Newborn Puppies.. Care of the Newborn puppy. The Newborn Nursery. By Gayle Kaye. Chelsea Collies. Author's note: This. Collie Expressions Magazine& COPY; in 1. Updated continuously! Most recent update - April 2. Material is copyrighted, so if copying for another website, please give proper credit! This article. is not intended to replace the services of your own personal. Vet or an emergency Veterinarian. Ch. Chelsea. Charidan Carte Blanc, ROM, dam of. June 2. 00. 1. Betsy had two trouble- free litters and was an extraordinary mother!! I am an owner, breeder, owner- handler and an AKC judge and have finished multiple generations of champions in a very limited breeding program. I am working on my 1. I started with two foundation bitches in 1. In the Fall of 2. I finished the championship of a beautiful bitch with titles at both ends, Ch. Chelsea Twilight Time, VCD1 CD TDX AX AXJ CGC, from the Bred By Exhibitor class. She is 1. 3 generations descending from one foundation bitch and 1. X's to one foundation bitch and 1. X's to the other foundation bitch). Chelsea Casanova Cowboy, finished 2. Number 4 Rough Collie in the prestigious TOP TEN (Collie Breed stats)! Often dog owners will experience dog diarrhea, it can be overlooked, but dog owners should be aware of how serious it can be & how to treat and prevent it. The following is a list of 4-star dog food brands each containing not less than one dry puppy food. To qualify, each puppy food must meet AAFCO nutritional. I love all aspects of the . I am also the author of two award winning books on the Collie!! Puppies are one of my very favorite subjects, and my experience in the areas of whelping and raising them, is extensive. In between I have helped others whelp puppies (including other breeds) and I have successfully raised hundreds of puppies for myself and others. I can still honestly say, after all these years, nothing is more exciting than an upcoming litter! Over the years, I sometimes think I have seen or experienced it all. I have done everything wrong at least once and have learned many things the hard way. For those breeders strictly adhering to no intervention during whelping or postnatal care, this article is not for you! It is estimated that 1. I hate puppy losses. It is such a terrible waste and in many cases, puppy deaths can be prevented. Since I don’t have that many litters (usually one a year), each one is a very special occurrence. If something happens to any of the puppies, I don’t have multiple litters or bitches to fall back on. Consequently, I take a very proactive approach. It’s not that I don’t believe in survival of the fittest, I do. But I also believe sometimes, in the case of an emergency, a breeder needs to step in and give “Mother Nature” a helping hand. The best piece of advice I can give after all these years.. Here’s the way I see it after years of experience. Much of puppy rearing is intuitive and automatic and with each and every litter comes the added experience of knowing when things are right and when they are not. For instance, I can spot a puppy in distress or trouble just by looking in the box. This is something that only comes with experience. A person can read about puppies and whelping all they want, but the true test comes from actual experience and/or the learning from others. Chelsea Blonde Bombshell (Harlow) - about an hour before whelping 8 puppies. She did a temp drop of 9. She had her first contraction at 1. Her last puppy came at 3: 4. A typical whelping... Gestation lasts approximately 6. Hill's Science Diet Puppy Food - an independent review, recall history, coupons and ratings by the editors of The Dog Food Advisor. How to Take Care of an English Bulldog Puppy. English Bulldogs are well known for their stocky builds, thick jowls, wrinkly skin, and "pushed in" faces. The causes of diarrhea in dogs vary, and as a responsible pet owner, you should know what to do if this happens.
BUT.. some bitches whelp earlier and some go longer than that. Learn what is appropriate for your breed and if in doubt, never be afraid to contact your Veterinarian. It should go without saying that the dam, her whelping box and the general area should be a clean and a suitable environment. It doesn't have to be spotless because bacteria is everywhere, but the whelping box should be disinfected in between litters and all whelping material should be clean and sanitary. If you want puppies to survive, the dams should not be left to whelp outside in the dirt, under porches, or other inappropriate places. The best place is in a whelping box inside the house (preferably in its own room) where the temperature can be controlled. They are not able to walk. When they are born, about all they can do is smell, suckle and crawl. They are totally dependent upon their dam and their environment in order to survive for the first 2 to 3 weeks. The eyes and ears are closed at birth. For the first couple of weeks they are not able to eliminate on their own without licking stimulation by the dam. They are not able to maintain their own body heat. In essence... they are completely and utterly helpless! Also please note that all healthy/contented pups “twitch” while sleeping. This is an activated sleep, characterized by muscle twitches. No one told me that when I had my first litter in 1. It wasn't until much later that I learned ! Many of these items really should be acquired right after doing the breeding.*Whelping box - every bitch should have a box or confined area of some sort in which to have her litter. A good sized whelping box for a Collie is 4 feet by 4 feet. You don't want it too big nor do you want it too small, but you want an area of confinement so the puppies are able to stay close to the dam (and thereby staying warm), but you also want it big enough so the dam can lie down comfortably without being scrunched and can safely turn around. A whelping box can be made out of plywood or it can be purchased. There are several good ones on the market. I use a Dura- whelp box. It is reasonably priced; easy to put together and it can be easily moved around. The “Cadillac” of all whelping boxes is. Jonart. However, it is quite heavy and is pricey, but it is extremely well made and chances are, if you buy one, you will never have to buy another! Both of them are easy to clean in between litters. Whatever type of box you decide upon, make sure it has a pig rail, so a puppy cannot get squashed on the side of the box. Make sure you put the whelping box in an area away from other dogs and make sure it is quiet, warm, dry, and free from drafts. You do not need a lot of distractions when the bitch is in labor and trying to push out a puppy. And it should go without saying that this is not the time to parade the neighbors or friends through the area. When the whelping is over, I put a whelping pad in the box. Dura- whelp makes makes wonderful whelping pads. I don't use it during whelping because of the mess, but once the bitch is done, down goes the whelping pad. These are such that the surface stays clean and all urine goes below the surface onto the newspapers below. It gives great traction to nursing puppies and has a non- skid. They come with velcro in each corner to aid in a secure placement. The last thing you want is a puppy wandering underneath a pad or towels, making it easy to step on or crush. I have several whelping pads and they are machine washable. Predicting whelping - There's no hard and fast rule of predicting when your bitch will whelp. However, there are a few ways to make an educated guess. The main one is by taking the bitch's temperature. I usually start around day 5. Typically the week before whelping a bitch's temp fluctuates between 1. Take your bitch's temperature so you have a baseline. Typically before whelping, a bitch will do a temperature drop. Each bitch is so different. I have had several over the years that dropped to 9. Others did a 9. 9 drop and the next day did another drop to 9. Still others just did one drop and went as low as 9. And I have only had maybe one or two over all these years that did not drop at all. A recent bitch that just whelped a litter of 8, did one drop to 9. There's no figuring or guessing ahead of time. Keep good records as most of them do the same thing with every litter (but even that isn't a hard and fast rule). Usually a bitch won't whelp while the temp is down. The temp will stay down for a few hours or as long as 1. At that point, I figure, I have 1. Recently, taking a bitch's temperature has fallen out of favor, but I totally disagree. I believe following years of experience that it helps give a time frame of when approximate whelping will start. PROGESTERONE: Progesterone monitoring can be very important during gestation. Some bitches have a problem maintaining adequate levels of progesterone during a pregnancy which can result in resorbed or aborted puppies. Supplementing progesterone at the crucial times could mean the difference between a live litter or not. With my last litter in the summer of 2. I took advantage of progesterone testing to determine whelping date because I was planning on having an elective c- section. From the VETINFO. COM website: . This level remains for about 6. Ideally you do not want to do a C section too early or too late. Other signs that whelping is getting close: the bitch will be very restless and cannot get comfortable. She will want to go outside frequently and will constantly be going to the bathroom. She will start exhibiting nesting behavior and will start digging at the bedding and newspapers in the whelping box. Or she may seek out a protected area that's dark, enclosed and quiet. Many of mine love the cubby hole of my roll top desk. Many a first puppy has been born in that enclosed, protected area. Some bitches may refuse food, but don't let that fool you as I have had plenty of bitches eat right before whelping. Some may vomit. She will probably have a discharge (preferably clear or creamy color) and her back end will get very puffy with an enlarged vulva. These are just a few signs but not every bitch does all of the above. Just remember there's no sure fired rule, so be prepared. At some point, hopefully the bitch will start having contractions.. As time goes by, the contractions will become stronger and closer together. I have had these first contractions last as short a time as 1. Just keep in mind that strong contractions should not go on for hours. If they do, call your Vet as there may be a problem. I do not like to see a green discharge before the first puppy is born. It usually means early placental separation and can mean a dead puppy. Sometimes though it doesn't mean anything. I had it occur in a bitch with a litter of 1.
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