What should I do if my female dog is in reverse position?

When the female dog is giving birth, if she is uneasy and restless in the delivery bed, she will sometimes tighten her abdomen and exert force in the delivery bed; sometimes she will tighten her abdomen and exert force outside the delivery bed. Or you may keep running around, tightening your abdomen and forcefully giving birth, but still no puppies come out. This behavior of the female dog is very likely to cause fetal inversion.

If reverse position occurs, it is best for the dog owner to send the dog to the pet hospital as soon as possible. If it is too late, you can follow the following methods carefully:

1. Use warm salt water or alcohol to disinfect and clean the area around the female dog’s vulva. Remember: birth attendants must disinfect their own hands.

2. One person controls the female dog, and the midwife holds the female dog’s abdomen with one hand (to prevent the fetus from moving backward). Insert the index finger of one hand into the birth canal of the female dog to check whether the fetal position is correct (normally, the mouth is facing the pelvis). If the fetus has its head curled up, touch the fetus' skull, then straighten the fetus' mouth with your index finger, and push outward with the hand that is holding the abdomen. Repeat several times, and you may be successful.

3. If your index finger touches the forelimbs of the fetus, push the forelimbs back into the birth canal, and then adjust the fetal position (mouth to pelvic opening), using the above method.

4. If your index finger touches the tail or one hind limb of the fetus, hold the female dog’s abdomen tightly with the same hand (to prevent the fetus from moving backward). Use your index fingers to hook out the baby's hind limbs, and use gauze or a small towel to hold the baby's legs. Gently hold the fetus's legs with one hand, and push outwards with the other hand. When the fetus's buttocks come out, use gauze or a small towel to grasp the skin of the fetus's buttocks and gently pull out.

5. Push and pull, repeat this several times, and the fetus will most likely come out safely. (When the fetus' head is stuck in the pelvis, reach your hand to the female dog's abdomen "between the hind limbs" to touch the fetus' head and push it out gently).

6. During operation, be sure to stay calm, don’t panic, and don’t use excessive force. Note: Do not insert your index finger into the female dog’s vulva repeatedly, as it can easily injure the vulva. After delivery, use gentamicin injection to scrub the inside and outside of the vulva (once or twice a day). Antibiotic injections or intravenous antibiotics are given for three consecutive days.