012. Whelping the Litter
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This article is from the Breeding, Whelping, and Rearing Puppies FAQ, posted to rec.pets.dogs newsgroup. Maintained by Liza Lee Miller.
012. Whelping the Litter
Well, it's show time! Your bitch is ready and, hopefully, so are you!
On day 58 after the first breeding, you'll want to start taking your bitch's temperature three times a day. A bitch's temperature will drop from around 101.4 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit or below a few hours before she is ready to whelp. A fluctuation in temperature is very normal, what you are looking for is a dramatic drop to below 99F. The temperature drop is the best indicator of imminent whelping. Other signs of imminent whelping are restlessness, discomfort, licking and looking at vulva. The bitch may refuse food prior to whelping as well. She will probably pant heavily.
These are all signs that whelping is imminent. Call your veterinarian and let them know that the whelping is beginning so that they will be ready to answer any questions or give advice if you have any problems. The bitch will start pushing and straining at some point and may start digging at the bedding. She'll pant heavily between contractions. The contractions should be visible in the muscles along her back. You'll see them start at the top of her body and move down.
If labor continues an hour or so without producing a puppy, let the bitch go outside and walk around. This can help the labor progress. Also, the urge to push can feel, to the bitch, as if she has to defecate. A well-trained bitch will not want to break housetraining and will fight the urge to push, delaying labor. If the bitch is willing to go outdoors, keep a close eye on her. A maiden bitch, in particular, may not know what to do with a new puppy and may abandon it.
If labor continues for more than three hours without producing a puppy, call your vet! You will probably need to take the bitch into the vet.
Assuming labor continues normally, the contractions will come faster and the bitch will start pushing seriously. The water sac will appear, probably break, and then the puppy will be delivered shortly. The placenta may or may not be ready to be delivered at this point. You can gently pull on the cord to see if it will come but you should never pull on the puppy to check. You may pull the cord off the puppy and risk an umbilical hernia.
The bitch may want to eat the placentas. Opinions vary about whether or not this is a good idea. Some people think it's good nutrition for the bitch when she's exerting great effort. Others feel that the bitch will get diarrhea from eating them. Some breeders compromise by letting the bitch eat one and then keeping them away from her. Whatever you do, you want to make sure that you have a placenta for each puppy born. If the bitch should retain a placenta, she is at risk of having a serious uterine infection.
If you want to do this, you'll need to clear the water sac away from the puppy's nose and mouth first. Hold the puppy upside down to help drain fluid and mucus from its nose and throat. Rub the puppy very vigorously -- even roughly -- with a dry, clean towel until the puppy squeaks. This rubbing will both clean the puppy and stimulate it to start breathing.
Many people allow the bitch to clean the puppy and chew off the umbilical cord. Others worry that the bitch may chew the cord off too close to the puppy resulting in an umbilical hernia and choose to deal with this themselves just to be safe. If you choose to do the task yourself, you'll want to cut the cord about 1" away from the body and tie it with plain dental floss. Dip the tip and the floss in Betadine solution (or another disinfectant such as iodine). It will dry up and drop off in a day or so.
Once the pup is breathing and clean, whether you did it or the dam did it, you'll want to check the puppy out carefully, weigh and measure the pup, check for abnormalities such as cleft palate, and identify the puppy in some way. Rickrack ribbon works very well. Measure and cut a piece large enough to tie loosely around the puppy's neck. This is only necessary if your puppies are very similar. Other ways to mark the puppies include clipping bits of their fur on different parts of their bodies or marking them with nail polish.
If the bitch is having a break between puppies, you should let the puppy nurse. The colostrom (milk produced in the first 24 hours) is extremely important for the puppies. It carries immunities that protect the puppies from infection. The puppy's nursing will also stimulate the bitch's contractions allowing her labor to progress. Take a chance to rest and relax while you can. Don't worry, however, if you can't get the puppies on the dam right away. They can go several hours without getting milk with no problem. Once labor starts up again, move the puppies into to the incubator box for safety while the dam is distracted.
Very often there will be a longish break between puppies about half way through. You can take the bitch outside, although she may not want to leave the puppies (you should encourage her!). Again, you'll want to keep a close eye on her to make sure she doesn't deliver a puppy out there and not know what to do with it.
The puppies can come as quickly as 15 minutes apart or as long as an hour apart. If the bitch goes more than an hour and you are think there are more puppies, call your vet! There may be a puppy stuck and you'll want to ensure that you get it out as soon as possible.
When your bitch is finished whelping, you'll notice her calm down. Her breathing will slow and the contractions will stop. You should take the bitch and her puppies to the vet within the next four or five hours if at all possible. Don't go more than 24 hours without having them checked out. If the bitch has a retained puppy or placenta, she is at risk for serious infection. If any of the puppies have cleft palates or other deformities, you need to know as soon as possible. Such puppies are usually humanely euthanized by your vet as they are generally not likely to live.
There are a variety of problems you may run into. Again, keep your vet and/or emergency vet's phone number handy in case you run into a situation you aren't prepared for. If you have any question about what is happening or what you should do next, don't hesitate to call the vet. You really are dealing with life or death situations and it's much better to be safe than sorry.
Some breeders suggest keeping some drugs on hand to help the bitch should she have trouble delivering. You can discuss this with your vet but I don't recommend this practice. This drug is very strong and can cause serious complications if the problem is a large puppy blocking the birth canal. A better option is to keep in contact with your vet and take your bitch in if necessary.
There are some alternative medications that many breeders are using and recommending now that have similar results without the risk of injury. For a bitch whose labor is slowing down, there is a homeopathic treatment called Caulophyllum (Blue Cohash). This should be administered when the bitch is in a non-productive labor. Do not use it unless the bitch is clearly in labor. For puppies-in-distress, you can try a product called Bach's Rescue Remedy. It is a good gentle "kick start" for pups in trouble. You would just put a couple of drops on the puppies tongue. The nice thing about these remedies is that they can't be overused. They are extremely gentle. Detractors from homeopathic or alternative measures will tell you that these treatments won't do anything, good or bad. (For more information on this topic, see the Resource section below. There are a couple of books on Natural Health.)
The first problem you might see is a bitch that starts labor but doesn't proceed to delivering. First you should try walking her around outside to see if that helps her relax enough to start pushing. If that doesn't work in about 15 minutes, you can try a technique called "feathering." Put on surgical gloves and apply a small amount of lubricant such as KY Jelly. Gently, gently, gently insert one finger into the bitch's vulva and gently tickle -- or feather -- her along the top of her vagina. This can help stimulate stronger contractions. If this doesn't produce a quick result or the bitch is getting tired at all, call your vet. You will probably be making a trip in to get some expert care.
The vet will probably x-ray your bitch to determine how many puppies are waiting to be born and whether or not you are dealing with a malpresentation (puppy trying to go out the wrong way). If all looks well, the vet will probably give your bitch injections of calcium and/or pituitary oxitocin. These injections often stimulate strong contractions and get the labor moving along. If they don't work, or if you are dealing with an overly large puppy or a malpresentation, the vet will probably recommend a cesarian section. C-sections should not be taken lightly but they are often unavoidable. They are very expensive and put the life of the mother and puppies at great risk. You should decide at this time whether or not you want the vet to spay your bitch during the C-section. Sometimes, there won't be any choice. If the uterus is badly damaged or infected, they will have to spay your bitch at this time. Once you reach the point of a c-section, many of the decisions will be taken out of your hands.
Discussing this possibility with your vet ahead of time is a good idea so you can find out what procedures they use and how amenable they are to your helping to revive the puppies as they are delivered. Many vets will not allow you into their examination area, however, some are grateful for the additional hands in reviving puppies. One of the biggest problems with a C-section is the anesthesia given the bitch. Because the puppies are still attached to her system, they will, inevitably, be anesthetized as well. It is really important that your vet take this into consideration when anesthetizing the bitch. Many vets will mask her down and this is the recommended procedure. This means that the vet administers isoflourene gas to start her off, rather than administering a drug like Valium-Ketamine (SP?) to put her to sleep before starting the gas. If your bitch is high-strung and/or aggressive, the vet will probably insist on doing the Valium-Ketamine option, but if your bitch is placid and biddable, you should ask that they mask her down. The gas is much easier on the puppies systems and they will be much easier to revive. The recovery of your bitch will be difficult after a c-section. It is major abdominal surgery and puts a huge strain on her system. However, if all goes well, she should still be able to care for and nurse her litter. Your vet will give you detailed instructions for her care. They will often prescribe antibiotics to help her avoid infection. You should be careful administering any antibiotics as they will generally cause both the dam and the pups to have diarrhea.
A case when you won't have time to get to the vet is when you can't get a puppy breathing. Every puppy should be rubbed vigorously until they squeak and start moving around. Some of them are born with a squeak and don't need any additional help but more often than we'd like, puppies need extra help. If the vigorous rubbing doesn't work, you'll want to act quickly. The fastest way to get fluid out of the puppy's throat and nose is to hold the puppy firmly and raise it above your head and swing it quickly down between your legs. The centrifugal force can clear the nose and throat. Make sure that you support the puppy's head and neck while you do this so its delicate neck is not damaged. If this doesn't work, you can try using a bulb syringe to aspirate any possible fluid. While you are working on the pup, keep rubbing it vigorously and make sure it stays warm. Hopefully you'll be rewarded with that gasp of life and a healthy puppy.
At some point, however, you may have to give up on a puppy. This is an extremely difficult decision but if you've worked on the puppy for 15 minutes without response, you are unlikely to revive the puppy. Consult with your veterinarian about what to do with the dead puppy. Sadly, this isn't an uncommon event in a whelping.
Again, there is no shame in calling your vet for help. If you are unsure what to do or are presented with a situation you or your bitch don't understand. Get professional help!
Once the whelping is over, you'll be ready to let the new family settle d own and get some well-deserved rest. And you'll need that rest yourself. Make sure the bitch has relieved herself and gotten some fluids. Give her a sponge bath so she is clean and fresh. Feeding her chicken broth with rice is a good first meal after whelping as it will be gentle on her stomach but give her plenty of fluid and nutrition.
A first-time mother may have some serious doubts about these puppies, particularly if the delivery was painful for her. This is another time where obedience training comes in handy. It is extremely important that you get the puppies nursing both for their sake and hers. Put the bitch on a down-stay, get in the whelping box with her to reassure her, and put the puppies on her. If she growls or complains, just keep her head away from the puppies. She's going to be tired and won't fight you too much -- besides, she's used to obeying your commands, right? The obvious benefit here is that the pups will get that necessary colostrum which will provide them with their mother's immunities. The added benefit, however, is that the nursing triggers the release of hormones into her bloodstream. These hormones help promote the bitch's mothering instincts. The more the puppies nurse, the more loving the mother will feel towards them. (It's true of humans as well.) Hopefully, the bitch will settle down and feel content as the puppies nurse. You should still supervise her with the puppies until you are sure she has fully accepted them and her new role.
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