Todd Helped with a C-Section Today
I dropped in on Amanda's office (York County Veterinary Hospital) today, as I usually do on Saturdays if I'm in the neighborhood. I enjoy chatting with Dr. Kip Temm, who was headed into an exam room when I arrived. I said I could wait, and he mentioned puppies were coming in later that morning. "I can wait for puppies," I replied.
Dr. Temm has a lot of bull dog clients because he is good at c-sections, and he is good at c-sections because he has a lot of bull dog clients. It's a chicken-and-egg cycle. York County Veterinary Hospital probably averages in a month the number of c-sections other veterinarians see all year.
Pups who don't travel down the birth canal need to have a similar experience once they come into the world in order to live. Since you need "all hands on deck" to handle the pups and get them squirming, it's especially helpful to have a staff who knows what to do. Everyone in the office, including the receptionist (and the random family member who happens to be stopping by), knows what to do.
By the time Dr. Temm started operating, there were seven folks ready to handle a puppy, two techs (one borrowed from the OOB office), the receptionist, the breeder, the breeder's daughter and SIL, and me for a litter estimated at five or six. The surgery was completely uneventful and five healthy pups were produced. One gave a little trouble before screaming. Mine had a little water in the lungs, but I squeezed, rubbed and patted it to life.
For Dr. Temm and the staff, c-sections are "routine" major surgeries. They helped save Dove's life and my wonderful litter. It was a lot of fun seeing a non-emergency cesarean, and I'm getting good at not being queasy while watching surgery.
Because of the experience doing this work, I recommend them to any dog breeder within a half-hour's drive. The only thing I wish they did was PennHIP x-rays, but I think they will be certified this winter. Drs. Temm & Rizner are very supportive of responsible dog breeders (which, believe it or not, isn't always the case). I'm fortunate to have married a veterinarian, even more fortunate that her practice does this work regularly.
Dr. Temm has a lot of bull dog clients because he is good at c-sections, and he is good at c-sections because he has a lot of bull dog clients. It's a chicken-and-egg cycle. York County Veterinary Hospital probably averages in a month the number of c-sections other veterinarians see all year.
Pups who don't travel down the birth canal need to have a similar experience once they come into the world in order to live. Since you need "all hands on deck" to handle the pups and get them squirming, it's especially helpful to have a staff who knows what to do. Everyone in the office, including the receptionist (and the random family member who happens to be stopping by), knows what to do.
By the time Dr. Temm started operating, there were seven folks ready to handle a puppy, two techs (one borrowed from the OOB office), the receptionist, the breeder, the breeder's daughter and SIL, and me for a litter estimated at five or six. The surgery was completely uneventful and five healthy pups were produced. One gave a little trouble before screaming. Mine had a little water in the lungs, but I squeezed, rubbed and patted it to life.
For Dr. Temm and the staff, c-sections are "routine" major surgeries. They helped save Dove's life and my wonderful litter. It was a lot of fun seeing a non-emergency cesarean, and I'm getting good at not being queasy while watching surgery.
Because of the experience doing this work, I recommend them to any dog breeder within a half-hour's drive. The only thing I wish they did was PennHIP x-rays, but I think they will be certified this winter. Drs. Temm & Rizner are very supportive of responsible dog breeders (which, believe it or not, isn't always the case). I'm fortunate to have married a veterinarian, even more fortunate that her practice does this work regularly.
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