, Boston terrier and others.
Each puppy is enclosed in a sac that is part of the placenta or afterbirth. This sac is usually broken during the birthing process and passes through the vulva after each puppy is born.
Swimmer puppies often experience difficulty with the entire digestion process; many have difficulty eliminating and develop constipation as a result. Without treatment, a swimmer puppy is also at risk of developing painful joint deformities caused by holding their legs at abnormal angles for long periods of time.
While swimmer puppy syndrome can be a challenging condition for any dog owner, overcoming it is possible. Make sure to look out for the signs listed above to provide early treatment.
Puppies can live in the uterus for up to 24 hours after labor starts. Dogs in labor for 3 hours without delivery of the first pup should be examined for evidence of complications. If you are comfortable with this, you may don a glove and do a vaginal examination to assess position of the puppy.
Remember the puppy is born in a fluid filled sac that usually breaks during birth. If the puppy is delivered still in the sac, break it as quickly as possible. Clean the puppy's face and nostrils and then gently blow on its face to try and stimulate breathing.
This 'water sac' is still the 2nd stage of labour and is sometimes called a horn sac. After the presentation of this sac and active straining, the pup should be born in about 30 minutes.
Fading puppy syndrome (or fading puppy complex) is when a puppy dies within the first few weeks of life without a clear cause of death or clinical signs, that is to say, they fail to thrive. Death usually occurs within the first five days of life, but can happen up to ten weeks of age.
Healthy dogs can typically survive up to five days without eating, but only if they have access to drinking water. In extreme situations, dogs have been known to survive without sustenance for much longer, but not without any severe health consequences.
Lower the puppy's head to help drain fluid from his lungs, mouth and throat. Place a suction bulb inside the puppy's mouth and nose to get rid of extra fluid. When the airway is clear, cover the puppy's mouth and nose with your mouth, then breathe slightly two to three times.
If your dog is suddenly very thirsty for a day or so, it's usually not a cause for concern. Dogs may drink more if they're very hot, bored, have eaten certain foods, or have recently exercised. Very active dogs and nursing dogs drink more than other dogs.
It is important to note that not all puppies with large fontanels will develop hydrocephalus. Acquired hydrocephalus develops when the flow of CSF is blocked or altered by infection, tumor, or swelling. The most common cause of acquired hydrocephalus is a brain tumor.
Puppies may be passed stillborn, either before their due date or on their due date. In some cases, a deceased fetus may become mummified within the uterus. Mummification occurs when the body creates a protective membrane around the fetus, allowing it to remain encased and walled off within the uterus.
Your dog's waters may break, which will be seen as clear fluid. In normal labour, your dog may show weak and infrequent straining for up to 2 hours (or at the most 4 hours) before giving birth to her first puppy.
Delivery process can take anywhere between an hour to 24 hours. If labor lasts for four hours with no puppies or between puppies call your veterinarian. Traditionally, a pup is born within 45 to 60 minutes. Puppies are born in a sac.
Eventually, she will realize they are dead, allowing you to remove them without causing her distress. Once the dead puppy's body cools, the mother will likely notice that it is dead. If the mother is still trying to care for any dead pups after a few days, be sure to remove them even if it causes the mother distress.
Start handling the puppies.
By about three weeks of age, you can—and should! —begin gently handling the puppies1 for short periods for reasons other than basic health care. Once the puppies have their eyes open, you can try carefully picking them up, holding them for a bit, and placing them back in the box.
Swimmer puppy syndrome is a disease found in dogs and cats during the neonatal period in which all four limbs are splayed laterally, and the main symptom is a 'swimmer'-like movement [1], called so because the puppy shows difficulty in standing up and walking at the typical age (generally from the 2nd to the 4th week ...
Swimmers syndrome, also known as swimming-puppy syndrome, flat-puppy syndrome, swimmer puppy syndrome, flat-pup syndrome, twisted legs, or turtle pup, is an uncommon developmental deformity of newborn dogs and cats whereby the limbs, primarily the hind limbs, are splayed laterally resulting in an inability to stand or ...
The primary therapy for swimmer syndrome is to tape or wrap the legs so that the hips, knees, and ankles are squared. There are several methods for doing this, but what I recommend most is to create hobbles using medical tape: Use a good quality medical tape that will not pull at the fur or skin when removed.