A dog breeder who was assisting in the delivery of dachshund puppies was surprised when one of them arrived with the amniotic sac still completely intact. The jelly bean puppy was helped out of his case after some quick photos were taken that show what puppies look like inside the womb.
During mammalian gestation, developing young are encased within a fluid-filled amniotic sac. The protective bubble protects the young in the womb, allowing them to develop their respiratory, digestive, and skeletal systems normally. The normal rupturing of the amniotic sac before birth is often used to signal the start of labor in humans.
The same is true for dogs, in that the amniotic sac is usually ruptured before puppies are born, but in rare cases, such as Cosmo’s, they can be born still inside the intact sac. This is known as caul birth, and it occurs in approximately 1 in 80,000 human births.
Karis Small, a dog breeder from Devon, England, was assisting her miniature Dachshund Maggie through labor in early February when Cosmo appeared, resembling one of those egg aliens that were so popular in the mid-1990s. She took a few photos after discovering the discovery before quickly helping Cosmo out of the sac so he could start breathing properly.
Each puppy in a litter develops in the amniotic sac with their own placenta, which supplies them with oxygenated blood. Once the puppy is born, the blood supply stops, and they must rely on their ability to breathe on their own to survive. While it was a “amazing” moment, Karis said Cosmo’s birth could have been dangerous if she hadn’t been there to assist him.
“It’s always such a magical experience watching as the puppies are born but it was extra special seeing Cosmo born still inside the sac,” said Karis in a statement to Kennedy News and Media. “I wanted to quickly get the photos because I knew this was something most people will never get to see. And I wanted to show people what actually goes on being a breeder. People think dogs have their puppies and then you just leave them to it, but we have to be so much more involved.”
Cosmo is one of three siblings, all of whom are doing well alongside their mother, Maggie.
Did you know that dogs can detect deception?
Leave a Reply