Tips for the first time breeder
Once you’ve discovered your pet is expecting a litter you will need to prepare
carefully both for the arrival of the puppies or kittens and to ensure that your
dog, cat or rabbit is kept in the best possible health in preparation for the birth.
Visit your vet for a check-up and for general advice on
diet, exercise and vaccination during pregnancy.
Have contact details for your vet to hand throughout,
particularly during the birth in case you need advice or
a home visit.
Consider where your dog or cat will give birth.
They will need:
Peace and quiet away from other pets and children.
Dogs may benefit from a whelping box. Traditionally
this has a small shelf around the inside under which
puppies can fit to help avoiding the risk of being
trapped underneath their mother. If this is unavailable
a large cardboard box will give the bitch a ‘nest’ for
whelping.
Both puppies and kittens will benefit from a warm and
draught free area after they’re born.
Allow your pet to become familiar with the whelping
box/area well in advance of giving birth.
Ensure you have plentiful supplies of clean newspaper
to line the whelping box so that you can remove the
top layers as they become soiled.
Follow the dietary advice given by your vet. During pregnancy
animals may want to eat less because their stomachs
cannot expand very much so it’s important to feed highly
nutritious food. Pregnant animals are often fed puppy or
kitten foods to give the growing young the nutrients they
need. Try to avoid treats as it’s important to keep the mother’s
weight under control to help their recovery following the
birth. Always ensure plenty of clean water is available.
Even new mothers have a natural instinct to clean each new
puppy or kitten to make sure they’re breathing freely and to
direct them to suckle for the first time. Keep an eye on
proceedings and only intervene if you are concerned about
one of the puppies or kittens.
Remember both puppies and kittens are born with their eyes
closed – this is quite normal and they will open within a week.
The delivery time for the litter varies considerably depending
on species and breed and your vet will be able to advise
you on this. If you have a breed such as Bulldog or Pekingese
(which tend to have large broad heads) delivery is likely to
take longer and they may need veterinary assistance. The
golden rule is that if your bitch or queen has been straining
for at least 2 hours without producing, call your vet.
Once labour is complete you should clean up the whelping/
kittening box and lay down fresh layers of newspaper.
The mother should then be left to tend and suckle the litter
and is unlikely to venture far for the next few days. It may be
necessary to encourage them out to relieve themselves but
don’t try to keep her away from the litter for long.
Once whelping/kittening starts allow your pet some privacy
but remain close at hand in case you need to intervene
or contact your vet. It is typical for first time breeders
to want to get involved but remember that handling the
puppies and kittens increases the chances of the mother
rejecting them before they have had the chance to bond
because of the human scent. Some mothers will even
kill their newborn when confused.
Petplan Breeder - Mrs D Bussey