whelping advice

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Pregnancy Timeline

Week One

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

http://www.soverenstaffords.com/breeding.html

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* Ferlizaon occurs * 2 cell embryos are in the oviduct * The

embryo is fairly resistant to external interference in development

CHANGES IN THE BITCH

* Possible morning sickness * Possible personality changes


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CARE OF THE BITCH

* Normal feeding * Normal exercise if she didn't normally get

exercise before pregnancy, she should start geng moderate

exercise every day * Check any and all medicaons with vet prior to

administering * No inseccides (i.e., flea treatments) * No live

vaccines

TO DO LIST

* Put together pedigree on lier * Write contract * Contact AKC forlier registraon applicaon * Start taking puppy reservaons

Week Two (Days 814)


* Embryo will be 4 cell at start of week and 64 cell by end of week *

Embryo enters the uterus



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* Possible morning sickness

CARE OF THE BITCH

* Connue as with Week One

TO DO LIST

* Nothing special this week

Week Three (Days 1521)


* Day 19 Implantaon of embryos in uterus


* See above


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CARE OF THE BITCH

* See above

TO DO LIST


Week Four (Days 2228)


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* Development of eyes and spinal cords * Faces take shape * Fetuses

grow from 510 mm to 1415 mm * Organogenesis begins Embryos

are at their most suscepble to defects * Days 26 32 are the best

days to palpitate (i.e.. feel for the puppies)


* Possible clear vaginal discharge * Mammary development begins *

Aer Day 26, palpitaon may be possible to diagnose pregnancy


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CARE OF THE BITCH

* Limit strenuous acvity (such as working, jumping, long runs) *

Add 1/4 cup coage cheese or a hard boiled egg to food onalternang days

TO DO LIST

* Schedule ultrasound or palpitaon with vet if desired


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Week Five (Days 2935)



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* Development of toes, whisker buds, and claws * Fetuses look like

dogs * Gender can be determined * Eyes (previously open) now close

* Fetuses grow from 18 mm 30 mm * Organogenesis ends

embryos are now fairly resistant to interference with development


* Swelling becomes noceable * Loss of "tuckup" * Weight will start

to increase

CARE OF THE BITCH

* Slightly increase amount of food and switch to puppy kibble. If you

feed one meal a day, add a small extra meal. If you feed twice a day,

slightly increase one of the meals. * Add daily mulvitamin for dogs

* Palpitaon no longer possible due to fluids in uterus

TO DO LIST


Week Six (Days 3642)


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* Development of skin pigment * Fetuses should weigh around 6

grams and be 45 mm long * Fetal heartbeats can be heard with

stethoscope


* Nipples darken and enlarge * Abdomen connues to enlarge

CARE OF THE BITCH

* Add coage cheese or hard boiled egg to food daily * Increase the

amount of food in the extra meal * Bitch should start sleeping in

whelping box

TO DO LIST

* Assemble whelping box * By this me you should be fairly sure

that the bitch is pregnant. Nofy the people on your puppy list. Let

them know when you expect delivery.

Week Seven (Days 4349)


* Growth and development connues


* Abdomen hair will start shedding * The bitch will start to look

pregnant at this point


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CARE OF THE BITCH

* Slightly increase both meals

TO DO LIST

* Stop any roughhousing or jumping * Radiographs (Xrays) possible

to determine number and size of puppies

Week Eight (Days 5057)



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* Fetal movement can be detected when bitch is at rest * Puppies

can safely be born from now on


* Milk may be squeezed from nipples * The bitch will be very large.


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CARE OF THE BITCH

* Add moderate lunch

TO DO LIST

* Gather whelping kit (see below) * Prepare phone list for

help/support. It should include your vet's phone number, the

emergency clinic's phone number, the number of any friends who

will be offering support during whelping, and anyone else you might

need to contact before, during, or aer whelping (like your office to

let them know you won't be in!) * Make sure your car is gassed upand ready for a possible emergency trip to the vet's office.

Week Nine (Days 5865)


* Growth and Development connues


* Nesng behavior may be seen * Bitch may become distressed

(panng, pacing, acng uncomfortable) * Temperature should be


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around 100.2100.8 degrees Farenheit * When temperature drops to

around 9899.4 degrees Farenheit, puppies should be born within 24

hours * Appete may disappear as whelping approaches

CARE OF THE BITCH

* Start taking temperature three mes a day

TO DO LIST

* Nofy vet or emergency clinic when temperature drops so that

they will be ready if you have any problems * Keep detailed recordson temperature and behavior of bitch * Double check that whelping

supplies are ready

THE FIRST STAGE OF LABOR During this stage, uterine contracons

begin. The bitch will appear very restless and may pace, dig, shiver,

pant, or even vomit. This is all normal and all an owner can do is see

that the bitch has water available should she want it. This stage of

labor is very long, lasng 612 hours and culminates with full dilaon

of the cervix in preparaon to expel a puppy.

THE SECOND AND THIRD STAGES OF LABOR


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Puppies are born covered in membranes which must be cleanedaway or the pup will suffocate.

The mother will bite and lick the membranes away.

Allow her a minute or two aer birth to do this; if she does not do it,

then you must clean the pup for her.

Simply remove the slippery covering and rub the puppy with a clean

towel.The umbilical cord may be ed in a knot about one inch from the

pup and cut with scissors on the far side of the knot.

Be careful not to pull on the umbilical cord as this can injure the

puppy.

The mother may want to eat the placenta but this is probably not a

good idea as voming it up later is common; it is best to clean away

the placenta yourself.

Expect one pup every 4560 minutes with 1030 minutes of hard

straining. It is normal for bitches to "take a rest" partway through

delivery and she may not strain at all for up to four hours between

pups.

If she is seen straining hard for over one hour or if she takes longer


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than a four hour break, Then she is in trouble and may have a puppy

stuck, or have other problems explained below, seek a veterinarian

should be consulted. Expect some puppies (probably half of them) to

be born tail first. This is not abnormal for dogs.

Some mes the puppy is very large and can have trouble to get out.

There is something you can do but you must be careful and gentle.

With clean hands place your finger in the bitch and feel where the

puppy is, if the puppy is head first then you can hook the puppy with

you fingers like this.


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Gently pull down and out.

If they are feet first then this is how you pull them out, again down

and gentle.


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CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN IF:

3060 minutes of strong contracons occur with no puppy being

produced.

Greater than four hours pass between pups and you know there are

more inside.

She fails to go into labor within 24 hours of her temperature drop.

She is in obvious extreme pain.

Greater than 70 days of gestaon have passed.

It is normal for the bitch to spike a fever in the 2448 hours following

birth. This fever should not be accompanied by clinical signs of


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calcium demand of lactaon. Calcium supplementaon predisposes

a bitch to this condion. Usually affected animals are small dogs.

They demonstrate:

nervousness and restlessness

no interest in the pups

sff, painful gait

This progresses to:

muscle spasms

inability to stand

fever

seizures

This condion generally occurs in the first three weeks of lactaon

and a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.

MASTITIS (INFLAMMATION OF THE BREASTS)

Normal nursing glands are so and enlarged. Diseased glands are

red, hard, and painful.In general, the bitch does not act sick; the disease is confined to the

mammary ssue.

The bitch may be sore and discourage the pups from nursing;

however, it is important to keep the pups nursing the affected

glands.

This is not harmful to the puppies and helps flush out the infected

material.

Hot packing may be helpful.


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Post Partum

* Make sure each puppy gets some of the bitch's colostrum (first thin

milk) within first 24 hours. Colostrum is loaded with anbodies to

protect the puppies from disease. It also helps to condion their

tummies to accepng food.

* Lochia (vaginal discharge) should be reddish to reddishbrown

(green is okay on first day). If you see black discharge, contact your

vet immediately! * Within 56 hours of last puppy's birth, take bitch

and puppies to vet for check up. The vet will ensure that the bitch

hasn't retained any puppies or placentas and that the puppies are ingood health. Ask your vet to check the puppies for cle palates and

what opons are available. This vet visit is something that should

not be skipped. If the bitch has retained a placenta or puppy, she

could quickly develop a serious infecon which could prove deadly.

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