Quote:
Originally Posted by Ladyhawk  Just wash your hands well (sing happy birthday) and use a neil brush. After the cord is shredded put a bit of iodine on it. Iodine will kill any germs and aid in the drying up of the cord. I wouldn't worry overmuch, mom is going to lick it anyway. |
I use gloves when I deliver my pups now, when I first started I didn't. And I agree, I like to also tear the cord because it doesn't seem to bleed as bad if you do this or as Dee was saying the scissors that aren't sharp work. And if you have retained placenta you can clamp it with a hemostat so it won't go back up in her, so you can concentrate on the pup. I also have Calsorb on hand, it is great to give the mom when she is starting contractions and often they get tired and the contractions are not strong and if you give calsorb it will give her a boost on her contractions. NutriCal is great to keep their energy level up.
If you don't have a room that you can keep warmer, I always use a pet taxi that is big enough for mom and pups and I cover it with a blanket and it will incubate it nicely without any added heat source such as a heat lamp or heating pad. The moms like the den like atmosphere, they need to feel their pups are safely in the den away from the activity.
So beside your is a great place, I keep a flashlight handy for the night time.
Good luck and looking forward to hearing your litter announcement.
You are welcome to PM me anytime.
Deana