What You Need To Know For Your Pregnant Dog II

HOW DO I PREPARE FOR THE BIRTHING?

In preparation for the big day, a whelping box can be built to provide privacy and a clean, safe environment for the puppies. The box should be large enough to allow mom to stretch out with the young ones; the sides should be high enough to prevent the puppies from jumping out when they become more active later. The wall of the box should have a ledge to prevent mom from accidentally crushing a puppy between herself and the wall. Suitable bedding are towels on top of newspapers. The ideal environmental temperature should be maintained about 75F.

THE BIG DAY :

The dog's temperature can be used as a gauge to anticipate labor. You should start to take her temperature twice daily, starting the week before the due date. Normal body temperature for a dog is between 101-102.5 F. In the period of 10-24 hours before the contractions begin, this can drop below 100 F.

Labor includes 3 stages:

Stage 1 lasts 6-12 hours, during which time she may appear nervous, restless, pant, shiver or vomit; she often will seek seclusion.

Stage 2 involves cervical dilation and delivery of the puppy.

Stage 3 involves expulsion of the placenta.

The length of time of these stages is variable since she may deliver pups over a 2-36 hour period. Usually, a puppy is delivered within 10-30 minutes, and mom may rest up to two hours in between delivering puppies. Some puppies will be born head first; others feet first in a breech position; this is not abnormal and does not seem to complicate delivery.

Usually right after birth, mom will lick the puppies to remove membranes from the face and encourage respiration and will cut the umbilical cord with her teeth. If she doesn't do this within 5 minutes, you should clean the puppies with a towel and tie off the cord " from the base with thread and dip the severed cord in Betadine solution. Other than this, the puppies should be handled as little as possible, and mom should deliver and care for the puppies in a quiet environment.

WHEN SHOULD I WORRY?

A complicated birth is considered likely when 30-60 minutes of strong abdominal contractions occur without successfully expelling a puppy, or after the birth of a puppy, more than 4-6 hours pass before another birth.

If mom fails to deliver puppies within 24 hours after the drop in rectal temperature, or if mom has a prolonged gestation, lasting 65 days past breeding, medical attention is required. In any of these cases, your veterinarian should be contacted.

While most deliveries will occur without complications, certain breeds will have more problems with delivery. Many of the "flat faced" breeds such as Boston Terriers, Bulldogs and Pugs have body types that complicate birthing. Nervous individuals of miniature and small breeds may have complicated deliveries. This may necessitate a C-section where the puppies are delivered surgically if there is no response to medical management (intravenous fluids, administration of oxytocin and/or calcium) or if the fetus cannot physically pass through the uterine canal.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT?

If mom becomes ill within 3-7 days after whelping (lethargic, fever, foul-smelling vaginal discharge), this may be a sign of a uterine infection.

After delivery, especially in small breed dogs, restlessness, panting, stiffness of gait, incoordination, muscle spasms, even seizures, can be signs of low calcium levels in the blood.

Swollen, red and painful mammary glands can be a sign of infection (mastitis). Any of these conditions warrant immediate veterinary care.

HOW DO I PERMANENTLY PREVENT FUTURE PREGNANCIES?

If she is not to be bred again, it is recommended to spay your dog about 3 weeks after weaning, allowing for sufficient drying up of the mammary glands. There is no safe way of medically preventing heats or inducing abortions once breeding occurs. For avoidance of unwanted pregnancies and for the prevention of mammary tumors and uterine infections, it is recommended that female dogs be spayed.

The earlier a female dog is spayed, the better it is for prevention of future occurrence of mammary tumors. A female dog doesn't need to experience heats or have a litter to be psychologically or physically healthy. Male dogs should be neutered to avoid unwanted pregnancies, aggression, territorial tendencies, tendency to wander and prostatic disease (infections, inflammation, benign enlargement).

THE PUPPIES:

If dewclaws are to be removed or tails to be docked (to conform to AKC standards for some purebreds), this should be done within 1-3 days after birth. Usually, they are done under local anesthesia. Ear cropping is not done by our veterinarians. All the puppies should all be examined for any congenital problems (the presence of hernias, murmurs, cleft palates etc), and they should be started on their vaccination series between 6-8 weeks of age and are to be treated for intestinal worms at this time.

If you have any problems or questions about mom or the puppies, do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian.