Well, it's show time! Your bitch is ready and, hopefully, so are you!
On day 58 after the first breeding, you'll want to start taking your
bitch's temperature three times a day. A bitch's temperature will drop
from around 101.4 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit or below a few hours before
she is ready to whelp. A fluctuation in temperature is very normal,
what you are looking for is a dramatic drop to below 99F. The
temperature drop is the best indicator of imminent whelping. Other
signs of imminent whelping are restlessness, discomfort, licking and
looking at vulva. The bitch may refuse food prior to whelping as well.
She will probably pant heavily.
These are all signs that whelping is imminent. Call your veterinarian
and let them know that the whelping is beginning so that they will be
ready to answer any questions or give advice if you have any problems.
The bitch will start pushing and straining at some point and may start
digging at the bedding. She'll pant heavily between contractions. The
contractions should be visible in the muscles along her back. You'll
see them start at the top of her body and move down.
If labor continues an hour or so without producing a puppy, let the
bitch go outside and walk around. This can help the labor progress.
Also, the urge to push can feel, to the bitch, as if she has to
defecate. A well-trained bitch will not want to break housetraining
and will fight the urge to push, delaying labor. If the bitch is
willing to go outdoors, keep a close eye on her. A maiden bitch, in
particular, may not know what to do with a new puppy and may abandon
it.
If labor continues for more than three hours without producing a
puppy, call your vet! You will probably need to take the bitch into
the vet.
Assuming labor continues normally, the contractions will come faster
and the bitch will start pushing seriously. The water sac will appear,
probably break, and then the puppy will be delivered shortly. The
placenta may or may not be ready to be delivered at this point. You
can gently pull on the cord to see if it will come but you should
never pull on the puppy to check. You may pull the cord off the puppy
and risk an umbilical hernia.
The bitch may want to eat the placentas. Opinions vary about whether
or not this is a good idea. Some people think it's good nutrition for
the bitch when she's exerting great effort. Others feel that the bitch
will get diarrhea from eating them. Some breeders compromise by
letting the bitch eat one and then keeping them away from her.
Whatever you do, you want to make sure that you have a placenta for
each puppy born. If the bitch should retain a placenta, she is at risk
of having a serious uterine infection.
If you want to do this, you'll need to clear the water sac away from
the puppy's nose and mouth first. Hold the puppy upside down to help
drain fluid and mucus from its nose and throat. Rub the puppy very
vigorously -- even roughly -- with a dry, clean towel until the puppy
squeaks. This rubbing will both clean the puppy and stimulate it to
start breathing.
Many people allow the bitch to clean the puppy and chew off the
umbilical cord. Others worry that the bitch may chew the cord off too
close to the puppy resulting in an umbilical hernia and choose to deal
with this themselves just to be safe. If you choose to do the task
yourself, you'll want to cut the cord about 1" away from the body and
tie it with plain dental floss. Dip the tip and the floss in Betadine
solution (or another disinfectant such as iodine). It will dry up and
drop off in a day or so.
Once the pup is breathing and clean, whether you did it or the dam did
it, you'll want to check the puppy out carefully, weigh and measure
the pup, check for abnormalities such as cleft palate, and identify
the puppy in some way. Rickrack ribbon works very well. Measure and
cut a piece large enough to tie loosely around the puppy's neck. This
is only necessary if your puppies are very similar. Other ways to mark
the puppies include clipping bits of their fur on different parts of
their bodies or marking them with nail polish.
If the bitch is having a break between puppies, you should let the
puppy nurse. The colostrom (milk produced in the first 24 hours) is
extremely important for the puppies. It carries immunities that
protect the puppies from infection. The puppy's nursing will also
stimulate the bitch's contractions allowing her labor to progress.
Take a chance to rest and relax while you can. Don't worry, however,
if you can't get the puppies on the dam right away. They can go
several hours without getting milk with no problem. Once labor starts
up again, move the puppies into to the incubator box for safety while
the dam is distracted.
Very often there will be a longish break between puppies about half
way through. You can take the bitch outside, although she may not want
to leave the puppies (you should encourage her!). Again, you'll want
to keep a close eye on her to make sure she doesn't deliver a puppy
out there and not know what to do with it.
The puppies can come as quickly as 15 minutes apart or as long as an
hour apart. If the bitch goes more than an hour and you are think
there are more puppies, call your vet! There may be a puppy stuck and
you'll want to ensure that you get it out as soon as possible.
When your bitch is finished whelping, you'll notice her calm down. Her
breathing will slow and the contractions will stop. You should take
the bitch and her puppies to the vet within the next four or five
hours if at all possible. Don't go more than 24 hours without having
them checked out. If the bitch has a retained puppy or placenta, she
is at risk for serious infection. If any of the puppies have cleft
palates or other deformities, you need to know as soon as possible.
Such puppies are usually humanely euthanized by your vet as they are
generally not likely to live.
There are a variety of problems you may run into. Again, keep your vet
and/or emergency vet's phone number handy in case you run into a
situation you aren't prepared for. If you have any question about what
is happening or what you should do next, don't hesitate to call the
vet. You really are dealing with life or death situations and it's
much better to be safe than sorry.
Some breeders suggest keeping some drugs on hand to help the bitch
should she have trouble delivering. You can discuss this with your vet
but I don't recommend this practice. This drug is very strong and can
cause serious complications if the problem is a large puppy blocking
the birth canal. A better option is to keep in contact with your vet
and take your bitch in if necessary.
There are some alternative medications that many breeders are using
and recommending now that have similar results without the risk of
injury. For a bitch whose labor is slowing down, there is a
homeopathic treatment called Caulophyllum (Blue Cohash). This should
be administered when the bitch is in a non-productive labor. Do not
use it unless the bitch is clearly in labor. For puppies-in-distress,
you can try a product called Bach's Rescue Remedy. It is a good gentle
"kick start" for pups in trouble. You would just put a couple of drops
on the puppies tongue. The nice thing about these remedies is that
they can't be overused. They are extremely gentle. Detractors from
homeopathic or alternative measures will tell you that these
treatments won't do anything, good or bad. (For more information on
this topic, see the Resource section below. There are a couple of
books on Natural Health.)
The first problem you might see is a bitch that starts labor but
doesn't proceed to delivering. First you should try walking her around
outside to see if that helps her relax enough to start pushing. If
that doesn't work in about 15 minutes, you can try a technique called
"feathering." Put on surgical gloves and apply a small amount of
lubricant such as KY Jelly. Gently, gently, gently insert one finger
into the bitch's vulva and gently tickle -- or feather -- her along
the top of her vagina. This can help stimulate stronger contractions.
If this doesn't produce a quick result or the bitch is getting tired
at all, call your vet. You will probably be making a trip in to get
some expert care.
The vet will probably x-ray your bitch to determine how many puppies
are waiting to be born and whether or not you are dealing with a
malpresentation (puppy trying to go out the wrong way). If all looks
well, the vet will probably give your bitch injections of calcium
and/or pituitary oxitocin. These injections often stimulate strong
contractions and get the labor moving along. If they don't work, or if
you are dealing with an overly large puppy or a malpresentation, the
vet will probably recommend a cesarian section. C-sections should not
be taken lightly but they are often unavoidable. They are very
expensive and put the life of the mother and puppies at great risk.
You should decide at this time whether or not you want the vet to spay
your bitch during the C-section. Sometimes, there won't be any choice.
If the uterus is badly damaged or infected, they will have to spay
your bitch at this time. Once you reach the point of a c-section, many
of the decisions will be taken out of your hands.
Discussing this possibility with your vet ahead of time is a good idea
so you can find out what procedures they use and how amenable they are
to your helping to revive the puppies as they are delivered. Many vets
will not allow you into their examination area, however, some are
grateful for the additional hands in reviving puppies. One of the
biggest problems with a C-section is the anesthesia given the bitch.
Because the puppies are still attached to her system, they will,
inevitably, be anesthetized as well. It is really important that your
vet take this into consideration when anesthetizing the bitch. Many
vets will mask her down and this is the recommended procedure. This
means that the vet administers isoflourene gas to start her off,
rather than administering a drug like Valium-Ketamine (SP?) to put her
to sleep before starting the gas. If your bitch is high-strung and/or
aggressive, the vet will probably insist on doing the Valium-Ketamine
option, but if your bitch is placid and biddable, you should ask that
they mask her down. The gas is much easier on the puppies systems and
they will be much easier to revive. The recovery of your bitch will be
difficult after a c-section. It is major abdominal surgery and puts a
huge strain on her system. However, if all goes well, she should still
be able to care for and nurse her litter. Your vet will give you
detailed instructions for her care. They will often prescribe
antibiotics to help her avoid infection. You should be careful
administering any antibiotics as they will generally cause both the
dam and the pups to have diarrhea.
A case when you won't have time to get to the vet is when you can't
get a puppy breathing. Every puppy should be rubbed vigorously until
they squeak and start moving around. Some of them are born with a
squeak and don't need any additional help but more often than we'd
like, puppies need extra help. If the vigorous rubbing doesn't work,
you'll want to act quickly. The fastest way to get fluid out of the
puppy's throat and nose is to hold the puppy firmly and raise it above
your head and swing it quickly down between your legs. The centrifugal
force can clear the nose and throat. Make sure that you support the
puppy's head and neck while you do this so its delicate neck is not
damaged. If this doesn't work, you can try using a bulb syringe to
aspirate any possible fluid. While you are working on the pup, keep
rubbing it vigorously and make sure it stays warm. Hopefully you'll be
rewarded with that gasp of life and a healthy puppy.
At some point, however, you may have to give up on a puppy. This is an
extremely difficult decision but if you've worked on the puppy for 15
minutes without response, you are unlikely to revive the puppy.
Consult with your veterinarian about what to do with the dead puppy.
Sadly, this isn't an uncommon event in a whelping.
Again, there is no shame in calling your vet for help. If you are
unsure what to do or are presented with a situation you or your bitch
don't understand. Get professional help!
Once the whelping is over, you'll be ready to let the new family
settle d own and get some well-deserved rest. And you'll need that
rest yourself. Make sure the bitch has relieved herself and gotten
some fluids. Give her a sponge bath so she is clean and fresh. Feeding
her chicken broth with rice is a good first meal after whelping as it
will be gentle on her stomach but give her plenty of fluid and
nutrition.
A first-time mother may have some serious doubts about these puppies,
particularly if the delivery was painful for her. This is another time
where obedience training comes in handy. It is extremely important
that you get the puppies nursing both for their sake and hers. Put the
bitch on a down-stay, get in the whelping box with her to reassure
her, and put the puppies on her. If she growls or complains, just keep
her head away from the puppies. She's going to be tired and won't
fight you too much -- besides, she's used to obeying your commands,
right? The obvious benefit here is that the pups will get that
necessary colostrum which will provide them with their mother's
immunities. The added benefit, however, is that the nursing triggers
the release of hormones into her bloodstream. These hormones help
promote the bitch's mothering instincts. The more the puppies nurse,
the more loving the mother will feel towards them. (It's true of
humans as well.) Hopefully, the bitch will settle down and feel
content as the puppies nurse. You should still supervise her with the
puppies until you are sure she has fully accepted them and her new
role.
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