11 Month old Female pregnant NEED ADVICE ~~~ - Page 2

We may not be kind, but for the sake of the bitch and puppies, most of us will give you advice to get through this.  Listen, even if the words seem harsh.

It would be good to determine when the puppies might be arriving??  If the female is small, weak or underweight there may still be time to look at all the alternatives.  Also good to know if the sire of the litter is the sire of the expectant female as really close inbreeding may cause weak or difficult to raise puppies.  If the pups are coming right away by all means panic but I would remind you that both dogs and humans have been making babies for a long time without an instruction book.  If you have a tent that has an external frame that doesn't need stakes (Wally World $30 3 man tent) they work as well or better than the swimming pools.  The tent has a waterproof floor and is cave like.  Dogs generally like a walk in closet or a quiet place but not too big so a tent is a good alternative to giving up your closet.  I take the rain fly off the tent for good ventilation but no drafts. 

Hmmm, never would have considered a tent.  Great advice.

How far is she in the pregnancy? I'm in total agreement with troopscott. I would take her to the vet and get an emergency spay done depending on how far she is in. I would also get your male neutered too so he doesn't jump your high fence, and start roaming around the neighborhood getting other dogs pregnant.

You have received some helpful information, but before I add to it, please answer some of the good people who have already responded - I am particulary interested in how many weeks she is in welp...

The biggest demand on her body will be when she's nursing the pups. Give her as much food as she wants. Some people supplement with yougurt to help replace the calcium she's losing through the milk.

Make sure you have a good emergency plan for the whelping. If a pup gets stuck, you can lose both the mother and the rest of the litter. If more than 2 1/2 hours goes by between pups, she may need the help of a veterinarian. Make sure you have one that's available in the wee hours of the morning.

Sometimes getting the mother on her feet, and walking her around, or even up and down stairs will help free up a pup that's stuck. You can try that if it's been too long between babies.

It's also important to know that she's been 'cleaned out' after the birth. Sometimes the mother will retain a pup, or the placentas, which can make her very, very sick. She can even die from infection. Many dog people will take mom for an x-ray the day after whelping to make sure all the pups are out.

large kiddy pool - 6' diameter
water noodles
zip ties
knife

attach water noodles so they are fixed about 3" above the bottom of the pool
place whelping pool in the corner of a quiet room in your home.
is she's not house trained yet, well you're going to pay for your laziness now.

take you bitch to the vet for a complete check-up and to create a working relationship with him/her - you will need this if there are any complications.
bathe (using non-medicated shampoo) and if she has fleas, you need to treat her now (with the stuff your vet recommends).
once fleas are gone, worm her - 5 days of panacur.
if she has any worms including tape worms the will take from nutrition she needs and also some worms pass thru to the puppies before birth.

if she's not eating much, add a half can of junk food mixed in well with her regular food......something is better than nothing.

get her used to you messing with her behind and belly, as you will need to be there when the puppies are coming out.

make sure she gets planty of exercise, she will need muscles to push the puppies out. if she's far in her pregnancy, then make sure to at least take her on a walk a couple of times a day.

get the supplies you need - iodine, sharp scissors, lots of towels to wipe each puppy, plain dental floss, a heat lamp and remote temp device - at a minimum.

get the following DVD http://leerburg.com/118.htm




if you don't plan to do these things (and more), then get her spay right now.




.
 

Let's see, what else are we forgetting......

Determining Whelping day.   Once you have a rough idea when whelping day is:
         about 5 days before:
                      have your bitch start sleeping in the designated room.  This will help her get comfortable.
                      Start taking her temp twice a day.  This gives you a baseline to catch when her temp drops into the upper 90s.  Once her temp drops, expect puppies within 24 hours.
                      Get some vanilla ice cream.  Once the whelping starts, give her a spoonful after every puppy.  The calcium helps with the whelping and it is a good treat for a good girl.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Try to relax.  She will pick up on your nerves.  She needs to be calm and relaxed.
Let her do all the work during the whelping; only step in if there is a problem.  She needs the bonding.  One of the cautions of a bitch this young is that she does not accept the puppies.
Take time off of work.  You need to watch her and the puppies for the 1st week for any signs of problems.  In extreme cases, mom may feel that the puppies are a threat and try to harm them.
Watch the puppies closely the first week.
          Any nasal discharge is an immediate trip to vet.
          Any cough is an immediate trip to vet.
          No fan blowing directly on them.
         
 
        
 

Much good advice here I just wanted to add to dragonfly's good post that blackish/green goo during and after birth is normal. In the days before it is not and requires immediate vet care. Thus the need to have a relationship with a vet specializing in canine reproduction before hand. 

the leerburg DVD covers all the stuff I didn't mention.........and much, much more.