new dogs is pregnant.

dc86 said:

Hi thanks for all the replies. The whelping kit I've ordered has some bitch replacement milk and bottles, teats etc in it and my local pet shop said they can order me some in if I let them know about 2 days before I need it.
I've tried to attach some pics of her but they haven't come out very well she's being a bit camera shy today ?
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LoveMyFosters said:

dc86 said:

Hi thanks for all the replies. The whelping kit I've ordered has some bitch replacement milk and bottles, teats etc in it and my local pet shop said they can order me some in if I let them know about 2 days before I need it.
I've tried to attach some pics of her but they haven't come out very well she's being a bit camera shy today ?
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By those photos she looks to be about 6-7 weeks along. If she is a good weight and she's being fed a high quality food, then I agree that you don't need to switch her until after the pups are born, the reason for not switching until after they are born is because puppy food is generally very rich in calcium, and too much calcium before whelping can shut down the pregnant dog's ability to fine tune the minute-by-minute demand needed for whelping and milk production. Allowing her body to figure out how much calcium it needs will help prevent calcium issues in your dog such as, Eclampsia or Milk Fever.

What kind of food are you feeding?

Right now it's just a waiting game, taking temp can help sometimes, but I don't do it simply because some dogs will have a temp drop, others won't so it's not all that reliable. For me I just watch them, they have a way of telling you when they are about to go as long as you are able to watch close enough for the signs.

What particular concerns or questions do you have at this point?

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dc86 said:

Right ok. I am feeding her a mixed wet/dry diet of pedigree broken down into 2 meals a day. I was going to break it down to 3 meals a day from tomorrow as she is restless and uncomfortable after meals (im not sure if she's eating too quickly as she does Wolf it down).

I have been watching her very closely and will be able to be with her day and night. I did read that the whole temp thing can make ppl panic as the bitch gets a drop but nothing happens

Right now my main concerns are that I don't have a clue what I'm doing and if she needs help I won't be able to help her or the pups or I will do it wrong because everyone keeps telling me that she will run into problems because she's so young.
I don't even know what questions I should be asking.
I've read that the mum and pups will need to see the vet next day but is it safe to take the pups out or should I arrange a home visit? Also should I phone the vet when she starts and then phone back if there's any problems or should I be phoning them regularly with update reports?

Oh also she has started having some clear discharge when she urinates and for about 5 mins after but I've had conflicting advice as the vet said it's fine but online I've read it means the pups should arrive very soon so I am very confused.

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LoveMyFosters said:

dc86 said:

Right ok. I am feeding her a mixed wet/dry diet of pedigree broken down into 2 meals a day. I was going to break it down to 3 meals a day from tomorrow as she is restless and uncomfortable after meals (im not sure if she's eating too quickly as she does Wolf it down).

I have been watching her very closely and will be able to be with her day and night. I did read that the whole temp thing can make ppl panic as the bitch gets a drop but nothing happens

Right now my main concerns are that I don't have a clue what I'm doing and if she needs help I won't be able to help her or the pups or I will do it wrong because everyone keeps telling me that she will run into problems because she's so young.
I don't even know what questions I should be asking.
I've read that the mum and pups will need to see the vet next day but is it safe to take the pups out or should I arrange a home visit? Also should I phone the vet when she starts and then phone back if there's any problems or should I be phoning them regularly with update reports?

Oh also she has started having some clear discharge when she urinates and for about 5 mins after but I've had conflicting advice as the vet said it's fine but online I've read it means the pups should arrive very soon so I am very confused.

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Giving her small meals throughout the day is a very good plan! As the pups take up more room, she will have less room for food so it will be very important to give her only small meals. Before the pups are born, I usually feed my dogs 3-4 small meals a day and adjust by how they look and act. Pedigree isn't a very high-quality food, it contains a lot of cheap fillers and will not give your dog the nutrition she needs. It really depends on what you can afford, but if you are able I would suggest looking into changing her to something that will give her the nutrition she needs to care for her litter once they are here. Here is a link to give you a more in depth look at the food you are currently feeding. Pedigree Dog Food | Review and Rating

I feed my moms and pups 4Health. This food has much better nutrient content while still being affordable, all of my dogs and pups have done wonderfully on it. Only thing with 4Health is that it's only sold at TSC. If you would like to make the switch to something else and need food recommendations other than 4Health, I can help with that too.

It's very, very important to be there with her during the whelping, I have had one dog that would have died if I hadn't been there as one of her pups got stuck coming out, thankfully because I acted fast I didn't lose him or the rest of the litter. Yes, that has happened and people have gone to the vet in a panic because the temp drop happened and no pups came within 24 hours. I am not telling you to not take her temp, I'm just explaining why I don't, it's up to you whether or not you want to continue to take it. What have you noticed behavior wise with her so far?

While birthing sounds complicated, it generally is not, most dogs have no trouble delivering a litter. While younger dogs can have more trouble, it doesn't always mean they will, it completely depends on the dog, not their age. Whoever is telling you that she will have problems doesn't know what they're talking about, she could have problems, yes, but then again she may have a completely normal and uneventful birth. As far as not knowing what to do, unless something goes very wrong, most of it is just common sense. A lot of people tell you to leave the dog completely alone during the whelping unless there are signs of trouble, but I prefer to be right there to get the sack off the pup as it comes out, most moms will be too busy cleaning up the placenta to pay much attention to getting the sack off the pup, so I do this as soon as the pups comes and while momma is eating the placenta I rub the pup with a towel to get him going. As soon as momma is paying attention, and as long as the pup is breathing well, I give him to her. Another thing I find important to do is briefly remove the pups from her as the new one comes, the reason for this is so the mother can completely focus on getting the new one out and not step on her current ones, which they can do easily because their attention is completely on the new pup that's coming. What I recommend doing is having a basket or box sitting right next to you with a blanket and hot water bottle/heating pad under the blanket so you can put the pups in there while mom is busy with the new one, then as soon as she starts to look for her pups, give them back to her, then repeat with each pup that comes out. When there is a break in between pups, I like to offer water, some will drink, others won't. Above all when delivering a litter, do not panic, every whelping is different, every dog is different, so even what you read or see about one dog may not be the same for your dog. Here is a good article on what to expect: Breeding, Whelping, and Rearing Puppies

If you haven't already, I also suggest having something to use to ID the pups if they are the same color. These are the whelping collars I use and they have worked right for my current litter of 12. https://www.etsy.com/listing/218801...earch_query=whelping collars&ref=sr_gallery_1

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about taking them to the vet after unless there seems to be problems. Unless there's a reason, all taking them to the vet does is stress the mom and pups without good cause and risk their health. I have yet to take any of my mothers and pups to the vet right after and they have all grown up happy and healthy. What I always do is just check them over myself generally right after birth. This includes looking their bodies over, looking at the legs, and specially looking in their months for cleft palate. The best thing to do if a pup does have it is have it put to sleep, there is very little chance of them surviving and the only why to give them that little bit of a chance is to hand rear the pup, which means tube feeding, which should only be done by people who have experience. It's very sad to lose any pup, but it does happen and you must be prepared to the chance that it could happen. This is what cleft palate can look like in a newborn pup: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images25/CleftPalatePuppiesPuppyDogMouthHoleFeedingSaving2.jpg

As far as keeping the vet updated, it's really up to you, if you feel it will help you, then keep them updated every so often.

Clear discharge is completely normal, it generally starts around 6 weeks and generally continues right up until the dog gives birth.

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dc86 said:

Wow ok thanks.
I didn't realise that about pedigree I always thought it was a good food for the price they charge. I will certainly research which foods are best tomorrow (later today I guess).

So far the main behaviours I've seen are clinginess and a sudden change in preference ie when we first got her she was a man's dog and wasn't bothered by me much but now she is my shadow and my husband doesn't get a look in, She is sleeping most of the time (I wouldn't say lethargic as she's easily encouraged to go out), she has 'nicked' 1 of my daughters teddies and keeps licking it and nudging it, she has become very aggressive towards my other dog for even just walking in the same room as her, she's also got this thing she does where she circles about 10 times while looking around her before she'll sit down and finally she seems to have become a bit 'deaf' when it comes to instructions but can still hear the fridge door from the bottom of the garden.

I think I would probably do the removal of the sack and cord cutting etc and the have a box for the pup while she's busy with the next as you said. I will also get some of the whelping collars.
With the cord is it just a case of clamping it with the plastic cord clamps and then cutting (between the clamp and the placenta) and dipping the end?
I have to say from your description I feel a bit more relaxed the videos I've seen seem to be much more busy and stressful for everyone involved.
Thanks
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LoveMyFosters said:

dc86 said:

Wow ok thanks.
I didn't realise that about pedigree I always thought it was a good food for the price they charge. I will certainly research which foods are best tomorrow (later today I guess).

So far the main behaviours I've seen are clinginess and a sudden change in preference ie when we first got her she was a man's dog and wasn't bothered by me much but now she is my shadow and my husband doesn't get a look in, She is sleeping most of the time (I wouldn't say lethargic as she's easily encouraged to go out), she has 'nicked' 1 of my daughters teddies and keeps licking it and nudging it, she has become very aggressive towards my other dog for even just walking in the same room as her, she's also got this thing she does where she circles about 10 times while looking around her before she'll sit down and finally she seems to have become a bit 'deaf' when it comes to instructions but can still hear the fridge door from the bottom of the garden.

I think I would probably do the removal of the sack and cord cutting etc and the have a box for the pup while she's busy with the next as you said. I will also get some of the whelping collars.
With the cord is it just a case of clamping it with the plastic cord clamps and then cutting (between the clamp and the placenta) and dipping the end?
I have to say from your description I feel a bit more relaxed the videos I've seen seem to be much more busy and stressful for everyone involved.
Thanks
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Price and quality don't always go hand and hand. I am in no way blaming you though, there are a lot of people who are unaware that the food they are feeding isn't good for their dog. I was the same way until I started looking into food more, now that I have done so much research, I am very eager to help others find the right path. Please let me know if you need any help with choosing a food.

Those behaviors sound completely normal, my current momma dog, Belle who I got when she was about 7 weeks along acted pretty much the same way. Sleeping a lot is very normal and it will only increase as she gets closer to whelping. Do you have a way to keep your dog and her separated? She will need a place where your other dog can't get to, not even be able to see each other once the pups are born, the last thing you want is for a fight to break out because she feels her pups are in danger, or worse yet, trying to eat her pups because of the stress and because she feels they are in danger, sadly this can and has happened before.

Good to hear. Most of the time cutting the cord isn't needed, really depends on the mother though. I have not had to cut any cords with my dogs so far. As far as how to cut the cord, yes your description is correct, most people use hemostats to clamp the cords, they work very well since you can lock them to hold the cord, cut the cord, then release the hemostats. Even if you do choose to cut the cords yourself, it's a good idea to have un-waxed dental floss on hand just in case the cords start bleeding, it is very important to make sure the cords don't start bleeding for a long period of time because the pups can die quickly if the cord bleeds.

Glad I was able to help you feel more relaxed about it. A lot of people do stress unnecessarily about whelping, but it really isn't that hard unless something goes wrong, which thankfully doesn't happen very often. A level head, some knowledge of how whelping works, and common sense is all you need. I didn't know a ton about whelping when I delivered my first dog, but I just used common sense and everything thing turned out wonderfully.

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