Pregnant GSD 1st litter! - Page 3

Weren't you done addressing me in ANY way? I sure thought so. Darn. 

Nevermind. Don't answer, please, 1GSD1. I don't think it's fair for the OP, who I was trying to reassure, to have to muddle through your attacks on me. Please go back and enact your earlier pact that you won't address me, period.

I have appreciated all the  information on this subject.  For my bitches the temperature reading seems to work.  AND who ever said they seem to always have them at night - so true.

My one female went early on day 58 from first breeding.  One poor little boy had not fully developed his genitals and had to be culled.  That tore me up - but you gotta do what you gotta do.  Be prepared for anything.  

Another Bitch needed a trip to the Vet as one was in the canal for way too long= it was 1 am.  The Vet got that one out, another came out right after and he was taking a look to see what it was and she jumped off the table, grabbed her puppy  out of the Vets hands and threw it into the wall.  Went over and layed down to  clean it.  The VETS eyes just about popped out and he said, "I have never seen that happen before"...  it all  happened so quickly - there was no stopping her. 

You have been given excellent advice and don't hesitate to call your Vet if you have a problem..  They are used to Bitches whelping during the night or early am hrs.  (smiles)

I use baby ric-rac as it expands and is easy to work with and comes in all different colors.  Neither Bitch has bothered the ric rac.  I learned this from the breeder of  my Blade Boy.

Good Luck and let us know about your litter when it gets here
I should have a litter coming in a couple of months too.

Anxiously Awaiting
Marsha

1GSD1,

I don't post much here and your comments are why. I don't think I came across as a "miss know it all", I just posted MY experiences, which I admitted were limited, for the original poster. There are many more knowledgable people on this board than I; but that doesn't mean that my experiences can not be helpful to a person. Well, it's back to just reading for me.

Jo Ann

Marsha:

That behaviour is not unusual about the mom jumping off the table grabbing the pup and throwing it .

The Mother nature is very deep in our gsd, so if by some chance,  this female does kill one of the pups at birth do not get upset...They know
that the pup has something wrong..I learned it the hard way....early though in my breeding, as I had many mentors, one of which , said...let her kill them if she  must...now killing a whole litter no...deal with that later.

BUT Abby killed one of her last litter after she had them and had been bitten by a copperhead. The bleedout killed three and the littleist one she did kill upon birth..I was shocked and tried to stop her, but remembered , she knew it would not live and something was wrong with it..

SHe raised the rest of them and always did..as this was her third litter.

SO just be aware of what Marsha shared, and if 4 to 5 hours is between pups, then call the vet ..

Sometimes a dead one is in the way...Oxitocen of course, for us that are experienced can use, will move the process on, but your vet won't give it to you , but he will have you bring her to office.
Have a small kennel ready to travel in case you need to go to vet..have it with warmth and do not carry her in it...She will squash the pups in car transport...She will just have to look and cry and wait..
We are preparing you for anything that can happen , and doesnt mean it will happen...but best be ready ...for anything.


Let us know when they start and get a camera ready tooo..we want to see pups when all done.

Jo Ann, 1GSD1 was talking to me, from the parts I could actually understand. Not sure what the deal is w/that person, but it happens from time to time, so I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. I am 99% sure s/he was addressing me, not you, which is why I requested that they please ignore me. 

This is a reasonable thread started by a person trying to right by their dog. No reason to muddle it all up, unfounded personal attacks. 

To the OP: be prepared for emergencies, but don't plan on them and worry yourself needlessly! Far more canines have natural, uncomplicated births than emergencies. Good luck and keep us posted! 

Hello! Thank you all for of your advice. Today is day 60! I am now taking her temp every 5 hours (even through the night). Is that to much? She is now off and on her chow eating about 2 cups a day. The vet said that her x-rays showed anywhere from 9-14 pups. He says it likes their are some hiding behind eachother so it was difficult to count. I haven't been pushing her to eat but will sit on the kennel floor and hand feed her. She is starting to settle down a lot. She's no longer trying to jump on me for love and is pretty mellow which is a nice change! I worked for my Vet for many years so I have his cell # on speed dial! The only negative side is that I do live out in the country and his Clinic is the closest but still an hour away! She is not nervy by any means. She is a very solid high drive dog. She is very possessive over food/toys (even with me). So I have removed everything except the water out of her kennel run. I have a baby monitor outside her kennel run and keep it next to me. I also have been going out and sitting in the whelping box and letting her lay in my lap and cuddle with me in hopes that she will let me help her if she needs it as well as let me near her pups.  Her temp today has been 100.4 and then was 100 around 9:30pm.  I am really grateful for all your help!!!

Good luck with the litter and I'm sure you both will be fine.

Jim

You will  make yourself crazy taking her temp. that much because it will fluctuate a bit. I would watch for nesting behavior and maybe take her temp. at specific times so you can monitor the "norm" for that time every day. No reason to get up at night just to check her temp. You sill may have upwards of 24 hours once it drops...so really, 5x per day is excessive imho. 

One of my bitches ate during 2 entire whelping processes- 9 puppies and 11 puppies. Another's temp never dropped before the first pup was delivered. Not all do it by the book LOL.