sharpeiple Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 I know this is probably going to sound silly, but I have a dog refuge and have had dogs my entire life, but I've never been involved in the procreation side of things. I've had a bitch come in today who is still technically 'in the pound' but was so heavy in pup that we thought it safer for her to do her 72 hours here rather than a cold concrete floor. She looks like she'll burst, has a great appetite but as I don't know this dog I have no baseline to compare re her normal behaviour. There appears to be a little bit of milk in the back 2 teats, and the teats are swollen, but not engorged. How the ???? do I know when she's getting close? What do I do? Is it safe to worm her and give her a comfortis at this late stage? She's no doubt wormy and is crawling with fleas. I gave her a parvac when she arrived today as my vet assured me it was safe, but I forgot to ask about the others. I've searched the net, but all of the info sort of assumes you know what your doing to some extent. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ams Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 The Animal Emergency Centre at Underwood says YES to the worming but you will have to check the packaging for comfortis to see if it is suitable for pregnant or lactating b*tches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ams Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Just looked it up and its a NO for Comfortis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piper Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 I am far from an expert having just had my first litter but my suggestion would be to start checking her temperature a few times a day as it will drop about 24 hours before whelping. As an example my girl had temps hovering between 37.6 and 38.1 and then before whelping it dropped to closer to 37 (might have gone below - cant remember now and can't easily find where I recorded it). The temp drop occurred on the Wednesday evening,. Her temp had been normal around 4:30ish and at 8pm it was down. She whelped her first puppy at 7:30 the next evening. Things I was told to look out for - green discharge BEFORE the first puppy is a sign of problems and after an hour of pushing without a pup call the vet. They can have periods of calm between pups but once they start pushing start timing from them. I was worried I would not see the contractions or pushing but they were very obvious once they started. Keep an eye out after each puppy for the placentas, let her eat a few but record if they are passed. Take her in after whelping has finished for a vet check and let them know if she passed all the placentas or not - if not they will give her an injection to pass them. Have somewhere warm, quiet and dry for her to have them and have a box nearby with towels and hot water bottle in - you can use it to put puppies in while she whelps the next 1. Good luck, I am sure there will be people with LOTS more experience than me that will give you heaps more info and ideas. Maybe also ask in breeders section if you haven't already? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ams Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 This site tells you which flea treatments are considered safe to use with pregnant and lactating bitches. http://www.fleacontrol.net.au/flea-control/which-flea-control-products-can-you-use-on-pregnant-dogs-and-cats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogslife Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 I know this is probably going to sound silly, but I have a dog refuge and have had dogs my entire life, but I've never been involved in the procreation side of things. I've had a bitch come in today who is still technically 'in the pound' but was so heavy in pup that we thought it safer for her to do her 72 hours here rather than a cold concrete floor. She looks like she'll burst, has a great appetite but as I don't know this dog I have no baseline to compare re her normal behaviour. There appears to be a little bit of milk in the back 2 teats, and the teats are swollen, but not engorged. How the ???? do I know when she's getting close? What do I do? Is it safe to worm her and give her a comfortis at this late stage? She's no doubt wormy and is crawling with fleas. I gave her a parvac when she arrived today as my vet assured me it was safe, but I forgot to ask about the others. I've searched the net, but all of the info sort of assumes you know what your doing to some extent. Thanks Where are you?? What state? If you get stuck there are lots of people who can help. What breed is she? Is she a big or small dog? . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 How much you will need to help with the whelping depends a lot on the breed of dog. Most average dog shape breeds whelp with little help apart from making sure they produce a puppy within than an hour after they start pushing and not leaving them more than two hours between puppies if it is a big litter. If they don't stick to these times, you need a vet. Brachy breeds, giant breeds and clumsy breeds need a lot more help with cleaning puppies, getting them breathing, clamping and cutting cords etc, so you probably need someone that knows what they are doing to help you. The whelping area needs to be warm, about 20-23 deg and even warmer for really smooth coated dogs. Puppies must be warm to digest the milk or they will die. For the first two weeks they cannot control their body temp so warmth is essential. If you don't have any special whelping mats like vetbed/drybed, deliver the litter on newspaper and keep removing and replacing wet paper. Once she is finished you can clean the box out and put in warmer bedding. If she needs a c-section, I suggest that you not revive the puppies. She won't miss what she hasn't seen and can recover and find a home faster. No matter how they are born, if it is a large litter, consider having all but 3 or 4 pts at birth unless they are a small breed that is going to be easy to find homes for. Raising a large litter will be very taxing on a bitch that is obviously not in very good condition to start with. Large crossbreed puppies cost a lot to raise and then often need to be pts because there are no homes for them. Heartbreaking and expensive for the good samaritans that tried to save them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Good on you for taking the girl home. +1 on telling people where you are and inviting help. The first whelping is unnerving, and tiring. And a large litter may take10 or even 20 hours. There are several little problems that you can get by if you have an experienced person on hand, eg, reviving a pup with mucus in lungs, extracting a breach position pup that won't come out, staunching the bleeding if the bitch pulls the cord off wrong. And an experienced person will be a better judge of when to go to the vet if there are problems. If you let people know where you are and ask, I'll bet you get some people volunteering to help. I know this is probably going to sound silly, but I have a dog refuge and have had dogs my entire life, but I've never been involved in the procreation side of things. I've had a bitch come in today who is still technically 'in the pound' but was so heavy in pup that we thought it safer for her to do her 72 hours here rather than a cold concrete floor. She looks like she'll burst, has a great appetite but as I don't know this dog I have no baseline to compare re her normal behaviour. There appears to be a little bit of milk in the back 2 teats, and the teats are swollen, but not engorged. How the ???? do I know when she's getting close? What do I do? Is it safe to worm her and give her a comfortis at this late stage? She's no doubt wormy and is crawling with fleas. I gave her a parvac when she arrived today as my vet assured me it was safe, but I forgot to ask about the others. I've searched the net, but all of the info sort of assumes you know what your doing to some extent. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharpeiple Posted July 4, 2011 Author Share Posted July 4, 2011 Thanks so mch for all the good advice. She's a border collie, but I've been told the 2 possible fathers are a mastiff or a poodle. I'm praying it was the poodle. She's indoors, she's warm, and on lots of soft bedding, but she seems to be panting all the time. I'm thinking maybe the pups are pushing up on her lungs as she's still intact this morning. I'll give her a drontal and a flea treatment, and she should feel a bit more comfortable. Talk about being out of my depth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 (edited) try not to keep her too warm! if she is starting labour/anxious - she will be generating lots of extra heat .... herself! puppies need warmth - bitches with some coat usually don't ;) If she needs a c-section, I suggest that you not revive the puppies. She won't miss what she hasn't seen and can recover and find a home faster. No matter how they are born, if it is a large litter, consider having all but 3 or 4 pts at birth unless they are a small breed that is going to be easy to find homes for. Raising a large litter will be very taxing on a bitch that is obviously not in very good condition to start with. Large crossbreed puppies cost a lot to raise and then often need to be pts because there are no homes for them. Heartbreaking and expensive for the good samaritans that tried to save them. agreed. Edited July 4, 2011 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Hi, How about giving us the state you live in and rough vicinity as to where you are. People can then speak to you privately and organize some help for you should you need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Sorry I forgot to say that both the dogs mentioned may be the sires of this litter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Thanks so mch for all the good advice. She's a border collie, but I've been told the 2 possible fathers are a mastiff or a poodle. I'm praying it was the poodle. She's indoors, she's warm, and on lots of soft bedding, but she seems to be panting all the time. Talk about being out of my depth! She is panting all the time as this is a normal sign of labour starting. She may pant for hours before contractions start. Her lungs are fine. Why are you praying the Poodle is the father ? Curious ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiskedaway Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Thanks so mch for all the good advice. She's a border collie, but I've been told the 2 possible fathers are a mastiff or a poodle. I'm praying it was the poodle. She's indoors, she's warm, and on lots of soft bedding, but she seems to be panting all the time. Talk about being out of my depth! She is panting all the time as this is a normal sign of labour starting. She may pant for hours before contractions start. Her lungs are fine. Why are you praying the Poodle is the father ? Curious ? Smaller pups? She might have trouble whelping pups from a mastiff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 Smaller pups? She might have trouble whelping pups from a mastiff. That was my thought too . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharpeiple Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 She's just had her first puppy, It's black and seems a normal size. She's eating all the placenta so looks like she knows what to do. All I need now is some sedatives for me! Oh Dooley, it's going to be a long day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swizzlestick Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 (edited) So far so good Edited July 5, 2011 by Sir WJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 Well that's a good start . Make sure your vet is aware .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharpeiple Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 Just spoke to them. She had the first one at 10.15, nothing since, but seems relaxed and happy. Focusing on the little girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 She's just had her first puppy, It's black and seems a normal size. She's eating all the placenta so looks like she knows what to do. All I need now is some sedatives for me! Oh Dooley, it's going to be a long day. So far so good. Most Border Collies whelp with no help other than observation. If she has cleaned the puppy and eaten the placenta, she will be fine. The only problems could be from a very large or mis-presented puppy or if she runs out of steam before delivering all the puppies. Good thing she picked day time to whelp in case you run into problems. BC puppies usually average 300g - 350g but can range from 200g to 500g, so if you get any bigger than that they could well be mastiff cross. If you do pts some of the litter, choose to keep the ones smaller ones as they will be easier to find homes for than bigger dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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