Bleeding and breeding

[Marc]

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?

[bjh]

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?

[Marc]

Originally Posted by bjh

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....

[bjh]

Originally Posted by Marc

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

[Marc]

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

Now she's throwing up

[sweetest1307]

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.

[Marc]

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?

[bjh]

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.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by bjh

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!

[bjh]

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.

[BamaFan121s]

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.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by bjh

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.

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

[Marc]

Originally Posted by BamaFan121s

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.

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.

[BamaFan121s]

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.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by BamaFan121s

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.