Midwoof Diaries: How do we know when it is time for a Pomsky dam to retire?
From time to time, we make the decision to retire our mamas based on labor and delivery, ability to bounce back after feeding and weaning, etc. Jitterbug is a prime example of this...While she is a wonderful mama, the labor and delivery process hasn't been easy for her. This past time (her 3rd) she was in labor for hours and hours, then her contractions stopped and uterine inertia set in. This is a condition where the uterus stops contracting and labor ceases to progress. And of course, it was 3 in the morning. I had a few options...take her to the Emergency vet and pray they'd do a c-section before the puppies died (not a guarantee at all); wait until our vet opened at 9 am (again, too long to risk); or give her a shot of oxytocin that I had on hand and pray like crazy that her contractions would ramp up again so we could get the puppies out naturally. I chose option 3.
Oxytocin is a painful intramuscular shot that can be very effective when used correctly. But first, I needed some help. So I did what any sleep deprived midwoof would do and I woke up Mr. Smoky Mountain Pomskies. He held Jitterbug as I did a quick internal exam to make sure there were no puppies in the birth canal. This is important because if the shot is administered and a puppy is already there, the strong force of contractions can kill the puppy. There was nothing there, so we went ahead with the shot.
And we waited, barely daring to breathe.
Within 10 minutes, the contractions started again and she began to push...20 minutes later, the first puppy was out. The next three were born within 90 minutes.
Knowing that uterine inertia can happen again on a subsequent delivery once it has occurred, I decided that Jitterbug was done with her mama gig. It was time for her to find her furever family and live out her days being spoiled like the queen she deserved to be. As always, I started my quest for her family with my existing owner friends. Nancy and her husband were thrilled to be chosen as her new parents! They already have a Smoky Mountain Pomsky named Bella and she needed a sister.
Jitterbug went to live with her new family in Iowa about a month ago and she has settled in very well! She and Bella have become inseparable and she's living her best life!
Congratulations to Jitterbug and her new family!
