Oh no.. Pookie is pregnant
 

So we decided to go to the vet today as Pookie is getting a little big. Our worst fears were confirmed she is about 45 days pregnant.

Now you can scold me all you want but this is NOT what I am looking. I am looking for advise.

Pookie is a little more than 11 months old now. Max is the dad. We thought we kept them from each other long enough but apparently not.

The vet tells me that she will be fine. She has 3 little pups in her tummy. But is she is a very small girl. She was about 3.5 pounds before getting pregnant.

Will she be safe?

What can we do to prepare ourselves?

Do we need to buy any special blankets?
Food?

Any advise you can give us would be appreciated.

The vet is 24 hours open. He said another 2 weeks to go. If she doesnt give birth about 30-60 min after her water breaks we need to take her to the clinic.

My poor little girl.. Im so afraid she is not ready for this!

Buy lots of karo syrup and NurtiCal. You can find karo syrup at whole foods and NurtiCal at Petsmart and PetCo. This will keep her energy up and her calcium levels elevated. Best of luck!

Yes great thanks.. We already bought loads of nutrical and will start feeding her today. Should we just mix the karo with her water?

Also there are excellent links on youtube.com that you should watch. I have listed a couple below:

(whelping supplies video)

(setting up whelping box)

(yorkie birthing video)

(yorkie birthing video)

Hope this helps! Please post anymore questions you have.

She is not ready! You need to spend the next 2 weeks reading everything you can. Even after doing this several times I feel like I am never really prepared. Every whelp is different. Are you suppose to take her back? Are they going to do xrays closer to the time so they can measure the heads and her pelvis? If not find a new vet. I don't know if I wouldn't plan a csection with a 3 1/2 pound girl only 11 months.

i know she is too young. Thats why im freaking out and posting here for advice.

No they didnt tell us to come back. The told us that she is just fine and very healthy. The vet told us not to worry. He had seen younger dogs giving birth already but did mention that because of her size we need to watch her when she goes into labor.. Thankfully the clinic is only 10 min away from our home.

Given the fact that she is 1) too young 2) too small and 3) you are unexperienced, which you already know, I would talk to the vet and see if maybe one of the techs (at least) would be willing to come to your home when she gets ready to deliver. Or find someone near you who is an experienced breeder and beg them to come and help you out. Definately prepare by learning the warning signs of a troubled whelp, just in case.

:thumbup::thumbup: I agree, your girl is going to need someone with experience and you don't have that. I hope you learn as much as you can before whelping, but experience is your girls best bet!

I agree..we have seen other small dogs like this have to be rushed to emergency and then die. I would do everything in my power to find someone who is knowledgeable about delivering puppies and see if they will take care of her around her due date ... no matter what the cost.

P.S. I am not a breeder but I have not seen other breeders say stock up on Nutrical etc. Bama is this something breeders do? I know to much Nutrical can make them diabetic.

Well, you need to have some on hand. One of my females would not eat 1/2 day or so before labor--I would give it to her during and in the day that followed. Generally though, moms will eat 2-3x their normal amount though right after whelping--so long as they are eating well, you don't need to give it to them. It's good to have on hand for pups when they are being weaned too. :thumbup:

I just read on another thread that you are 20 years old...are you a breeder? It does not appear so and this is a very dangerous situation for this little one. Most people will not comment in the breeders section unless you have been breeding for awhile...because bad advise can kill a dog.

I have been around dogs my entire life and have seen many litters born but I would never give advise on something like this because I am not a breeder. A great deal of experience is needed.

I agree on some but stocking up implies to me this person should being giving the dog a great deal of this.

Is good that you are on here asking. If she is 45 days already, you don't have much time. Start reading.

Is up to the breeder, I rather use, a bit of vanilla ice cream, chicken broth, and nutri drops, I do keep nutri cal on hand too, you can't never be over prepared. I also have whelping pudding ready and thanks for Mary here I also learned of a goats milk mix to give the mama after whelping.
VERY important, DO NOT GIVE the pregnant dog any calcium suplement, but have it on hand for right after whelping, I keep Ora Cal Plus or Calsorb on hand at all times, you also need a calcium supplement each day after the pups are born, I was using pet tabs but now I use Doc Roys Healthy bones. for your little dog after she has the babies she will need 1 tab a day, half with breakfast half before bed, she should eat at least 4 to 5 small meals a day. PLEASE x ray about day 56 to 59 to make sure the pelvic bone is big enogh to pass the puppies and to make sure you know how many puppies to expect. nice covered box is great for whelping. also a heating pad for half of the box is a must have, also PLENTY of towels you need them thru the whelping process, I buy mine in bulk at the store of the thrift shop, if they are big towels I cut them in half, wash them and keep them by the whelping box. disposable pads and washable pads.
get ready NOW, I start getting ready the day I mate my dogs.
I might be forgetting something if you have questions just ask, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask..
what is done is done, now you NEED to get ready to help you girl as best as you can..
hugs and best of luck.
Carmen innj

NutriCal should be kept on hand but, not as a regular dietary supplement

Put her on a good puppy food diet....change her diet slowly.....Make sure she begins eating 3 or 4 meals a day.

No Calcium Supplements no, not until she whelps those puppies.
Whelping supplies to get.

Sharp Scissors to cut umbilical cords.
Clamps/Forceps (Kelly forceps - 7" at least three straight and one curved, to clamp umbilical cord if necessary
Clean Sterile wash cloths
Several Changes for bedding
Alcohol
White Iodine
Unwaxed Dentaflos for tying umbilical cord
NutriDrops for mom and pups (a couple of drops) immediately after they born and have begun crying.
Benebac (probiotic) administer 1/2 tube to each pup
Sterile Guaze Pads
Baby Nasal Aspirator.
Betadine Skin Cleanser
Sterile cotton balls, baby bottles and preemie nipples
Tube feed kit - No. 5 toy feeding tube for toy dogs.
Glucose Solution
Canned Goats Milk and Distilled water
Rectal Thermometer and KY Jelly
Room thermometer to monitor temp of whelping area, which should be approximately 80 degrees
Syringes - 10 cc and 20 cc for giving meds and measuring formula
Eyedroppers
Blood stop - Clotisol
Silver nitrate sticks to stop bleed at umbilical cord
Sterile surgical gloves
Scale
Whelping box and area to be kept in a quiet, traffic free area of the house.

PetCal Supplement for after whelping
Cal Sorb Plus for whelping (not before)

Have the following recipe ready for your girl to give during the whelping process and immediately after (1 can goats milk, equal parts of distilled water, one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of Karo Syrup).

The above is just a short list.

You're right NutriCal has draw backs if used to excess, it can cause a dog to become diabetic and diarreah. NutriDrops is faster absorbing.

A whelping area should be provided but, off the ground.....this is winter....and cold air drops.

Prepare yourself for a C-Section....and a possibility of a premature whelp.

Yours is a situation that would just scare me to death....and I consider myself experienced. Your girl is much too small and too young to be having babies.

The one good thing is that your vet is a 24 hour vet. Since you are obviously inexperienced and you would have to consider this a high risk pregnancy, I would just punt and let the vet manage the birthing, whether it be natural or c-section.

I really think it would be best that you take her in at the first sign of labor. It is highly likely she will need a c-section but, even if she can deliver the babies, it would be best for her to be in the hands of your vet.

You have to consider that these babies will be incredibly small and you will have your hands full with just making sure they survive. I imagine they will be in the 2 ounce range and that is scary small.

If Mom needs a c-section, she may not be wanting to nurse, in which case you will need to take over. She could also not have enough milk or the babies could be so small that they are unable to latch on and nurse. Any of these things will force you to step in and feed those babies, which is an around-the-clock job. Also, at her age, she may be too immature to be a good Mom. In other words, you need to prepare yourself to take over and raise those babies and that is where I think you should focus on preparation.

I honestly think preparing for delivery and the care of the newborns is too
much for an inexperienced breeder to handle, given the circumstances. Let the vet handle the birthing and you focus on caring for those tiny babies and Mom. That will be more than enough for you.

This is a picture of my initial set up, just to let my girl sleep there when she wanted to rest and be alone. as the whelping day got closer and weather got colder I added a heavy area rug under the box to keep the cold from the floor away from the bottom of the box. is a very inexpensive box you can get a smaller one at your local home store the plastic is easy to keep clean and germ free.
and my girls love the fact that the container seems to be like a little cave for them.
but in an emergeny you can remove the cover and have great access to your girl.
I also cover the box with a heavy blanket to keep the warm in.
You might want to discuss all the posibilities with your vet in the even a c-section is needed or a britch pup is stuck.. you got a consider everything and leave nothing to chance.

hugs,
Carmen in nj

Exactly...you only give a pea-sized amount...one tube of Nutrical should last a looooong time. (I've actually never used an entire tube, even with a prego mom and litter of pups. I've always had to throw them away long before the tube ran out.) No, there is NO need to 'stock up.' Giving too much can cause serious problems--diarreah, not eating actual food, digestive upset and tooth decay over a prolonged period of time.

Also, just because it is Calcium fortified, it shoud NOT be given as a Calcium supplement. :thumbdown It's something you only want to use when needed, when a dog is not eating.

As already stated by several, there is no need to have "loads". It's not something that you need to be giving mom everyday as a regular supplement. It's used as a supplement when she's NOT eating.

i hope everything turns out well with your girl and her babies. But since you had a male and female were you planning on breeding them?

Nice setup.

thank you...:D

What brand is your tote? I love your setup.

thank you.. I did not see any brand on it, I got it at my local Kmart, is the kind to storage christmas items I just saw them at my local walmart yesterday too.. and those were very nice colors.. the size is about 24 X 36 is a great size for my silkie terriers. my hubby cut the door panel with an exacto knife and them we dremeled the edges round. for the flooring we use a piece of rug covered with washable pads I ordered from Ryan here in the forum. when I don't need it anymore I throw the rug in the garbage and clean the box with a bleach solution and put it away in my attic until is needed again.
hugs,
Carmen in nj

thanks to everyone for advice and comments.

Been out shopping this weekend to prepare everything for Pookies up and coming baby giving.

We hope and pray that she will do well during the coming weeks.

I don't usually post. I like to read and learn something new from all the posts i have read. If I feel strongly about something I take a day or 2 and usually talk myself out of posting something that might hurt.

But......

The 2 videos in this thread have been bothering me, First of all on both videos the person there is interfering way too much by picking up the legs and keeping the mom from doing what comes naturally by licking herself. Not sure how others fell about this but I would not consider this an aid in teaching about whelping but maybe a way of saying let her be and let instinct take over.

Second when my girls are due and ready to deliver I set up my 6 panel x-pen. There is plenty of room for my girl and me to be in there with all the tools I need hanging on a hook and on an end table. If she needs me I am right there but also if she is doing fine on her own I am there to observe. I keep a cooler with a heating pad wrapped with a towel in it as an incubator to keep babies safe and warm. I give the a a small dropper of Dannon plain yogurt at room temperature. (this was taught to me from my mentor many years ago as it gives any weak baby a tremendous will to live) When she is biting the cord I hold it close to the baby and allow her to tear it and I usually do not have to cut it.

I have had to assist with 2 breech babies being born with gentle manipulation during a contraction and all turned out well. I have not had a baby die during the process of delivery or ever.

Sorry if this is a little long winded but the videos bothered me as the people taping them seemed only interested in getting a good shot than the welfare of mom or baby.