Questions on first delivery

[mothermoon11]

Hi everyone Well my little Shayla is going to have babies. By my calculations from everything I have read she should be due Nov 9th. She should be in her 7th week, day 47, Sept 5th was the date of first tie. I will take all of the advice I can get on delivery. In the past I have delivered Lavs and Beagles but never anything as small as my little girl 4lb 11oz before pregnancy began, now 5lb 2oz.
O-K here goes:

1.) What do we do with daddy during delivery, and after babies are born?

2.) When can fetal heartbeats be heard with stethoscope?

3.) When will movement be detected?

4.) What is the recommended heating source for the nesting box?

5.) How much do babies usually weigh at birth?

6.) Should I cut cords or let mom do everything that she will?

I,m sure I will have more questions as we get closer to D day. I'm very nervous and just want to make sure I know what to expect.
Thanks Dee

[bjh]

1.) What do we do with daddy during delivery, and after babies are born?

Dad should be kept in a different room during the delivery and for 8 weeks or longer following the deliver. It really depends on your male and his personality and the mom.

2.) When can fetal heartbeats be heard with stethoscope?

Usually 7 to 10 days before delivery.

3.) When will movement be detected?

Usually 7 to 10 days before delivery.

4.) What is the recommended heating source for the nesting box?

I use a whelping pad that keeps a constant temperature of 100 degrees. I place the pad where it is just covering 1/2 the whelping box.

5.) How much do babies usually weigh at birth?


Puppies can vary greatly in size. I have heard of 1 oz pups and 8 oz pups. It depends on genetics, size of mom, number of pups mom is carrying and length of gestation. The problems with breeding the smaller females it that they could have a pup that is too big for them to deliver and that would require a c-section. Also the smaller females are more likely to have their uterus rupture. Most people do not recommend breeding females that are under 5 lbs.

6.) Should I cut cords or let mom do everything that she will?

I never let the mom cut the cord. Yes, many of them can do it successfully but I have heard too many horror stories where the mom chews off a foot, a ear, or cuts the cord to close and exposes the intestines.

[JeanieK]

Good answers.

I would Add,

A good weight for puppies is 4 ounces. I have a 4.5 pound mother and she has free whelped every litter.

I have an x pen, I put the whelping bed in the x pen. I start putting the mother in the pen to sleep about a week before her due date so she gets used to it. About 2 days before her due date I leave her in there most of the time. She pretty much just wants to sleep anyway. But this keeps mom from wandering off and hiding to have her pups.

After the puppies are born, this is where they live. the whelping bed has tall sides on it so the puppies cannot crawl out. I put a heating pad under half of the bed, that way the puppies can get away if the get too warm.

When they start to move around more, at around 3 weeks, I replace the bed with tall sides, with one that they can get out of, I place a pee pad next to the bed. This introduces them to the pee pad right from the start.

I let mom in and out as she wants.

If I can answer any more questions, you can PM me.

Good luck with your litter.

[bjh]

If the expectant female is use to being in a x-pen and it does not stress her out then that is acceptable. The main thing is to keep mom calm, especially the first week before delivery. None of my females would be happy being penned up prior to them having pups. Once they have their pups then they are willing to be confined. Of course, you do have to keep a constant eye on them when it is near their due date because they will try to hide to have their pups.

[mothermoon11]

for your responses. I am so looking forward to this delivery!!! but at the same time it scares me to death. I know with help from all of you we can do this. Shayla,s vet is only 5 miles from home so I know that help is very close, I just want her to be able to deliver naturally if at all possible. I am a nurse so I think we will be just fine, but then I think back to the time I was grooming her and nipped her with the clippers between her little toes. I just lost it when I seen her blood. (O-K you can stop laughing now) lol. She is just so tiny the least little thing sends me into a tail spin, and I can't think strait.
Any way I wanted to say thanks to everyone here for all of the help.
Dee

P S what is an x-pen? I have a play pen will that work?

[bjh]

An x-pen is just a folding exercise pen. Here are some examples of some:
Exercise Pen - Dog Supplies: Find, Compare, Read Reviews & Buy Online @ Yahoo! Shopping

They come in different heights, so what height you get really depends on if your dog is a jumper or not. A playpen will work if your female is not a jumper. It is just a bit more crowded. I like to set up the x-pen with the whelping box it it so mom has more room to get out and use her pee pads.

I do pray your momma has a safe whelping. Be sure to keep us posted.

[emmielous pet]

I have been so worried about my emmie during her pregnancy. She is very sweet and has never acted aggressive to anyone. My concern is the delivery and what i need to do for her. She is like a child to us and we would be in pieces if anything ever happened to her. Will i really have to cut the cord myself? I am taking off work when she goes into labor, but i am concerned about the process itself. We have a wonderful vet who actually performed an ultrasound on her last week (oct 16). She is due on nov 4 and has lost her appetite. I have tried everything i can think of. Does anyone know what would be best for her? I would really appreciate any feedback.

[JeanieK]

Originally Posted by emmielous pet

I have been so worried about my emmie during her pregnancy. She is very sweet and has never acted aggressive to anyone. My concern is the delivery and what i need to do for her. She is like a child to us and we would be in pieces if anything ever happened to her. Will i really have to cut the cord myself? I am taking off work when she goes into labor, but i am concerned about the process itself. We have a wonderful vet who actually performed an ultrasound on her last week (oct 16). She is due on nov 4 and has lost her appetite. I have tried everything i can think of. Does anyone know what would be best for her? I would really appreciate any feedback.

Try feeding her boiled egg and cottage cheese. Her appetite should actually be increasing. The last two weeks she should be eating puppy food, and I give mine a half of a boiled egg and two tablespoons of cottage cheese twice a day, and continue that while they are nursing.

Yes you needto clamp and cut the colrd. allowing the mother to do it, can cause a hernia and they might chew them too close and they will bleed to death.

You MUST be prepared to do this.


As for the Xpen I do not make them stay in it all day, but I put them in there to sleep, mine normally sleep in a crate, so the x pen is actually an upgrade. But that way they are comfortable with it when they go into labor. During labor I do not leave them alone, so they are not upset about being in it.

[Wend]

One thing I would add, is using a gram scale rather than just ounces. Watch their weight carefully, the pups should gain 10% in a 24 hr period. I also do my best to cut cords myself, but those mommas are QUICK and sometimes beat me to it. Sometimes giving her a previously born pup can distract her and give time to cut the cord. Also know the swinging method, have liver remedy (do they still call it that?) and whelping pudding on hand. And keep us posted

[emmielous pet]

Originally Posted by JeanieK

Try feeding her boiled egg and cottage cheese. Her appetite should actually be increasing. The last two weeks she should be eating puppy food, and I give mine a half of a boiled egg and two tablespoons of cottage cheese twice a day, and continue that while they are nursing.

Yes you needto clamp and cut the colrd. allowing the mother to do it, can cause a hernia and they might chew them too close and they will bleed to death.

You MUST be prepared to do this.


As for the Xpen I do not make them stay in it all day, but I put them in there to sleep, mine normally sleep in a crate, so the x pen is actually an upgrade. But that way they are comfortable with it when they go into labor. During labor I do not leave them alone, so they are not upset about being in it.

Thanks so much for the information. i will make sure i have everything i need to keep her comfortable and at ease. Do I go to the vet to get the clamps or do you have any suggestions?

[Sunnie]

You can use hemostats to clamp the cord about 1/2 to 1 inch from the puppy. Then cut the cord on the side away from the puppy with the clamp between the puppy and where you are cutting

[mothermoon11]

after clamping and cutting the cord do you use non-flavored dental floss to tie the cord? If so how close to the pup is it done if now how long should the hemo's be left on?
What is whelping pudding?
Liver remedy is that the liquid from boiling the liver?
Thanks Dee

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by mothermoon11

after clamping and cutting the cord do you use non-flavored dental floss to tie the cord? If so how close to the pup is it done if now how long should the hemo's be left on?
What is whelping pudding?
Liver remedy is that the liquid from boiling the liver?
Thanks Dee

Non flavored unwaxed dental floss. Tie the cord about 1/2 inch from the belly. Until you tie off the cord......just be careful in not pulling the clamp.

The fading puppy recipe is located as a sticky in the Breeder section.

[mothermoon11]

What is that and where would I find it, or the recipe?

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by mothermoon11

What is that and where would I find it, or the recipe?

It's my recipe.

12 oz distilled water warmed in micro.

disolve 1 package of unflavored geletin in the warmed water

add 1 12 oz can of evaporated milk.

2 egg yolks well beaten

2 tablespoons of vanilla yogurt

2 tablespoons of karo syrup.

Chill and spoon out as needed. I feed through the whole time my girls are nursing. It also helps when weaning wee ones.