Helping the Bitch.
Prior to whelping, bitches with the thick double coat should be trimmed back to about an inch all over. This is to prevent fur being indigested by puppies when they are nursing, which could create a "fur ball" which will obstruct the intestines and or stomach with fatal consequences. The area around the abdomen should be cut back to nil as to allow the puppies to nurse without any fur in the way.
Here, we will look at the "normal picture" dam and puppies all doing well. Puppies are gaining weight, dam is in good health and happy to nurse her babies. Your job is to keep the food up to the dam, making sure she is eating the correct diet, has ample fresh water available at all times, and taking her out to relieve herself, get some exercise, fresh air and sunshine at periods of the day between feeding her babies.
During cold weather, I usually cover the babies in the whelping bed to keep them warm while their dam is away. This usually keeps them quiet and content.
Make sure to administer Calcium to the dam, usually not the required dose unless there is signs of Eclampsia, or the dam has a predisposition to it, or the dam has an unusually large litter for the breed. Vitamin C is especially helpful to restless dams and also helps with milk production.
Bedding should be changed every day to every second day depending on soiling, this will go a long way to preventing infection with the puppies. Because bitches are prone (natural wild ancestry instinct) to digging up their bedding and covering their puppies, I make bedding they cannot dig up and smother puppies to death.
Firstly, I have a waterproof mattress which is a couple of inches thick, which fits the whelping bed perfectly. For this mattress, I have made "pillow slip" covers which slide over the top of the entire mattress, much like a pillow slip over the pillow. The covers are made of polar fleece (Winter/cooler months) or flannelette or cotton type material for warmer months.
Between the mattress and the top pillow slip layer, I insert a heating pad made for puppies which cannot over heat, only warms to a certain temperature (Vets in Australia use and recommend them), the pad is only at one end of the mattress, giving the dam the option to lie away from the heating pad if she feels like doing so. Once the pad is inserted, I fold down the pillow slip and using diaper pins, I pin the slip shut underneath, then place it with the pad into the whelping bed. With this method, the bitch can dig away at the bedding till her heart is content, she cannot smother the puppies.
Daily, I check the bitch and puppies. I make sure the puppies are nursing adequately, are gaining weight, have shiny healthy looking coats, clear skin, and are behaving in a normal and healthy manner.
I check the bitch for any abnormal discharge from the vulva, temperature elevation, (usually you can tell by her reactions) mammary glands are not red, hot, and swollen, and in the case where a section was performed, make sure the incision is not red, hot, or swollen. I make sure she is eating and drinking well.
Any changes to the above, either with the bitch or the puppies, is when I take action to ensure their needs are met.
Written By Anne Muscat-Roditis
Author of the book
"Let's Talk Dogs"
© copyright 2007
Prior to whelping, bitches with the thick double coat should be trimmed back to about an inch all over. This is to prevent fur being indigested by puppies when they are nursing, which could create a "fur ball" which will obstruct the intestines and or stomach with fatal consequences. The area around the abdomen should be cut back to nil as to allow the puppies to nurse without any fur in the way.
Here, we will look at the "normal picture" dam and puppies all doing well. Puppies are gaining weight, dam is in good health and happy to nurse her babies. Your job is to keep the food up to the dam, making sure she is eating the correct diet, has ample fresh water available at all times, and taking her out to relieve herself, get some exercise, fresh air and sunshine at periods of the day between feeding her babies.
During cold weather, I usually cover the babies in the whelping bed to keep them warm while their dam is away. This usually keeps them quiet and content.
Make sure to administer Calcium to the dam, usually not the required dose unless there is signs of Eclampsia, or the dam has a predisposition to it, or the dam has an unusually large litter for the breed. Vitamin C is especially helpful to restless dams and also helps with milk production.
Bedding should be changed every day to every second day depending on soiling, this will go a long way to preventing infection with the puppies. Because bitches are prone (natural wild ancestry instinct) to digging up their bedding and covering their puppies, I make bedding they cannot dig up and smother puppies to death.
Firstly, I have a waterproof mattress which is a couple of inches thick, which fits the whelping bed perfectly. For this mattress, I have made "pillow slip" covers which slide over the top of the entire mattress, much like a pillow slip over the pillow. The covers are made of polar fleece (Winter/cooler months) or flannelette or cotton type material for warmer months.
Between the mattress and the top pillow slip layer, I insert a heating pad made for puppies which cannot over heat, only warms to a certain temperature (Vets in Australia use and recommend them), the pad is only at one end of the mattress, giving the dam the option to lie away from the heating pad if she feels like doing so. Once the pad is inserted, I fold down the pillow slip and using diaper pins, I pin the slip shut underneath, then place it with the pad into the whelping bed. With this method, the bitch can dig away at the bedding till her heart is content, she cannot smother the puppies.
Daily, I check the bitch and puppies. I make sure the puppies are nursing adequately, are gaining weight, have shiny healthy looking coats, clear skin, and are behaving in a normal and healthy manner.
I check the bitch for any abnormal discharge from the vulva, temperature elevation, (usually you can tell by her reactions) mammary glands are not red, hot, and swollen, and in the case where a section was performed, make sure the incision is not red, hot, or swollen. I make sure she is eating and drinking well.
Any changes to the above, either with the bitch or the puppies, is when I take action to ensure their needs are met.
Written By Anne Muscat-Roditis
Author of the book
"Let's Talk Dogs"
© copyright 2007