**Super_Dogs** Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Good luck! I had my first litter this year, so I am also a newby. I brought new toys for the puppies. I did this because I have large dogs, so adult toys are way to big for the little one. However their mum loves toys, so she would pinch them. Also, I sent a toy the puppies had been playing with to their new home with each of the puppies. I agree with the others - by the time they are 8 weeks you will be pleased to get your life back to normal. I had 8 puppies, and 8 x 8 weeks old puppies means alot of poo!!! The older they get the more work they become. I also have other dogs. It was not until they where 5 plus weeks (can't remeber exactly) that I would let them be with the other dogs. My boy is a giant softy, so he was alittle scared of then and would only like to be with then for a very short time. By the way, I read alot about nesting and I was not really sure what this would look like. My girl ripped apart my couch So just be aware of where you leave her close to whelping. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrinaJ Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I cried when mine went to their forever homes, the man from Jet Pet had to put up with my blubbering over the puppies when he came to get 3 of them as they were going interstate. 5 left me in one day, that was a hard day, the other 5 went during the same week but on different days. They will be 1 in 4 days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
**Super_Dogs** Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I cried when mine went to their forever homes, the man from Jet Pet had to put up with my blubbering over the puppies when he came to get 3 of them as they were going interstate. 5 left me in one day, that was a hard day, the other 5 went during the same week but on different days. They will be 1 in 4 days 5 in one day would be hard. Mine left over about 9 days, most being 2 in one day. I think it is alot harder to put them on a plane!! I think it is because when the owner comes you can see how excited they are and this gives peace of mind. Me and my OH both thought I was going to be a mess when the puppies left (I am a bit of a sook). But I only cried when we put one on a plane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkyTansy Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 buddy1 same with me. Mine went over 5 days - one a day - lucky me!! i only cried when the first one left - and that was because he was my favourite and I had (accidentally) really grown attached to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 (edited) Is she stealing eggs and eating the shell and all? I'd say the diet you describe is way low on calcium and she may be after eggs primarily for the Calcium in their shells. Yoghurt is good. You may want to talk to a vet about it and perhaps get some calcium suppleent. Calcium deficiency at whelping can cause 'milk fever' . . .which is quite serious. I agree with Sparky Tansy about the fat . . . dog milk is very very rich. If your bitch is overweight, cut down on carbs and feed less rather than reducing fat. You don't want 'good' quality dry food for a bitch in whelp. You want excellent food, and it should be either formulated for a pregnant / lactating bitch or puppy food to keep the fat and calclium high. My girls have never liked their whelping boxes . . . though once the pups are born they tolerate them. In all honesty, I dont really mind where she has the puppy, except maybe my bed being off limits! I am wondering though if the ensuite fascination is because it is cooler in there than most of the rest of the house, perhaps she is feeling overly hot being big in QLD at the moment. She doesnt seem to actively dislike the whelping box, maybe she just doesn't want to be reminded of what is coming lol. She has always liked eggs, but they have been limited to one every 3 days previously, is it possible that it is just about her being hungry and she knows they are good to eat? Her diet is based on 1/3 pasta or rice, 1/3 mince (lean) 1/3 vegies about 1 1/2 cups of this/day with good quality dry food (from livestock store) about 1 cup/day this is split into two feeds (morning and night) lately we have been adding puppy food twice a day as well between her main meals (about 1 cup / meal) should I look at adding some chicken necks/frames to this as well? we normally add the egg to the dry food on the morning of the third day, however if our dumb chickens happen to lay in the yard, the only trace you will find is shell crumbs within seconds! I never thought they would try to eat the shell! Okay, I can easily buy more puppy toys, we only have oh, about $400 worth of dog toys at the moment lol. I will give her some goats milk and see if she is interested, I always thought milkl was a no-no though? does that only go for cow's milk? Socks has a toy stuffed puppy he carries everywhere with him (in fact he has several, in case it should be missing in action lol) so part of me is slightly concerned he might try to kidnap the real puppies as a toy! I had great fun explaining to my husband that when we move in November, we are taking a whole litter of puppies with us (they will be just over the 8 week mark) the darling didn't even flinch, much, lol, he even asked if they were flying or if they were coming in the car with us! I am thinking flying will be less stress, trying to imagine a car with a litter of cocker spaniels and the parents (if the puppies are driving, they would be too) and our 4 human kids and us and a weeks worth of clothes etc, hilarious thoughts though lol He didnt ever mind when I told him how much it was going to cost to microchip and vaccinate the tribe lol. I just hope she doesnt have too large a litter is all, a bit scared though, she was from a pretty substantial litter! is that an inherited trait? Ruth Edited September 22, 2011 by sandgrubber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthjones Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 Okay, so I have switched her back to her puppy type dry food, Advance Puppy Growth (she didn't protest the change at all, ironically it is cheaper than the one she was on) I do have a bottle of the Troy Calcium Syrup (thanks swayd, my supplies arrived yesterday) so have added that to her meat. Patches is not *overweight*, it was just that our vet suggested that the fat in a lot of meats can hinder their digestion? maybe this is an outdated theory these days? sorry, I am trying to do the best I can for my girl and for my dogs in general, but there is a lot of conflicting advice from so many different avenues that it can get very confusing I wish we could create our own ipad app, you could enter basic breed info, and ovulation/mating dates and it could populate a calendar with these types of suggestions at appropriate time frames, such as increasing food at x weeks etc should I offer my girl some nutrigel as well, or is that not really going to help at all? thanks Ruth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aziah Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Most people don't supplement with calcium and I'd be reluctant to recommend you do that. if you are feeding a suitable diet (a mix of raw and a good quality dry is perfectly fine) then there shouldn't be a need for supplementing. Do you feed chicken wings, necks etc? Increasing food IMO really is on an individual basis, some bitches may lose a little condition as they progress to the final few weeks and therefore smaller, more frequent meals aid in keeping them in good condition. You will find that it is after whelping you will need to increase amounts generously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Most people don't supplement with calcium and I'd be reluctant to recommend you do that. if you are feeding a suitable diet (a mix of raw and a good quality dry is perfectly fine) then there shouldn't be a need for supplementing. Do you feed chicken wings, necks etc? Increasing food IMO really is on an individual basis, some bitches may lose a little condition as they progress to the final few weeks and therefore smaller, more frequent meals aid in keeping them in good condition. You will find that it is after whelping you will need to increase amounts generously. I didn't mean to advocate supplementing calcium, but pasta, lean mince and veggies in equal parts plus adult biscuits is not building up calcium reserves. I once had a nanny goat die of milk fever cause her diet was too low in calcium and have felt guilty about it for 40 years. 'Raw' alone doesn't do it. You need raw that contains bones or other good source of calcium. If the girl is going overboard stealing eggs, there may be a message. If there has been a history of low calcium and it is close to whelping, it's good to have some Troy/Sandoz or equivalent on hand. . . . but veterinarian advice on this is a good idea. I don't have THE answer, but there is a possible concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkyTansy Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 If you are feeding a good puppy kibble, you won't really need to supplement anything else. i would definitely cut out the rice/pasta as that is just a filler... As far as i am aware, as long as it's not cooked fat, dogs are perfectly fine to have fat and digest it very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aziah Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Most people don't supplement with calcium and I'd be reluctant to recommend you do that. if you are feeding a suitable diet (a mix of raw and a good quality dry is perfectly fine) then there shouldn't be a need for supplementing. Do you feed chicken wings, necks etc? Increasing food IMO really is on an individual basis, some bitches may lose a little condition as they progress to the final few weeks and therefore smaller, more frequent meals aid in keeping them in good condition. You will find that it is after whelping you will need to increase amounts generously. I didn't mean to advocate supplementing calcium, but pasta, lean mince and veggies in equal parts plus adult biscuits is not building up calcium reserves. I once had a nanny goat die of milk fever cause her diet was too low in calcium and have felt guilty about it for 40 years. 'Raw' alone doesn't do it. You need raw that contains bones or other good source of calcium. If the girl is going overboard stealing eggs, there may be a message. If there has been a history of low calcium and it is close to whelping, it's good to have some Troy/Sandoz or equivalent on hand. . . . but veterinarian advice on this is a good idea. I don't have THE answer, but there is a possible concern. In my mind "raw" is bones (wings, carcass, lamb flaps/necks etc). Anyhoo I wasn't having a go at you Sandgrubber, infact I didn't even know you'd suggested supplementing with calcium I just said I'd not do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
**Super_Dogs** Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 (edited) I just fed my bitch good quality puppy kibble while pregnant and feeding and she stayed in great condition! She was happy with this as her normal diet is dry. The amount I fed her just changed ALOT!! Edited September 23, 2011 by buddy1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthjones Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 okay, i'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause problems, I think I will just disappear now, It is very hard to work out what is right sometimes when so many people give so many different opinions it might be easiest if we all just forget i ever asked anything Ruth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aziah Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Oh dear don't be silly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 (edited) Don't disappear ! just remember that as many breeders as there are...that's how many different diets & opinions you'll get :D Your girl's breeder should be a good source of dietry advice, they will know their own lines and what works. I agree with not using any calcium supplements during pregnancy though, your bitch's own body will recognise the supplement and possibly supress or reduce her natural production, you don't want hypo-calcaemia. do you have some good books on whelping & rearing of litters ? fifi edited for spelling Edited September 23, 2011 by fifi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
**Super_Dogs** Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 It is very hard to work out what is right sometimes when so many people give so many different opinions I agree! When I was preparing for my first litter I read so much, and often information is conflicting as there are so many different opinions. I brought myself a couple of great books which where my bible :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpoint GSP Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I wouldn't worry too much Ruth, like the others say, different breeds, different breeders, different idea and opinions, you just have to read through the suggestions and do what you think is best for your girl - not everyone will agree but you know your girl best. Each breed is different too so your girl's breeder should be able to help. It's hard when you're just starting out and what works for some won't work for you and you'll learn heaps this time around. I know now that there are extra things i'll have on hand next time that I didn't this time, things i'll just deal with at home rather than running on into the vets (now i know what it is and how to fix it I can just go in, ask for what I want and then do it at home). My suggestions for now would be to start getting excited!! I bet you are very excited (and maybe just a little bit terrfied - well I was) about these pups arriving!) I didn't supplement my girl during her pregnancy she did brilliantly on Advance Puppy Growth and looked a million dollars by the time the pups were 4 weeks old. I loved this book - The Whelping and Rearing of puppies - a complete and practical guide - Muriel P Lee http://www.amazon.com/Whelping-Rearing-Puppies-Complete-Practical/dp/0793804973 I ordered it from the U.S from amazon and it was my bible, I can't count the times that I looked things up while we had the pups. Worth every cent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
**Super_Dogs** Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I loved this book - The Whelping and Rearing of puppies - a complete and practical guide - Muriel P Lee http://www.amazon.com/Whelping-Rearing-Puppies-Complete-Practical/dp/0793804973 I ordered it from the U.S from amazon and it was my bible, I can't count the times that I looked things up while we had the pups. Worth every cent! This was also my bible!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 I wouldn't worry too much Ruth, like the others say, different breeds, different breeders, different idea and opinions, you just have to read through the suggestions and do what you think is best for your girl - not everyone will agree but you know your girl best. Each breed is different too so your girl's breeder should be able to help. It's hard when you're just starting out and what works for some won't work for you and you'll learn heaps this time around. I know now that there are extra things i'll have on hand next time that I didn't this time, things i'll just deal with at home rather than running on into the vets (now i know what it is and how to fix it I can just go in, ask for what I want and then do it at home). Additionally, some of us, like me, are tactless. Sorry about that. I think people are kinda saying the same things in different ways, with different emphasis, and you are headed in the right direction. Advance Puppy is fine. lk;;kl Calcium in whole foods is good and safe because the dog will just pass it if she gets to much (hence the hard white turds of dogs on BARF diets) . . . while calcium supplements at the last minute can cause problems. I don't think anyone would object to the sorts of things you're thinking about . . . and most would agree that you're better off with meat than includes bone. Many dogs are lactose intolerant, so milk can upset tummies . . . but yoghurt, cottage cheese, etc. are fine. I've heard that goat milk is better tolerated than cow milk. I used to make yoghurt from powdered milk by the liter rather than buying the expensive stuff from the supermarket. Best to build up reserves gradually . . . by feeding a healthy diet, whatever that is, in the months leading into the pregnancy. And don't be surprised if she starts having trouble eating toward the end. Sometimes puppies don't leave much room for food in the stomach. "Whenever I see someone trying to help me, I run for my life" (Mark Twain) . . . you're in good company if you feel like running away . . . but it's not necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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