Looking for a male saint bernard

[arabianequine]

you should be ready to supplement by bottle if you need to.

Basic puppy formula:

1 can meyenburg goat milk
3/4 of the goat milk can pedialyte plain
2 egg yolks
small container of plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons white karo syrup

Mix well, heat to 105 degrees. Feed this size puppies with a regular baby bottle. Make sure to feed puppies in a normal nursing position, belly down, head up.

I would NOT supplement unless necessary. If you don't have a scale, get one immediately. You can get a good gram postal scale for 25 - 25 dollars. This is your best friend with new puppies. I weigh at birth and then twice a day for the first week, and once a day until 3 weeks of age. Weight gain is the single best indicator of healthy puppies. It is also the best way to learn if you need to be supplementing or not.

The first 3 days or so will not be milk from the b.itch but colostrum. Colostrum is essential for the puppies, however, in a lot of b.itches it makes for very sticky butts and poop. Keep an eye on this, and help her keep butts clean for the first 3 or 4 days. Once the actual milk comes in, this will go away.

Also as each puppy is born, make sure it has a first bowel movement, and check each puppy with a flashlight for cleft palate. If a puppy cannot stay on the nipple, or if milk comes through the nose, suspect cleft palate.

You may be able to tell your puppies apart by markings, but I always prefer neck ribbons to mark the puppies so I can tell who is who at a glance.

During whelping, have a laundry basket with a heating pad inside it covered with several layers of bedding. After the first puppy, when the second is on the way, pick up the puppy that is already born and put it in the basket so it does not get injured during the whelping process. As soon as the other puppy is born, cleaned, ID'd, weighed, and nursing, put them all back on her to nurse. Do this each time labor begins again. It is important to keep puppies nursing as much as possible because nursing stimulates oxytocin and labor, and also let down of the milk/colostrum.

Good luck!

I have fresh goat milk can I use this? I also have goat milk re-placer....but I am not sure if there is stuff in there the puppies should not have. I also have frozen goat colostrum.

The second line in the recipe for puppy formula is not clear to me.

I have a food scale in my birthing kit.

When should the puppies have their first bowel movement?

I have 1/2 to 5/8 rick rack but not 12-13 different ones lol.

I have a heating pad I planned on using but need to find a lower basket or box something. I just have an upright laundry basket.

I think I will be getting some paper towels too.

 

[arabianequine]

The reason I say don't supplement unless you have to is because milk supply is dependent on demand. Less demand ( as a result of supplementing) will mean less milk production, resulting in more supplementing, and even less milk production. You see the pattern.

So, tracking weigh gain is important, VERY important.

I agree....if they are not gaining per each weigh period or in 24 hours supplement?

I will watch for weak ones and help them eat off mom if I can. Try and make sure they all get enough.

Oh and I have both kinds of bottles already puppy/kitten one and a regular one. I even have a nipple that will fit a 20 oz pop bottle it they like that nipple better.

 

[Redyre Rotties]

You can use fresh goat milk, that is MUCH better, and then no need to dilute the canned goat milk with the pedialyte. (Jealous of the fresh goat milk)

If it were me I would get some Digestive Support from Nature's Farmacy, this always helps me so much with weaning or if I have a puppy that is slow to get started gaining weight.

 

[Redyre Rotties]

Get several regular baby bottles. This way if you end up supplementing them all you can make up several bottles at a time, keep them wrapped in a heating pad, and then you don't have to go refill/reheat etc.

A St. Bernard puppy will not be able to use a puppy/kitten nurser, it's much too small for them. The regular baby bottles work great.

If you are at your vets, you might also ask them to show you how to tube feed, and I would have a few appropriate sized french tubes on hand in case you need them.

 

[arabianequine]

I am now freaking out....I believe her water broke and I seen a discharge plug on the blanket in the back of our car. We had to go to town and took her and now need to rush back home and of course I dont have our birthing kit with us. I am gonna buy another thermometer now.

How long after her water breaks and she looses the plug thingy?

Her temp was normal at 11 today my time.

 

[Squawkbox]

After the water breaks they are on their way very soon!! Good luck to you and soon to be momma

.

Just to add, my girl had her first about 15 minutes after her water broke.

 

[Redyre Rotties]

FWIW I have attended a number of whelpings. I have never observed water breaking until the puppy is actually arriving.

REMEMBER: Primary uterine inertia is COMMON in your breed. This means that although the placentas detach, and yes you may have seen a mucus plug, in a significant number of bitches labor will NOT start. If you are seeing nothing by morning I would consult with your vet.

 

[Glenmar]

 

[arabianequine]

4 delivered in car and one on the gravel drive way trying to get her in the house. 2 more since we been home. So a total of 7 so far and all healthy Things seem good so far.

 

[Squawkbox]

Aw! Can't wait to see pics.