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| INDEX OF ARTICLES | WAITING ROOM | EXAM ROOM | SURGERY ROOM | X-RAY ROOM | GENERAL TOPICS | IMPORTANT TOPICS | LAB and PHARMACY | PET PHOTOS | PET SUPPLIES | PET PHARMACY |
Whelping:
New Puppies On The Way!!
Plus... Weaning
puppies from their mother is started about 4 weeks of age. See how it's
done below.
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GOOD NEWS! |
Whelping and new pups! Well, you've really gone and done it now, haven't you! That moment you've been waiting impatiently for is here and you have to face the facts that you are going to be a mother...of sorts. Luckily, the vast majority of bitches will have their pups without any help from you or anyone else. You may be able to just sit back and watch the entire process.
Nevertheless there certainly are times when you MUST intervene; times when the bitch and the neonates will need your assistance. ThePetCenter will present a good guideline for you to consider when you are observing the whelping of the new pups to help you know when to help and what to do.
Important
Note from Dr. Dunn:  Freedom to choose... it surely is your right to breed your dog or
cat. Your own good judgment and our free society allow you
to breed your pet at any time and as often as you wish. I and many
others support that freedom. Nevertheless, there are
thousands of Americans who devote their lives to caring for and finding
homes for abandoned and orphaned dogs and cats. Some of these hard
working people have asked ThePetCenter to remind potential breeders that
there can be a silent, unpleasant side to the breeding activity.
To honor those hard working people who care for abandoned pets, I would
like you to consider just a few important effects of irresponsible
breeding of pets. You have the freedom of choice... please be a
responsible pet owner.
From the animal shelter perspective: It has been estimated that in six short years one female dog and her offspring could be the source of 50,000 puppies. In seven years a female cat could be responsible for over 350,000 kittens. The number of cats and dogs entering shelters annually is about 9 million... and an estimated 4 to 6 million dogs and cats are euthanized in America's 5 thousand animal shelters each year. |
Breeding: Most female dogs "go into heat" (estrus) about every 6 or 7 months beginning sometime before their first year of age. It is best to allow the bitch to reach full growth before breeding her. Why put the added stress of forming and nursing a litter of pups while her body is geared toward making her own structures? Always wait until she is fully developed before breeding her; in the large breeds such as the St. Bernard, Great Dane, and Irish Wolfhound, this won't occur until after they are over two years of age.
The bitch is usually ready to stand and hold for the male to breed to her about ten to twelve days into the heat cycle. Start counting days at the first sign of any blood discharge from the vulva. Just remember that every dog is different regarding when she will allow breeding, so keep good records of everything you note regarding dates of first bloody discharge, how much discharge is occurring, how much swelling of the vulva is noticed, and the bitch's attitude and temperament. And here's an important note: You should mark the day you first see any discharge "day one"...however, you may have missed a few light flow days. In these cases, what you are calling "day one" may really be day three, four or five! So, when do you bring the male to her for breeding? Do not wait until the tenth day; bring the male to her a few days ahead of time because if she's ready you better breed her now! She will let you know if your timing is right by her willingness or unwillingness to stand for the male. If she's ready, regardless of what number day it is, she will crook her tail off to one side, stand in front of the male, and even back into the male. Just because we think she should breed on a certain day has no influence on her hormonal levels. Try to get the bitch and stud together a number of days and times earlier than that tenth day of bloody discharge. Another good guideline as to when to breed is that often the discharge will turn from a dark, bloody color to a more lighter, almost tan color.
| Here's a partial list of breeds that OFTEN require medical and surgical assistance with whelping. Always have close communication with your veterinarian long before and during the whelping process; veterinary assistance may very well be required! | Pugs |
| Bulldogs | |
| Chihuahuas | |
| Boston Terriers | |
| Pekingese |
A note about doing a slide
smear: So many breeders ask their veterinarians to "do a smear so I
know what day to breed her". They are asking the impossible! A
"smear" of the vaginal discharge is done by swabbing onto a microscope slide a
small amount of the vaginal discharge. Those cells are dried and stained and the
types and maturity of those cells are noted. When the preponderance of those cells
have lost their nucleii and become more old appearing, the technician can safely say that
the peak of the heat cycle is approaching. That's all. In no way can a
determination as to the "right time to breed" be made with a high degree of
accuracy from a vaginal
smear. All your veterinarian or veterinary technician can do
is to say "She hasn't reached peak cycle yet" or "It looks like
she's about at her peak now" or "I think she is past her peak breeding time
now". Anything more specific than that is pretty much just a guess. The
best way to know when to breed is to get the male and female dogs together and see if THEY
think it's time. Always bring them together sooner than you believe is the peak of
her cycle. It is far better to be five days early than five hours late.
Remember, she won't be in heat again for half a year!
OK...so she and the stud bred twice the first
day and twice the second day and once the third day. Nice going'! There's a
great chance she'll become pregnant. The sperm will fertilize the eggs and the
fertile eggs will migrate down the two uterine horns looking for a favorable area to
attach to the lining of the uterine wall. Attachment will occur a number of days
after the breeding (that's why some anti-fertility medications can be given after the
breeding. These medications make the uterine lining a hostile area for the
fertilized eggs so the eggs can't find an inviting area of the uterine lining. If
they do not attach to the uterine lining they eventually degenerate.)
If impregnation into the uterine lining has occurred, your veterinarian will be able to feel the swollen areas along the uterus about the twenty-second to the twenty-fourth day after the last breeding. A good estimate of the number of active areas can be made, too, so you can start lining up all those potential buyers for your pups! The pups are usually ready to enter our world sixty-three days after conception, although small breeds often have shorter gestation periods of only fifty-nine or sixty days. It is best to count days starting from the last known breeding since many bitches will allow breeding to occur for two to four days in a row.
What To Expect When "It's Time"...
Let me suggest that you forget about using a thermometer to aid your guess as to when the pups are on the way. Some bitches' temperature will drop from a normal range (101 to 102.5 degrees) to a degree or so below their normal a few hours prior to whelping...but many don't. And if her temperature does drop and no puppies are forthcoming, are you going to rush her into surgery? Of course not. Recording the temperature, and over-estimating its importance, can cause you more turmoil and anxiety than any value taking the temperature may have as a prognosticator of labor, so don't bother with it if you don't want to.
The first sign that the new puppy-family is on the way usually is signaled by the bitch's lack of interest in food about twenty-four hours before whelping. Then you may notice she will lick at her vulva and have slight abdominal cramping. Then the abdominal contractions become more frequent...about every half hour. All of a sudden you may notice a shiny, grayish sac drooping through the vulva; it looks like a gray water balloon. The bitch may walk around with this hanging out and will often open the "water sac" and a clear fluid will run out. The pup's on the way! In most cases the pup will be delivered within an hour of this sac being presented for your viewing pleasure since now the pup is surely in the pelvic canal. The first pup often is the most difficult for the bitch to pass, and she may strain quite hard and even moan a bit. Don't panic yet. (Although, it is a good idea to call your veterinarian and announce proudly "she's havin' 'em!". Now the entire animal hospital staff will be on the alert that you will be calling every fifteen minutes with updates on her progress.) If she hasn't passed the pup within one hour of the "water sac" showing, do call your veterinarian and discuss the need for her to be seen right away to help pass the pup.
When the pup is passed through the pelvic
canal and into our world it will be covered in a thin membrane that looks like plastic
wrap. If the bitch does not lick and nip this membrane away from the puppy right
away, and most do, you should remove it so 
the pup can breathe. (The pup has about
six minutes of "grace period" before it must breathe, otherwise
brain damage or death will occur.) Give the mother a few seconds to remove this
membrane; if she doesn't, you do it.
You will notice that the pup is attached to a yucky looking mass of tissue by the umbilical cord. You can separate the pup from this blackish-green tissue, which is the afterbirth. (The afterbirth is the tissue that attaches very closely to the lining of the uterus. Through the afterbirth the pup "breathes" and acquires nourishment via the umbilical cord; now that the pup is born, though, there's no need for this equipment any more. Now it's nasty looking and yucky so throw it out.) There is no real benefit for the bitch to eat all the afterbirths so discard them if you wish. In fact, some dogs can get digestive upsets from consuming a large number of afterbirths. Those of you who for some reason want their bitch to eat the afterbirths, that's your choice.
Licking and cleaning the new pup is the bitch's first order of business now that the membrane is removed and the umbilical cord is chewed through (or separated about an inch away from the pup by you). If she ignores the pup, you can take a clean towel and rub the puppy dry; this will stimulate it to breath and it will protest a bit. Ouch...Welcome to our world! While doting over the new pup the bitch will probably start the process over and present another one...here we go again! While the new pup's brothers and sisters are yet to see the light of day, the first pup, having found a nipple, is already having breakfast. (I say breakfast because the vast majority of whelpings occur in the very early hours of predawn darkness!)
In any litter the entire process of whelping
can take from two to twenty hours. In Golden Retrievers, for example, they may have
three pups in the first hour, take a break
for three or four hours, have a few more, take
a break, have one, take a break and finish up sometime the next day. All that may
be perfectly normal. However, if a bitch is really straining, with contractions
coming every minute or so and no pup is presented within half an hour, get the
veterinarian on the phone. Often, if the bitch seems to be doing nothing for a few hours
and you are sure there are more pups to be delivered, the bitch often can be energized to
have more contractions by a brisk walk outside. She may not want to leave the pups
but fresh air and a short run or walk will get things started again. Have food and
water available for her, too.
Sometimes the litter will be so large, either in numbers of pups or size of pups, that a problem with Uterine Inertia can occur. In these situations the bitch will fail in weak attempts to pass the pups. She may not even show any visible contractions. Here is a good example of why you should keep good records of dates and times of breeding.
If the bitch has progressed to the sixty-fifth day after breeding and still no pups are on the way, there's a problem! If the uterus has been so stretched and fatigued by a large litter or large size of the puppies, she may not be able to pass them. Uterine Inertia also is common when an older bitch has a single fetus that doesn't stimulate the uterus enough to begin contractions. Your veterinarian must be consulted. Medical intervention will be tried first, an x-ray may be taken (don't worry, a single x-ray in full term pups presents practically zero risk) and if medications do not induce labor...it's time for surgery!
Weaning Puppies From Their Mother
Most breeders will not allow pups to nurse from the bitch longer than 5 weeks. They
are introduced to a starter or weaning formula at about 24 days of age when the pups will be able to begin eating on their own.
One of the best ways to wean puppies is to present them with a semi-liquid
nourishment in a shallow pan such as a cookie baking sheet. Gently place the
pups at the edge of the food, push their little chins into the food and they will
smell it and begin to lick the mixture you prepared. It's really fun to
watch them light up at their first taste of puppy formula! Once they get a taste
of the food they usually consume it in earnest. This process of starting
on puppy weaning formula can begin at three weeks of age and within a week they
will be looking for that special treat we call puppy food! Gradually
thicken the formula with ground up dry puppy food or begin adding canned puppy
food to their weaning mixture. By five weeks of age
they should be eating four meals a day of a high quality puppy food. You
can break up kibble so it is smaller than packaged or soak it a bit in warm
water to soften. It is a good idea to get pups acquainted with both canned
and dry food.
Some suggested starter formulas will be displayed here soon.
NOTE! Always have fresh and clean water available. Introduce the
pups to the water dish as you did to the puppy weaning formula.
Viewer Questions:
Question: When weaning puppies, do they need to start on formula or can they start with diluted canned milk?
Answer: I have not been a fan of condensed milk because of the chance of
not diluting it enough and if fed as is from the can may cause what is called an
osmotic diarrhea. The sugars and other concentrated substances draw water
into the intestine in an attempt to neutralize the condensed milk and this
results in loose stool and puppy stress. I always recommend a "puppy
specific" milk replacer rather than human labeled products. That's not to
say that human baby milk replacers will be bad for dogs but the puppy products
are designed with proper ratios of fats and proteins and sugars tailored for
canine physiology. There are a number of good Puppy Milk Replacers
such as
Esbilac and
KMR that can be used according to directions. The milk replacers can
be fed at birth if necessary (if the bitch's milk isn't available for some
reason). Also, these milk replacers can be a part of home-made
starter or weaning formulas. Some suggested starter formulas will be
displayed here soon.
Question: I read about worms in ThePetCenter and that puppies are often born with worms. Should I give the pups a de-worming as soon as they are old enough?
Answer: It is best to check with your veterinarian about routine worming of puppies. Some breeders and veterinarians will automatically administer a "puppy safe" wormer such as pyrantal orally beginning at three weeks of age. It does need to be repeated about every 7 to 10 days for a number of administrations in order to remove worm parasites that are delayed in migrating into the pup's intestinal tract from the tissues. The wormer works only against the worms after they penetrate and inhabit the lumen (inside) of the intestines. Pyrantal will not eliminate or kill the migrating larval stage in the pup's tissues.
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Making A Weaning
Formula Puppy Food |
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| The main ingredient is the puppy or kitten milk replacer. | The helper | Canned food is 70% water but easy to mix. Dry foods are only about 10% moisture | Dry puppy or kitten food is easily pulverized or ground up so it will mix better and be easily consumed |
How much to feed is more of a guess than a
science. Most puppies will eat until they are satisfied
and then turn away. Feeding four times a day, in small
portions, is preferred over one or two large meals. As the pups grow they can eat more of a high quality puppy food... canned or dry... and less of the milk replacer. Most puppies by 6 weeks of age, especially larger breeds, can eat small kibble or canned food on their own without any modification of the food. Puppies and kittens can be introduced to the weaning diet as early as 24 days of age. Only mix an amount of weaning formula as you will need at that feeding. Discard any food that has not been eaten. Using a blender is helpful; otherwise mix the ingredients well so the puppies do not risk any choking. Large breeds, as expected, can handle larger food bits than small breed pups. You can use the liquid milk replacers or mix the powder according to the directions on the label. Keep opened powdered or liquid milk replacer in the refrigerator, but it is good to warm up the portion being mixed for each feeding.
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Mix one of the following liquid milk replacers, slightly warmed, with... |
an egg yolk, either cooked or raw and... |
a high quality canned food such as... |
or ground dry puppy food such as... |
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These foods and many others, including holistic brands, can be purchased online here. |
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It is much better to prepare yourself ahead
of time by reading and talking to an experienced breeder if this is your first
experience with dog breeding. It is very important to have the
male and female dogs thoroughly checked out for breed dispositions for
hip dysplasia, eye problems, heart defects or
other health aberrations. Breeding dogs that are less than optimally
healthy will take you down a very unpleasant road. Be certain that your bitch is
wormed or has a negative fecal exam,
be certain that the diet is excellent... not just "good". Avoid the notion
that you must supplement the diet because of the "stress" on the mother.
The real stress nutritionally comes after the pregnancy when the pups are
between two and four weeks of age. That's the time they are extracting the largest
amounts of nutrients from the mother, and making all that milk can really tap into
the bitches' nutrient reserves. Over-supplementing is a mistake. A high
quality diet containing large amounts of quality protein and fat is important; high fat,
high protein and low carbohydrates (grain) is best.
It is a good idea to get a small postal scale and weigh the new pups daily. After the second day they should gain steadily every day. If you notice a pup that is slower, colder, softer or whinier than the others, take special care of that one. It just may need your help to survive. Each day the pups should put on a bit of weight; one that is not may be a "poor doer" and could need veterinary care.
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ThePetCheckup Find out about this unique in-home health test kit for dogs and cats that just may revolutionize pet health care awareness! |
Copying or reprinting of this material
for your breed club newsletter or website may be done only with
verifiable permission.
Contact Dr. Dunn for details.
| Quick links to other interesting topics | |||||
|
Look at a |
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about vaccinations |
All
about puppies! |
Training Topics |
See
a vaccination reaction! |
What
kind of diets are best? |
| A
nasty case of Bloat! |
See the Surgical Artificial Insemination procedure. | What
you should know about Hip Dysplasia |
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