24-­‐hour Emergency Service 01635 47170 Having Puppies
Although a bitch is capable of having puppies at their first season (which will on average
occur at about 9 months of age but may vary from 5 to 18 months of age), it is
recommended to allow them to be at least 18 months old and preferably over 2 years
before they are mated.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy normally lasts 9 weeks (63 days) but puppies may be delivered between 58
and 68 days.
Pregnancy Diagnosis:
Pregnancy can be detected by abdominal palpation or by ultrasound scan.
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Abdominal palpation is fairly accurate from 35 days of pregnancy, but even at this
stage some bitches will tense their abdomen sufficiently to prevent detection.
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Ultrasound scanning is reliable from 28 days after mating. Puppies may be detected
from 21 days, but we cannot be sure of a negative result before 28 days. It is not
possible to accurately determine the number of puppies present.
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Blood tests for pregnancy are available and can detect pregnancy from 28 days.
This is no sooner that ultrasound scanning, requires blood to be sent away and
small litters may not be detected so we do not often recommend this.
Physical changes:
There are few noticeable changes in the first 5 weeks of pregnancy. After the 5th week you
may notice weight gain, especially if the litter is large, with abdominal enlargement in the
last 3 weeks.
Mammary gland development may start to become obvious between 35-45 days. Milk is
usually produced 1-2 days before delivery, but may be present as early as 7-9 days before
birth. (N.B. Milk production will frequently occur in non-pregnant bitches 6-8 weeks after a
season also).
Behavioural changes:
As the uterus enlarges the bitch may become restless, seek seclusion and show nest
building activity. In the last few days she may toilet frequently (and may have accidents in
the house) and eat only small amounts due to the pressure of the womb on her stomach
and intestines.
Nutrition:
Good nutrition is essential for healthy puppies and mothers. It is important to feed a good
quality balanced adult diet throughout pregnancy. In the last 2-3 weeks the bitch should be
weaned slowly onto a puppy diet – puppy food provides the bitch with the increased
nutritional level required during late pregnancy and lactation and is also a suitable diet to
wean the puppies onto. Overweight bitches have more problems whelping and
underweight bitches may produce small puppies and insufficient milk.
Exercise:
Moderate exercise levels should be maintained throughout pregnancy. Fit bitches whelp
more easily, but strenuous exercise may harm both the bitch and the puppies.
Worming:
Just about every dog harbours dormant roundworms in their body tissues. These activate
during pregnancy and will infect the puppies before they are born. They also get into the
milk. It is recommended that bitches be treated daily from 42 days of pregnancy until 2
days after birth with a wormer licensed for this use (e.g. Panacur).
Preparations for whelping:
Preparations should be started in the 2 weeks before the bitch is due to give birth. A
whelping box should be provided for the mother to begin sleeping in. This should be
relatively small and have 18-inch sides to prevent the pups from crawling out of the “nest”.
A rail or shelf at a height of 4-6 inches around the inside of the box can be helpful to
prevent the bitch squashing pups against the side. It should be placed in a quiet but
familiar area. Newspaper makes good bedding as it is cheap, absorbent and easily
disposed of. If blankets or towels are uses they should be washes frequently.
Monitoring rectal temperature can be use to give a more accurate idea of when the bitch
will whelp. Normal temperature is approximately 101.5F (38.5C). This will drop about 2
degrees (1 degree C) in the 24 hours before whelping. Measure your dog’s temperature
twice daily from day 58 in order to identify this change.
Labour and Delivery:
This can be divided into 3 stages. Stages 2 and 3 occur alternately for each puppy.
Stage 1: the mother is restless and nervous and may refuse food. This may last 6-24
hours.
Stage 2: contractions and expulsion of the puppies begins. A small sac of fluid is produced
from the vulva followed by the puppy and then its placenta. Most puppies are born head
first, but a proportion may come hindquarters first and this is neither abnormal nor a
particular problem. The mother should then clean the puppy, removing the sac and
chewing through the umbilical cord.
Stage 3: this resting stage follows each delivery. Mild contractions aid the delivery of the
placenta (afterbirth), which the bitch will often eat. This stage usually lasts 10-30 minutes
but may range from a few seconds to 1 hour. Disturbing the bitch during this phase can
interrupt labour and should be avoided.
If a puppy seems to be lodged in the birth canal and the bitch cannot expel it, you should
assist. Grasp the puppy gently behind the head and apply gentle firm traction – do not pull
the puppy roughly. If the shoulders are stuck, gently rotating the puppy will help to realign
it. Warm water and KY Jelly aid in lubrication.
After a puppy is delivered you should ensure the bitch removes all the membranes
covering the puppy. If she does not do this immediately, break the membranes around the
face and ensure the mouth and nose are clear of mucus. You can rub the puppy with a dry
towel to dry it and stimulate respiration and circulation, but the licking by the bitch should
achieve this and helps the maternal bond. The puppy should begin to squirm and cry
within a few minutes.
During whelping and nursing your bitch may not be her normal self. She may be nervous
or overprotective. Any aggression shown should fade with time.
Contact your veterinary surgeon if:
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You cannot remove a puppy lodged in the birth canal.
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There is strong, persistent labour for 30 minutes without delivery of a pup.
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There is weak, intermittent labour for 6 hours without delivery of a pup.
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More than 4 hours have passed since the last pup was produced and it is likely that
there are more inside.
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There is a green-black discharge and no pups have been delivered.
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The pregnancy lasts more than 65 days.
Care of the Bitch after Whelping
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The bitch may be aggressive towards other animals and people that are perceived
as a threat. This is a normal protective response and should decline with time.
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The mother’s dietary requirements are increased whilst she is nursing – often about
1.5 time by birth and 2-3 times normal before weaning. By feeding a good quality
puppy food you should fulfil her requirements.
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Provide fresh clean water at all time.
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She will spend most of her time with her pups in the first 3 weeks but exercise does
not need to be restricted.
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Increased food and water consumption will cause her to toilet more frequently. Her
motions may be soft for the first few days, but if diarrhoea develops contact your
vet.
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Slight weight loss is normal but contact your et if she appears overly thin.
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Check her nipples daily to ensure they are clean and there is no swelling, heat or
discolouration.
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A reddish to brown vaginal discharge with some blood clots is normal for the first
few days and may occur intermittently for several weeks. This should not have a
foul odour – contact you vet if it does.
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The bitch may shed more hair than normal during the nursing period – groom her
regularly.
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Your bitch should come into season again within 6 months after the birth of the
pups. She can be spayed once the puppies are weaned and milk production has
ceased if you do not wish to breed again.
Care of Puppies following Whelping
Generally the bitch should fulfil all the puppies’ needs, but not all bitches are good mothers
and first-time mothers may be overwhelmed by the whole experience – especially if they
are too young.
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The bitch may be overaggressive when cleaning their young and so cause physical
damage to them (especially if they go too far when chewing the umbilical cord, but
sometimes later). Puppies are occasionally accidentally smothered by their
mothers.
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Puppies may need assistance in finding and latching onto the nipples.
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Sickly or runt puppies may be purposefully neglected by the dam and may require
either hand-rearing or euthanasia in severe cases.
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Bitches lick the anogenital region of each puppy to stimulate urination and
defecation. Orphaned or hand-reared puppies must be stimulated to toilet by
rubbing the anogenital area with a piece of wet cotton wool or tissue.
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Some bitches may not produce enough milk. Generally puppies will settle down to
sleep after a feed, but if they persist in crying then they may not be getting enough
milk. Supplementing them by hand feeding with a milk replacer may be necessary –
contact your vet for details.
Feeding Weanling Puppies
Weaning is the process of changing a puppy’s diet from its mother’s milk to solid food. This
usually last from 3-4 weeks until 6-8 weeks of age. Weanlings should be weighed
frequently and their weights recorded to ensure progressive weight gain.
Begin weaning around 3-4 weeks of age by dish feeding bitch’s milk substitute – this can
be obtained from your vet or a pet shop. Initially the pups will play in the milk as much as
drink it! Once the puppies are lapping milk readily, blend it with a good quality puppy food
to produce a thin gruel. This should be offered 4 times daily. When they are eating the
gruel, the amount of milk substitute added should gradually be reduced and the gruel
thickened. By 6-7 weeks the puppies should be eating the puppy food with just a little
water added to soften it and once their teeth have erupted it can be fed dry.