When my dog delivers puppies.....*New Questions about Nursing*

[duck walk]

news papers are pretty yucky and smell terrible when they get wet and then the puppies and mom smell terrible also...I use a kiddie pool just like we use for ducks, the small one...
I use a non-skid thick small throw rug in the bottom of the pool, wrap it in a flat king sheet tucking the sheet under as the wheight of mom and pups holds it is place and no one gets under it and smothers or gets crushed...
I keep a few sets so I can keep them changed out and clean...clean is the ticket with puppies...

btw, the fm with these little red Dobermans is NOT their mother but rather their auntie who would sneak in with the babies and babysit every time mother had to go out for a potty call...she loved puppies...

good luck with the pups...mom is a pretty girl...

 

[PunkinPeep]

Darling picture! And great tips! Glad to hear that she's not likely to have issues.

Anyone ever tried using the pine bedding we use for our chickens - for helping to soak up the initial messiness?

 

[babymakes6]

I use pine bedding or straw in a kiddie pool, but my Goldens are in a pen in the garage. DO NOT use cedar shavings, it can really irritate the puppies skin.

 

[Cara]

Most ADULT dogs will not have problems whelping. However this is not an adult if she became pregnant during her first heat. It is important to take her to the vet for a check-up if you have not aready done so. That way you can be prepared in advance if there is likely to be a problem rather than waiting for something to go wrong. It will be helpful to have a vet on call who is familiar with the dog and the situation in advance, rather than rushing to find an emergency veterinarian at the last minute.

 

[PunkinPeep]

O.k., i'm back.

I read that when she's getting ready to go into labor, she'll start panting. She's not panting, but she is breathing really heavily; i can see it in her stomach, and the puppies are moving around a LOT

Could it be time?

Or should i definitely wait for panting and just comfort her in the mean time?

 

[lockedhearts]

Quote:
Do you know how many days it has been since she was bred, even approximate? Best way to know for sure if she's in labor, is to track temperature Morning and Night for at least a week. When temp drops below 99 she is likely in labor, but if you don't track it for days it can drop and then come back up.

She will not only pant but her eyes will dialate

 

[PunkinPeep]

No, i didn't write it down. I know we're close to 65 days; it was the middle of December or so.

I read about the temperature tracking, but i think budget constraints are going to keep me from doing that.

She's exhibiting a lot of "nesting" behavior - i guess that's what you'd call it - round and round with her blanket, etc., things she doesn't normally do.

She looks like she's squinting a lot today, her face looks very different to me. It's almost like she's wincing (with no noise); that's another reason i thought maybe this was it.

I hadn't read about the eyes dilating; i'll look for that too.

I guess i'll just keep an eye on her. She stays pretty close to my hip these days.

Thanks.

 

[helmstead]

I had a mutt, Happy, get bred on her first heat by a VERY immature male puppy...surprised the daylights out of me. She whelped NINE puppies with just one stillborn and did fine. The male was a Giant Schnauzer and Happy was about 5o lbs worth of "Georgia Brown Hound".

Sounds like you might be close! Best of luck!

 

[Terri O]

Good luck! I have whelped many dogs for the shelter I work with. Never had too many problems...everyone has great advice so far. She sounds like she is getting ready. Dont hover, but be around. Sometimes they dont want the company! I swear the first one that I had "held on" until I went to bed and them had 13(!) pups during the night! She was a mixed breed too (all the strays that are pregnant seem to be) and was an excellent mom. I am happy to report that after being spayed she found an excellent home as did her altered pups. Terri O in WI

 

[PunkinPeep]

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm very excited.

She has been eager to find a dark place today and tonight too, so we arranged the place we have set up for her to whelp so that it feels more dark and closed in. She seems to be resting better now that it's darker. In a way, i would love to wake up and find out she had her pups during the night, but at the same time, i want to see it and experience it with her.

It's a nail biter.