What are some opinions on water/food in crates? Particularly if my girl is prego. She was crate trained as a pup and she sleeps in there now at night. She loves being in there for sleeping.....but since her breeding a couple weeks ago she wakes me up at all hours for water or food....and I take her out to pee while I am at it, lol. Anyway, this is not usual for her. From the day we got her she has never woken up at night for anything...never whinned or anything. Now I am wondering if I should put water and or food in there (if she is prego)....or what? Thoughts?

Do you have a place where you can setup up a small x-pen and just have her crate in the x-pen so she can come out for food and water? I think she would be much happier her she had more room, especially after the pups are born it would be helpful for her and you. Is she potty pad trained or trained to go outside?

She's trained to go outside. She's welcome to sleep wherever but she is like clockwork in that she hops into bed with us....lays there for half an hour....then gets up, walks across my belly and straight into her crate, lol. If her pink Pooh blanket isn't drapped across three sides she won't sleep, lol. Maybe I should leave the crate door open at night and see if that helps....but in the years I've had her she waits for me to close it and then lays down. I will try. What is this pen you are talking about? Like a baby playpen? Or something else....

I use just a regular exercise pen and I hang sheets on the side. I have the whelping box setup inside the exercise pen. Here is a older thread that has some pictures of my setup and some others that are nice.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/bre...g-box-pen.html

I need to go shopping for a pen....

Now she's throwing up :(

Check craigslist first. Carly threw up for most of her pregnancy, today was the first time since before she got prego that she was able to be in a car and not throw up. I think it was morning sickness even though several people said there is no such thing, and some people said their dog did the same. She would throw up here at home just randomly and dr says there is nothing wrong with her.

Help!

For the past week my girl is itching like crazy! She's taking hair out when scratching and I just gave her a oatmeal bath and the tub was full of broken off hair. Is there some kind of fish oil pills or something that I can give her to soothe her skin and hydrate her hair? Any help is great! Can any of these oils I hear of be bought at a grocery store or at the pet store?

If this is your pregnant girl then you need to be careful about what you give her. She is probably allergic to something or it could be hormonal. These things can be hard to figure out. If the scratching is real bad then you might want to take her to the vets. For mine, on occasion if they are scratching I will use anti-itch spray I got from the vets. Also, Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar diluted with water is good for the skin. Aloe vera is also good for the skin. Selsun Blue Shampoo can help with yeast dermatitis and skin itching. I hope you can figure it out.

She normally doesn't scratch at all. Just at the end of her heat and it continues. Here's what I bought today....could you tell me if it's ok to give it to her if, in fact, she is pregnant.....

It's called Bena Fish Oil from Walmart from the pet section....

EPA 180 mg
DHA 120 mg

Calories per: 10
Protein per: Less than 1 gram
Fat per: 1 gram
Cholestral per: 5 mg
Vit E: 1 IU?

Is this safe for pregnant moms?

I use high quality shampoos and conditioners but used a oatmeal shampoo only today when I bathed her.

Also, I use petzlife dental spray....is that safe during pregnancy?

I thank you SO much for your help bjh and whoever else has advice!

I can't really say if they are safe or not because I don't use those products. From what I read, the ingredients of the Petzlife dental spray are not listed on the product so if it were me I would not use it. It could easily be absorbed through the gums and effect the fetuses. I don't give mine fish oil because my dogs can't stand the taste of anything fishy.

Marc--
I would strongly suggest you enlist the help of an experienced mentor. I commend you for doing your homework and preparing in advance, but regardless to how many questions you ask and how many answers you get, you would still benefit HUGELY from having someone experienced there with you when your female whelps this litter. I'm not suggesting that you stop asking questions by any means, but it seems like you have asked so many and that you are still unsure about so much, it seems almost impossible that you actually have one at this point...a mentor is really going to be a great asset for you to have at this point. God forbid she have any complications during delivery, it's going to be difficult, risky and downright impossible for you to get the help you need then by merely posting up online.

Thank you bjh. I don't know a single person who uses this spray so I will stop using it for now and ask the vet I bought it from what his thoughts are :)

I don't know anyone using either of these things. I spend alot of time reading on here and post as the question pops into my head. I do apologize.

Reading and asking questions is certainly not anything to apologize for. However, that alone is not the BEST way to prepare. As most anyone here will tell you, having someone experienced in the flesh is going to be your best route. Maybe start by contacting the person you got your little one from? Or the stud owner? Or a vet or perhaps someone that your vet could recommend? Any of those sources should have the experience needed to give you some help.

I got my girl from too far away for her to be of any whelping help.

I have my vet minutes away. He will be of help to me during pregnancy as well as any birthing emergency I may have.

Stud owner is also willing to help hands on. She does not use the products I am inquiring about so I figured who better to ask on those things than breeders who may use them. I will ask my vet tho.

I also have a neighbor who breeds a different small breed of dog. She is minutes from my house.

I read alot. When the question comes to mind I ask it. In addition to asking it I put it on a printable list to ask my vets assistant in the days to come.

Yes, I ask alot of questions. For assurance. For education. For ideas. Being my first time I will ask no matter how trivial it sounds for the sole purpose of having more confidence when I am potentially faced with it head on. I can read, ask on here or in person all the questions I have....but it is and will be nothing like experiencing it in real.

Exactly.

Computers don't display ones "tone" or "feeling" very well....so, I don't know if you have some kind of problem with me Bama. If you don't, that's great.....if you do, then that's ok too. I know I am doing my best. I know I have done research on what was in mind at the time and that for what wasn't at the time I will ask now. If I ask those around me and they don't have those products/issues/concerns then I will go where I know I will have experienced people to answer/give advise....that being here (which is what I gathered this forum to be for) and my vet. I do not come from a place that has a slew of Yorkshire Terriors and if those that do don't have the answer then I will ask those who I am confident will help me as best they can. Many breeders on here use home methods or natural methods that maybe others or vets don't and I am intrigued to hear what those things may be.

It is my hope that the vibe I am getting is not negative and it's simply the world of computers that is making me feel that way. This is not the time for me to be feeling leery about asking a question and I won't hold back from asking if that is ok. This is the time for me to read/listen/learn/do/buy/prepare etc....and I intend to do just that for my girl and for me :)

You made a very good point--that reading on here is nothing like experiencing it first hand. I agree with that 100%...didn't realize that would give you the wrong "vibe."

I have no issue with you, one way or the other. Why would I? :confused: I simply noticed that you were asking a lot of questions regarding the upcoming whelp, indicating that maybe you are not as prepared as you could/should be and suggested that if you didn't already have a mentor, to get one if at all possible. Nothing more. Like you said, reading here is nothing like 'the real thing' so best to have someone there who HAS experienced it, eh?

As I said before, by all means, continue to ask questions and get all the answers you need--that is the purpose of a forum--but don't rely on JUST the help you get from here to prepare you for what lies ahead. When the time comes for her to deliver, asking questions as they come up during her whelp will not be enough. That was the only point I was trying to make, and as you have pointed out, you have experienced people nearby ready at a moment's notice, so....it's not an issue for you, right?

I'm in the same boat as you Marc, this is my first litter & I'm learning a lot, try watching some youtube videos and searching whelping sites there's lots of information on there. I'm hoping she goes into labor during the day so my Vet can help but that's usually not likely. Lol I think I can handle this all very well & pray that all the babies turn out healthy.

I agree with you guys, typing is not the same as hearing a person's tone of voice while talking. so taking that into consideration when we read.. I rmember last january when I had my first litter, I had my son on stand by since he is a vet tech, working on his vet license. I was still very nervous while waiting for Taffy's delivery with my youngest son. and taking that into consideration you might want to talk to one of the vet techs and see if one of them will agree to be on stand by for you. also the emergency vet clinic number is a most have handy i had all the numbers and stuff i needed in the whelping area, that way I felt as prepared as I was going to be.I am breeding my sikie girl as I type and again refreshing myself on everything i learned and still need to learn since every whelping is different and my silkie is going to be a new mom, I am already printing forms, instructions and refreshing my whelping stuff to make sure i got it all..
hugs,
Carmen in nj

Hey there! Yeah, I have watched alot of videos lol. ALOT. It does help to have a visual! I really hope my girl does the same and goes into it during the day...I should have hands on help as well as my vet. If it goes at night then I can still see the vet and potentially the stud owner or my vets assistant. I am preparing as if I am alone tho.....just in case people are away when I am in need.

Thanks for that tidbit! I've been concerned about the placenta not coming out. I will try the Raspberry leaf tea before I have to take her into the vet for the ocytocin shot. No I don't have babies yet! Two more weeks, but I found this insightful!

you very welcome, and congrats on your upcoming litter, I am hoping my girl is prego, we did had 3 ties, so I am really hoping for thanksgiving babies.
hugs,
CArmen in nj

Just a bit of unsolicited info, rasberrry tea leaves are great and I do give it to my girls from the time they are bred until pups are weaned. However, you might want to speak to FLDebra on her experience with omitting (it was not done on purpose but not knowing) the POP shot and retained placenta. I strongly believe in POP shots, within 12 to 24 hours after whelping. It assists in shedding of any retained tissue, getting the uterus back into place and the let down of milk. I just make it common practice. But, then I keep oxcytocin on hand and administer it myself.

Where do you get the shots Mary?

Glad to see your back Mary!! Its been strange not seeing your posts. Just found the oxcytocin shot on www.drsfostersmith.com.

From what I have gathered you need to have a perscription from your vet to order it online, or you can buy some from your vet.

My son is a vet tech and I just got off the phone with him, and he told me that , that the Dr. told him that many people give it to the bitch to hurry the whelping and if a pup is stuck it can be a BIG problem, so he rather you bring the bitch to the office,my son said that since he's been working at the clinic he has never seen the doctor give oxy to a patient to take home. So I guess is depending on where you live and your individual Vet.

That's why you must develope a rapore with your vet. He must know you and trust you completely and know that you know what you're doing. I may have a oxy on hand, but I never administer during labor without the advice of my vet, but always after the whelping has been completed. You never administer prior to the delivery of the first pup you can cause premature seperation of the placenta, rupture of the uterus, etc.when you do administer you must know what you're doing. One must be able to identify all the danger signs during the whelping process.

There are breeder friendly vets that are willing to work with individualo breeders that know what they're doing and proceed cautiously. Then my 2 vets make theirselves available to me when I have a female due to whelp,

It can only be vet prescribed.....however, your vet has to be a breeder's vet, one that does not feel threatened by breeders (as both my vets have said on many occassions, a good vet keeps breed specific breeders #s in their roledex file and shouldn't let their egos get in the way) and willing to work with them.