You might want to pick up Canine Reproduction and Whelping by Myra Savant Harris. All of the reproductive specialists that I have ever confered with seem to agree that giving a calcium suppliment before whelping sets a gal up for eclampsia. Calcium is released from the bones by the parathyroid. The parathyroid can become lazy if something else is providing calium on a day to day basis. When the bitch needs the calcium for producing milk or for contracting curing labor the parathyroid has forgotten how to do it's job and no calcium is released. This results in insufficient contractions making a c-section necessary and eclampsia when nursing.
Please get this little gal fixed after this, she really is awfully small to be having pups.
__________________
Tami |