Laying on her side but can't seem to get comfortable
Mucus Discharge
Stage 2 - pre labor
Digging
Shivering
Panting
Staring at her rear end
Licking vulva excessively
Mild Uterine Contractions
Stage 3 - Labor
Hard Uterine Contractions
Extreme Shivering
Water Breaking
Grunting and pushing
Visible sign of the First pup and delivery (Whelp)
Note # If the Dam is pushing and grunting and crying out in pain that lasts for over
an hour with no visible pup, you maybe in trouble.
This is when you need to search your gut. Ask yourself, How do you feel?
Do you feel you are safe or in trouble.
Go by your gut instinct. Read the Dams signs, her body is talking to you.
She is probably safe if she is napping between contractions,
but if is she becoming exhausted from constant pushing and straining,
if she appears close to collapse you maybe in trouble?
She is telling you something is wrong and a puppy maybe to large to pass thru her pelvis.
If you feel you are in trouble. Call your Vet and get ready to seek help.
Below is some important information on whelping & breeding.
Notebook & pencil to record time, sex, weight, etc.
Clean Towels...plenty of them. We put some down for the mom so she can dig and then we use the smaller towels to clean and wrap the pup in to keep it warm for awhile before we place it in the box with the heating pad on
Pee PadsWe line the floor with the pee pads. Sometimes the mom does not want to stay in the whelping box and prefers to walk around. Plus it can help from messing up your floors
Iodine used on the puppies cord ) helps in healing and also Mother will leave cords alone
Old sheets or towelsfor Mom to nest & deliver puppies
Fresh water to offer to the mom during labor. She will get very thirsty
Bulb Syringe The kind they send a new human baby home with from the hospital, This way you can clean the airways Nose and Mouth
Paper towelsfor cleaning up during whelping
K-Y Jellyfor taking temperature or helping to lubricate the female should the pup need help coming out. Also helps with dry births or large puppies which are hard to deliver.
Digital Thermometerto keep an eye on the mom's temp.
Heating padplace the heating pad under a few towels. Keep the pad set to low heat (enough to only feel the warmth coming through the towels. Place new born puppies on this while mom is whelping more puppies.
Drop Light to keep the area of whelping well lit
Nutri-Calthis is my preferred favorite. Give this to the female during labor. It helps to keep her strength up.
Milk Replacersuch as Just Born or Esbilac (I have used Goats Milk for many many years and I have made my own puppy formula) .
Scaleso that you can tell if puppy is gaining weight. I use a digital mailing scale and place a small bowl on top. Set the scale to zero while the bowl is placed on the scale to get a reading of the pup only
Food Coloring I usually leave the first male/female with out food coloring. Then the next pups get colors and I mark on the paper which pup is which color. Very good if you have more of the same sex. I do this immediately after weighing the pup before the next one comes
Emergency phone numbershave these on hand along with a phone to call in case of an emergency
I would get your whelping area and supplies ready about a week in advance.
You don't want to have to be looking for something during the whelping.
List of Items to have on hand for New Born Puppies
Click the Paw to go back
Hypoglycemia -- Low blood sugar
Hypoglycemia is a disorder that occurs mainly in small breed puppies between six and twelve weeks of age. It is often precipitated by stress and can occur without warning. It might appear after the puppy has gone to a new home, missed a meal, chills, becomes exhausted from playing, has been over handled, or has a digestive upset. These upsets place and added strain on its energy reserve and bring on the symptoms.
Hypoglycemia is a real threat to these tiny puppies, watch for your puppy to become tired or droopy. The first sighs are those of listlessness and depression. They are followed by muscular weakness, tremors, and later convulsions, coma and even death. The puppy may be found in a coma.
If your puppy has any symptoms of hypoglycemia you must act fast. If the puppy is awake, give it nutrical, nutri-stat or karo syrup by mouth. You should see sighs of improvement in thirty minutes, if no improvement , then call your veterinarian at once.
Prevent hypoglycemia from happening by allowing the puppy to get enough sleep, do not allow the puppy to be overtired or over handled at first. Supervise closely with children to make sure the puppy is getting enough rest. Keep puppy warm, don't let it become chilled. Your puppy is a house dog and should not be living outdoors.
Prevent attacks by feeding a high quality diet. See that the puppy is eating often. just because the food is there dosesnt mean it is eating it. Keep dry food and water available at all times. You can give 1/2 teaspoon of nutrical or karo in the morning and night for a few days to help prevent the low blood sugar that come with excitement and stress. Always keep nutrical or karo syrup on hand.
Care of the Puppies
Learning to recognize a healthy pup from a fading pup. Supplementing mother's milk by bottle-feeding or tube feeding for a pup that refuses to nurse. Treating a pup that has gas or colic. Weaning your puppies. Vaccination Schedules for the puppy
What is a Healthy pup - A Healthy pup feels warm, and has a full belly of milk. He twitches and never lies perfectly still. (Activated sleep) - The muscles are getting stronger during activated sleep
A Puppy in trouble will feel cold to the touch. Lays limp and refuses to nurse. This puppy needs your assistance in hope for survival.
Colic Puppy - A Colic puppy scream in pain for days. I found giving a puppy plain yogurt helps ease a colic puppy.
Gas - Gas is another culprit for causing a puppy to cry in pain. I give them a few drops Gasex and a lactate intolerance over the counter drug. If all this fails to relieve the puppy, you need to ask your vet for some medication
Feeding Methods - Bottle-feeding or Tube feeding.
Alternative feeding methods will are necessary when the mothers milk is dried up or the mother is ill.
Note# if you have another nursing mother you can give her the litter but you will still need to help her by bottle feeding or tube feeding the pups.
Bottle feeding - Bottle feeding satisfies the natural instinct to suck. It also gives the puppy a choice on the amount it wishes to consume. Pups can get gas if they are not burped after feeding.
There is always the danger of a pup inhaling milk into its lungs and then getting pneumonia. Make sure your nipple hole is not to large or to small. Stick a hot paper clip in the nipple. Hold it upside down the milk should drip out, but never flow.
Encourage the pup by wiggling the nipple across his lips.
You will know if he is getting the milk by measuring the amount in the bottle and after burping can you see if he has a full belly or he needs more.
The puppy's mouth may have little bubbles on the side of his lips but the milk should not run out the sides of his mouth. Making up formulas and feeding a litter of puppies is very time consuming. It seems like as soon as your finished its time to began again.
Tube Feeding - Tube feeding advantages are that it takes very little time and you always know how much the puppy is getting. Burping is not necessary in tube feeding. The disadvantages are the puppies become lazy eaters. If you tube feeding because the puppy has a congenital defect like a bad heart or other life endangering defect his chances of survival are poor. A puppy that has no congenital problem has a good chance of survival.
Directions on tube feeding- Measure the distance from the pups mouth to the last rib and mark the tube, changing the distance as the pup grows.
Be a good Breeder- Many breeders will just let a fading pup die because it is very stressful on them. I believe that I am responsible for the pup being born in the first place because I chose to breed the two dogs. I do all in my power to help the pups survive. I do not rest until all the puppies are thriving and sleeping peacefully with mom. At the first sign of trouble contact your vet immediately!! Always be prepared!!
