CARLISLE HOUSE, TOWNHEAD ROAD, DALSTON, CARLISLE, CUMBRIA, CA5 7JF
TEL: (01228) 710208
FAX: (01228) 711960
Pre Mating to Post Whelping (Birth)
This is a guide that provides basic information to an owner that is thinking about
or preparing to have a litter from their bitch. It gives information on the various
stages from pre mating to birth, feeding and to the puppy’s vaccinations and
finding homes. This is not an inclusive document; please ask one of our vets for
more detailed information should you require any.
Pre Mating
The bitch should be of an appropriate age (between two-six, depending on breed), fit, healthy
and of normal weight for the breed prior to mating. Her annual booster vaccinations should be
up to date and if due they should be carried out before mating. Please ask one of our vets for
more details about herpes vaccination. Worming her prior to mating will help to prevent
roundworm and lungworm being passed on to her puppies via the placenta or her milk.
In certain breeds we recommend having the bitch and stud dog eye tested for hereditary
disorders in order to produce healthy puppies. Some breeds are also susceptible to hip or elbow
dysplasia. The bitch and dog may have x-rays taken before mating; these are sent away for hip
scoring certificates.
It is possible to take blood samples to calculate the most appropriate day in her season to
arrange a mating, please ask one of our vets for more information.
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CALDEW VETERINARY HOSPITAL, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 7JF (registered office)
TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGON VETERINARY SURGERY, 87 London Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 2LG
PARAGON ET, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGONVET LIMITED - www.paragonvet.com - Registered in England 4464469 - VAT Registration Number 755 8859 65
Post Mating
A bitch is pregnant for an average of 62 to 63 days. During this time there are a number of
things to consider. The bitch may be exercised as normal during this time; this can help
promote normal gut movement and stimulate defecation and so avoids constipation. The
exercise should be normal for her and not too vigorous e.g. no leaping/jumping over fences or
racing up fells.
The bitch should be given worming treatment during her pregnancy. Roundworm larvae can
migrate from the mother, through the placenta to the unborn puppy. To kill migrating larvae it
is necessary to treat the mother on a daily basis from day 40 of pregnancy.
There are a few ways to detect if a bitch is pregnant:
· A vet can examine her at 24-30 days post mating to feel her abdomen, we may be
able to feel if she is pregnant at this time.
· An ultrasound scan can be carried out at four weeks to detect pregnancy, a second
scan may be required to give more idea of numbers of pups, development and
mobility.
· An x-ray can be taken at week seven and over to detect pregnancy but this tends to
be done less often nowadays due to radiation risk and the need to sedate the bitch.
Preparation
A whelping box should be provided a couple of weeks before the parturition
(birth) to allow the bitch to become accustomed to where she will give birth.
The box should be big enough so that she can lie stretched out on her side with
plenty of space for all the puppies to lie side by side. The box should be high enough to protect
the bitch and puppies from cold draughts but have an area where the bitch can climb out
comfortably where she will not catch her mammary glands. The bedding should be warm,
absorbent and disposable; newspaper is ideal.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALDEW VETERINARY HOSPITAL, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 7JF (registered office)
TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGON VETERINARY SURGERY, 87 London Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 2LG
PARAGON ET, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGONVET LIMITED - www.paragonvet.com - Registered in England 4464469 - VAT Registration Number 755 8859 65
Feeding during pregnancy should be kept constant until the last three weeks (the last trimester).
During the last three weeks the feed should be increased by 10% per week up to a maximum of
50% at the end of the pregnancy. The bitch should not need any supplements if fed a complete
dog food. We advise feeding the bitch puppy food as this provides her with increased energy
and minerals required for lactation and bone growth. She can be given two to three
smaller meals rather than one large one due to accommodate her expanding uterus.
Birth (labour, whelping or partuition)
Normal First Stage Labour
This may last from six-12 hours. The bitch may start nesting, become restless, stop eating and
may lick her vulva and mammary glands. She may shiver and pant and have a clear discharge
from her vulva.
Normal Second Stage Labour
This can last for between four-six hours (depending on the litter size) and the bitch will start to
have contractions. Puppies are usually delivered head first or hind legs first. Once delivered the
bitch will tear the amniotic sac and bite the umbilical cord free. The placenta (or afterbirth)
may follow. It is important to not interfere at this stage unless she is struggling or if she is not
licking the amniotic sac from the pups.
If possible, account for all the placentas post whelping to make sure none remain in the uterus.
Don’t be alarmed if the bitch eats the afterbirths, this is normal behaviour. The interval
between puppies may be 15-60 minutes. If no progress is made within an hour of one puppy
and the next, consult us for advice.
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CALDEW VETERINARY HOSPITAL, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 7JF (registered office)
TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGON VETERINARY SURGERY, 87 London Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 2LG
PARAGON ET, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGONVET LIMITED - www.paragonvet.com - Registered in England 4464469 - VAT Registration Number 755 8859 65
Normal Third Stage Labour
All the afterbirths (placentas) should have been expelled which takes five-15 minutes
approximately.
Post Whelping (Bitch)
You may offer the bitch some water to drink and take her out to the toilet. Clean up the
whelping area and allow the family some peace and quiet. Check that the bitch does not reject
any of the puppies or that she is cleaning them over enthusiastically, they could be harmed by
this. If the bitch is sore from the labour and a first time mum, she may attack the pups; keep an
eye out for aggressive behaviour towards them.
The bitch’s discharge may be blood stained for one to two weeks post whelping and her faeces
may be dark and slightly softer as she may have eaten the puppy’s placentas. You can offer the
bitch a light diet of scrambled eggs or chicken and rice for the first few days. Her requirements
for food may be three to four times her normal intake whilst she is producing milk and she may
need 50 –100% more feed. She can continue eating the puppy food whilst she is lactating. Her
food should be balanced, digestible and given in three or four meals throughout the day. She
should not require any supplements if she is being fed a well balanced good quality puppy
food.
If you notice any problems such as not eating, neglecting her puppies, any signs of
discomfort, any vaginal discharges (brown or black or smelly), swollen hard mammary
glands or twitching please consult us for advice.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALDEW VETERINARY HOSPITAL, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 7JF (registered office)
TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGON VETERINARY SURGERY, 87 London Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 2LG
PARAGON ET, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGONVET LIMITED - www.paragonvet.com - Registered in England 4464469 - VAT Registration Number 755 8859 65
It is important that you consult us for advice if:
· the bitch has been straining for an hour without progress (she may need a caesarean section
to deliver the pups)
· one hour has passed since the birth of the last puppy, or if the bitch has been straining,
stopped or appears to have become tired or has given up (possible uterine inertia)
· she is having difficulty delivering a puppy (it may be breached or dead, she may need a
caesarean)
· a green discharge from her vulva before any pups have been born (there may be a dead pup
in the birth canal)
· the afterbirths have not been passed (possible uterine inertia or a prematurely closed cervix)
· she is not licking the pups dry or allowing them to feed
· if she doesn’t appear to have any milk
Eclampsia
This is a life threatening condition triggered by a calcium deficiency. This can occur in toy
breeds or large litters, just before or up to three weeks after whelping.
Signs may include:
· Excessive salivation
· Restlessness
· Twitching
· Listlessness
· Seizuring/fitting
Eclampsia is very serious, it can be fatal and requires prompt treatment from a vet.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALDEW VETERINARY HOSPITAL, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 7JF (registered office)
TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGON VETERINARY SURGERY, 87 London Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 2LG
PARAGON ET, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGONVET LIMITED - www.paragonvet.com - Registered in England 4464469 - VAT Registration Number 755 8859 65
Puppy development
Puppies will feed from their mother in little and often meals, they should be
active and vocal from a day old, the mother should lie for them to feed. Try to
encourage any smaller, runty pups to feed by attaching it to a teat and hold
back any bigger pups that may try to push it off. If one is being neglected or
not allowed to feed, please bring the litter and the mother to the surgery for an examination.
There may be something wrong with the pup.
The mother should lick her pup’s faces and all over their bodies. To help stimulate them to
defecate and urinate she will lick their back ends.
Puppies’ eyes remain closed until ten to fourteen days old and the ears are also closed until
fourteen days or over.
It is important you and your family handle them (often but gently) from a couple of weeks old,
they must get used to being picked up, cuddled and played with. If you can do this from an
early age (but not too young that the mother rejects them if they smell different) and before
they are too old to accept this they will be more confident and better socialised pups and will
make better pets. When you pick the pup up out of the whelping box, allow the mother to see
where the pup is at all times, she will begin to worry if you take the pup out of her sight.
Tail docking and dewclaw removal
If the puppy is intended to be a working animal/gun dog and they are a working dog breed, a
vet can remove the puppies’ dewclaws before two days of age; thereafter this must be
performed under general anaesthetic. If the new owner can provide evidence that they will be
working their tails may be docked by a vet before two days of age; thereafter this must be
performed under general anaesthetic. They must be microchipped at this point also. Not all
veterinary practices offer this service.
Worming
We suggest worming the bitch and puppies at two weeks of age. The puppies can then be
wormed at four, eight, 12 and 24 weeks with liquid or paste to control roundworms. They will
be treated for tapeworm from when they start going out (after their vaccination course) at 12
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALDEW VETERINARY HOSPITAL, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 7JF (registered office)
TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGON VETERINARY SURGERY, 87 London Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 2LG
PARAGON ET, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGONVET LIMITED - www.paragonvet.com - Registered in England 4464469 - VAT Registration Number 755 8859 65
weeks. They will then need to be wormed (with a broad spectrum wormer) every month until
they are six months old, then every three months thereafter.
Weaning and feeding
This means to get the pups eating puppy food and to gradually stop drinking milk. This can be
done gradually from the age of three to four weeks old. The main foodstuffs to start the puppy
can be puppy food soaked in water (Royal Canin produce a diet called ‘Weaning’), and then
gradually move them onto solids. They will still go back to their mother for a feed but this will
become less often and for less time.
Grilled chicken breast or steamed fish can be liquidised and puppy kibble
and mixers can be fed once the puppies are weaned completely. The foods
should have high protein content with a high calorific value.
A newly weaned puppy at three to four weeks of age should be fed three or four meals per day
of a complete puppy food if still suckling from the bitch. At five to six weeks of age (once
suckling has reduced considerably) four or five meals each day should be provided. Once this
is done the meals can be reduced to two or three meals but increase the quantity of each feed.
The puppies should be weighed weekly to check that they are gaining weight and should have
full stomachs after feeding, they should feel warm and be quiet after feeding but have plenty of
energy to play and explore when awake.
There are complete commercial puppy foods and milk powders that can be fed from birth if the
puppies do not receive adequate nourishment from the bitch, and some smaller puppies in the
litter may require extra feeding. Puppies should increase their birth weight by up to four times
within three weeks.
Puppies will produce a lot of faecal mess, which if left lying around and not cleaned up
promptly will get stood or rolled in, or eaten by the pups. It is not entirely the mother’s job to
clean up after them. It is important you keep the area clean and dry.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALDEW VETERINARY HOSPITAL, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 7JF (registered office)
TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGON VETERINARY SURGERY, 87 London Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 2LG
PARAGON ET, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGONVET LIMITED - www.paragonvet.com - Registered in England 4464469 - VAT Registration Number 755 8859 65
Finding homes
Puppies will be ready to go to their new homes at seven to eight weeks of age. If they are
rehomed any earlier than this they won’t have had the chance to become properly socialised in
their family group, they may not have grown in confidence or learnt the basic rules of being a
well behaved puppy from their mother and litter mates.
Allow the prospective owners to come to view the puppies and the mother in their
environment, they will want to see the family interacting and playing as well as the nature,
temperament and appearance of the mother. Wherever possible, allow the new owners to see
the father also.
They will want to know if there have been any tests performed on the parents prior to mating
(e.g. hip scoring or eye testing), and if so will need to see evidence of these records. Let them
know if any of the pups have been ill or needed any veterinary attention.
Tell the prospective owners when and how you have wormed the pups and when they are next
due. If they have already started their vaccination course (from six or eight weeks old,
depending on the type of vaccination given), provide a record of this to the new owners (this
document must be signed by a registered vet) and tell them when the next vaccination is due.
We aim to vaccinate puppies at eight weeks and 10 weeks, two weeks after that they will have
developed an effective immunity and can go out where other dogs have been. Before this they
must be kept off the ground where unvaccinated animals may have roamed. If the new owners’
garden is fenced or walled in, it would be safe to allow the pup to explore this area before the
end of their vaccination course. They will need to be given yearly booster vaccinations to
maintain this immunity.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALDEW VETERINARY HOSPITAL, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 7JF (registered office)
TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGON VETERINARY SURGERY, 87 London Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 2LG
PARAGON ET, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGONVET LIMITED - www.paragonvet.com - Registered in England 4464469 - VAT Registration Number 755 8859 65
Ask the new owners lots of questions about themselves and their home and life style (without
being too nosey), you need to feel happy about the home you are sending your pups to.
Provide the new owners with some of the same puppy food they have been eating with you,
advise they continue on the same food as changing suddenly can upset their gut and cause
diahorrea or vomiting, particularly as they are already quite stressed at this time.
If the mother and father of the litter are Kennel Club registered, provide the new owners with
the original, signed paperwork.
Most importantly for the pup from now on is that is goes to the right home and is given the best
chance to become socialised with all sorts of people and other animals. Encourage the new
owners to allow the pup the chance to meet lots of people, old and young and to play
(supervised) with vaccinated dogs and to attend a puppy party and training classes.
And Finally…
Now that your bitch has had a litter, and if you’re not planning to allow her to have anymore, it
would be a good idea to have her neutered. This will prevent her from having any more seasons
making your and her life easier. She will not be able to conceive again eliminating the chance
of a mismating. It will reduce her risk of developing mammary tumours and a life threatening
uterine infection (called pyometra).
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALDEW VETERINARY HOSPITAL, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA5 7JF (registered office)
TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGON VETERINARY SURGERY, 87 London Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 2LG
PARAGON ET, Townhead Farm, Newbiggin, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HT
PARAGONVET LIMITED - www.paragonvet.com - Registered in England 4464469 - VAT Registration Number 755 8859 65