Last Minute Questions...
 

We are two days from due date. I am just running through stuff in my head and need to ask for reassurance sake....

1. When a sack shows itself but is half in and half out....how long do you let it be until you step in and help pull it out? Does pulling it out not break that sack?

2. Do you stick the aspirator far into the mouth...and do the nose?

3. I am reading and seeing different opinions on how long the pup can be in the sack before it is broken. How long would you all say that should be?

4. My girls milk hasn't come in yet....do you think that is an issue?

5. She has gained 2 pounds.....up until now I figured only two pups in there...doesn't 2 pound gain seem a bit much for only two pups?

My girls milk usually doesnt come in till after delivery so I wouldnt worry about it.
I break the bags for the moms pretty quickly and nasal aspirate only slightly entering the nostrils, as for oral I put it in towards the back of the throat and suction.
My 6 &7 pound girls average 2 pounds per pregnancy(we average 2-4 pups) no matter the size of the litter.

thanks dany!

If I tie the cords with floss....do you leave the floss on till the cord falls off?

If you have to assist to get the puppy through the birth canal, do it with each contraction. Make sure you are gently pulling, and gently grasping the body......never the legs or head........you can assist her to expel the puppy by taking a warm wash cloth and applying pressure to her legs with each contraction.......

If the pup is in the sack and mother is not going about her normal instincts to remove it.....intervine and do it.

Aspirator should go in as far back as you can to remove any fluid......

I've had girls only gain a pound throughout their gestation period and have 3 pups......and then at other times gain 3 pounds and only have 2 pups....just because she's been a piggy

I've had girls not lactate until after pups have been born.....12-24 hours, just as in humans.....the most important is these pups obtain the colostrum in the first 24 hours....

Leave it till the cord falls off, however, mothers will at times remove it....if the area doesn't bleed, it's unnecessary to tie it off again.

Only one of my puppies was born in a sac. It's very common for Yorkie puppies to come out without the sac.

QUESTION: Does it matter which of the whelping pudding recipes you use? And is raw egg really ok? AND...do you make the geletine as directed on the box and THEN add the rest? Or geletine with its water and add the rest and then put in fridge? HOw long does it stay good in fridge?

Thanks for all the previous answers! Great stuff! I apprectiate!!!!

Due date is today :)

This is my recipe:

Warm 12 oz of distilled water in the micro.
add 1 envelope of unflavored geletin and desolve.
Add 1 12 oz can of eveporated milk
Add 2 tablespoons of Karo
Add 2 tablespoons of Vanilla Yogurt
Add 2 well beaten egg yolks. (raw) make sure you don't add any white....big trouble.

Make sure all is mixed well. Place in the fridge until chilled.........

Spoon out a tablespoon at a time... I feed in a seperate dish along with her other meals

Immediately after whelp I offer

1 can of Goats Milk add = parts of distilled water
1 tablespoon of Karo
1 egg yolk well beaten.....

I've never had mine last long....so, it's never stayed in the fridge longer than 3 days....

Thank you Mardelin :)

The first recipe....you give that one DURING whelping?

Is Kayro syrup the same as corn syrup?

Mary's recipe is the best, all my girls loved it. I have never had mine to stay in the fridge long either, they love it.

The pudding is given after whelping and throughout nursing...

The Goats Milk one I give, that is if she'll take it during whelp, between pups and definately after whelping.

I agree!! We tried EVERYTHING to get Livi to eat after having her puppies and absolutely nothing worked. The one and ONLY thing that we could convince her to eat was that pudding. I asked the vet about her only eating this and he said it was fine.....her eating was the important thing. She lovessssss that pudding!! :)

Good luck with her whelping. Is this her first...your first? Livi's litter in June was her first so I understand the nervousness. I am sure that you have done your research so I don't need to tell you, but just because I am a nervous nelly, I will anyway ;) ....have your vet's number written where you can find it at all times and be prepared for just about anything to happen. I am not trying to worry you....just have all your ducks in a row because emotions run high when that time is actually there and it's easy to forget things. We did have to take Livi in for an emergency c-section and I was glad that I did not have to search for the vet number during that time.

Give that sweet momma a pat-pat for me. Keep us posted.

Tammy

Luckily my girl has never lost her appetite, so we've just been supplementing her diet with the whelping pudding (approx. a tbsp. daily). And yes, she loves that stuff! :) And as far as the cord, my Maya did actually remove the sutures the vet had placed on them, one was bleeding so I did have to re-tie more sutures onto the cord. She took that one off later on, but luckily there wasn't any bleeding the second time around. The cords are drying up on their own now and will fall off on their own. Make sure the floss you use isn't flavored, just plain (just in case you didn't know that already). And with Maya (she also had a c-section, so I'm not sure if it's the same with others), her milk hasn't fully come in yet, she's got her collostrum in but not much. Luckily the vet says she's just fine and is producing enough for her two pups. I'm still wondering when her milk will come in (Today makes them 2 days old), but it will soon I'm sure.

She's producing the amount of milk the pups are asking for...as they get older and suckle harder....she'll produce more....at this point be thankful that an overabundance doesn't comes in at one shot. This too can cause eclampsia......

marc, I only want to add one thing since you are new at this. make sure when you are aspirating the pup that you squeeze the bulb BEFORE you put it in the throat or nose. When you release that, that is the time the phelgm is removed. i know this sounds simple but I got so nervouse my first litter i blew all the air into the first pup's nose before i thought and I am an old retired nurse. Just got nervous. LOL

Plus everything about them is just so darn small! :)

I'm an old RN too....but, there is nothing like working on your own.....everything goes to H$$$ In A Hand Basket.......nerves set it and you feel like you're a keystone cop..........

I guess that is why Dr's are not allowed to treat their own family members.

Thanks for your reply! Yes, this is her and my first time. I am nervous but I think I have everything I need....have read, listened, watched videos....putting it all into practice will be the nerve racking part.

Yes, I have my vet's number....his emergency number as well as his cell phone number. I also have is assistants cell phone number. They are aware that today she is due...I am thankful for them. Hopefully I won't need them tho :)

Thanks! Yes, I have unwaxed, inflavored floss. My girl still hasn't got her milk in. I wish she would cause I would just feel better.

Thank you sugar! Yes, I have watched many a youtube birth so I understand the squeezing of the bulb PRIOR to putting in the mouth. Good lordy....though I know it I'd probably be so nervous I'd do the same as you did, lol.

Livi's milk didn't come in until after she had her puppies. She did have issues a couple of days afterwards with it all coming in at once and, again, we had to contact the vet.

Hope all goes well for her!

Tammy

I was just looking at her vulva. It has some clearish discharge....just a minor amount. Looks...wet but not a plug or anything like that. Is this normal? Some of her hair was stuck to it so it must be a bit sticky.

Absolutely normal........Some girls are very clean and never let that discharge build up.....other's get so fat they can no longer reach down there to clean, so it builds up. I just usually wipe them after they pee, so I don't give it a chance to build up. When you would worry is if the discharge was green and smelly.

Try and trim as much hair around there as you can with baby manicure scissors, for sanitary reasons........I usually shave my girls vulva area with a Whal Peanut......

Marc,
I felt pretty confident and had it all planned out how everything would be. I was in charge, knew exactly what to do, but as soon as I realized Maya was having contractions I panicked. I mean, I almost forgot what I was supposed to do, lol. I looked at my boyfriend and said, "I'M NOT READY YET!!!". It's funny looking back on it now, but I was a nervous wreck at the time. Unfortunately, maybe fortunately, I didn't have to put any of my learned skills to use. She wasn't able to deliver them on her own, afterall...:rolleyes: But yes, if you think you're under control now, you probably won't be when you realize it's "time". Uh, not trying to scare you but just be prepared. Your emotions will be all over the place, especially since it's your first time as well.

[QUOTE=starstella92;2877214]Marc,
I felt pretty confident and had it all planned out how everything would be. I was in charge, knew exactly what to do, but as soon as I realized Maya was having contractions I panicked. I mean, I almost forgot what I was supposed to do, lol. I looked at my boyfriend and said, "I'M NOT READY YET!!!". It's funny looking back on it now, but I was a nervous wreck at the time. Unfortunately, maybe fortunately, I didn't have to put any of my learned skills to use. She wasn't able to deliver them on her own, afterall...:rolleyes: But yes, if you think you're under control now, you probably won't be when you realize it's "time". Uh, not trying to scare you but just be prepared. Your emotions will be all over the place, especially since it's your first time as well.[/QUOTE
With each and everyone of my litters.....contractions start and I start to cry.......my heart aches that I made the decision to put my girl in that situation. And the worring doesn't stop after the whelp...your work just begins then......monitoring the pups, making sure mom's needs are met....making sure she's eating enough.....watching her breathing, taking her temp......hoping there is no infection (oh, always take your girl in to have that pop shot. At least 12 hours after she's whelped), or she doesn't get mastitis or eclampsia.....For the next few weeks you're gonna go nuts.

QUICK HELP PLEASE:

I am making that whelping pudding right now. The gelatine pkg says its for half a cup of water. But the recipe asks for 12 ounces of water which is way more than a half a cup. Do I add more pkgs?

Follow my recipe as I gave it to you...not on the package. No extra packages.

I've been making this recipe for yorkies for a few years.

Thanks so much Mardelin! What consistency should this be when it is ready?

You are too funny......wanting to know everything too the T

It will be the consistency of pudding. And as you use it will get a big liquidy.....but it's fine.

Ha. I'm sorry. I am a curious one. I need to KNOW so I don't guess...which'll keep me up at night. LOL.