Breeding

The Whelping

The Whelping

As the due date draws near, the carried litter sags. The nipples swell and a watery fluid may be expressed from them. As long as the mother-to-eats. She is probably all right; if she refuses food, then she will probably whelp very soon. About twenty-four hours before whelping, her normal temperature of about 101 degrees will drop to below 99 degrees. Her vulva may become swollen, and there may be a mucous discharge from the vagina. She will be quite restless, pacing back and forth and perhaps crawling under tables and chairs, where she will lie panting. Now and then she scratches vigorously, rearranging the bedding in her whelping box and tearing papers or anything she can dig her claws into. Do not leave her alone; she may want you nearby. 

Watch carefully for the first signs of labour pains. She will pant heavily, with her tongue out, lick her vulva, and strain as though trying to have a bowel movement. When she lies on her side, you will be able to see and feel the abdominal contractions. Look at the clock and determine the time. More than two hours of straining without the birth of a puppy will mean that your female needs a veterinarian. 

When the whelping is normal, you may see a lump between the anus and vulva. With a few more painful strains a dark fluid-filled bag or sac begins to come out. It may be expelled without assistance. If not, use a rough-textured wash-cloth to grip on its slipper surface. Hold the sac to prevent its going back, and with each succeeding labour pain pull gently but firmly down. 

Each puppy should come in its own enclosing sac-the after birth or placenta attached to the umbilical cord should come right along with the puppy. Should the connecting cord break, never mind for the moment-it will probably come out later. However, keep track because if any placentas are retained, they may cause an infection. A hormone shot must be given by the veterinarian if any afterbirths are retained, or if he thinks there may be another puppy left. 

Ordinarily the mother takes care of the whelping without help. Don’t be too eager, and in any case, there should never be too many people around. She will usually tear open the sac with her teeth, but sometimes she just sits and waits, not knowing what to do. In this case, you must work fast to get the puppy’s head out or it will smoother. Tear the sac down and around the head and off the body. If the umbilical cord is still attached, tie it firmly the puppy’s body, being careful not to pull its stomach wall. Cut the umbilical cord ( on the placenta side of the tie) with sterilized blunt-tipped scissors, and swab the end with liquid antiseptic. The rest of the cord will dry up and fall off within a few days 

Give the puppy to the mother to wash. If she is the old-fashioned sort, she will lick the little one and tumble it about roughly to start the infant breathing. If she is an ultramodern “ just-sit and –watch” kind, do this for her. With a dry towel rub the baby all-over. Wipe any mucus from the mouth with your index finger. Don’t be too gentle; really rub and rub. When you hear a tiny squeal you know the puppy is breathing; other wise keep rubbing it until it shows some sign of life; then place it on the matron’s breast. 

If the afterbirth does not follow the puppy, it should come out with the next puppy. There is one for each pup and each must be accounted for. Let the matron eat one or two. They contain healthful substances and it is natural for the mother to clean the rest by eating them, but too many will make her nauseous and cause lack of appetite when she needs to eat too. 

The puppies will continue to arrive-perhaps ten minutes apart, perhaps a full hour or more. The same digging, scratching, straining will go on for each one, or she may hardly know she has them. While straining for the next birth, the other may injure an earlier puppy; in any case, it will get cold and wet if kept with her. You may remove the little ones to a basket nearby ( be sure they are warm) until the whelping is completed. Then give the puppies back to the mother to nurse.