Whelping a Litter and Caring for Newborn Puppies and Mom
The following is our method of whelping and caring for puppies. Everyone has their own methods, so this is not to say that another person's methods are wrong. We just thought we'd share this with everyone, so if you need some good tips on whelping and puppies, sit back and enjoy! :o) Please remember that although raising a litter of puppies is very rewarding, it's a lot of work, so raising puppies isn't for everyone. If you're thinking that you'd like to breed your family pet, please read below. Please spay/neuter your family pets!!!!! There are enough unwanted animals in this world!!!!!
Are you ready and willing to do the following?
4. Place all puppies in proper homes on a spay/neuter agreement unless placed with a reliable breeder/exhibitor. Sometimes we have puppies way beyond the age that they could go to a new home, simply because a good home hasn't come along at that time. Are you ready to possibly have a whole litter until 4-6 months of age, or sometimes longer?
5. Take all puppies to a certified ophthalmologist to have eye exams performed to check for Collie Eye Anomaly.
Before a litter arrives, you'll need to have all the necessary supplies ready, so there's no rushing around trying to get your supplies together when your mom is in labor! We usually set up the nursery a good 2 weeks before our moms are due. It's very important that you stay calm during the labor and delivery, so that mom doesn't get stressed out. A first time mother will need to be reassured at times during labor and delivery, as the new little bundles of joy can be extremely overwhelming! She may look at the first one like "what in the world are you?", but it will start to click in her mind what do after she has a few.
Supplies that you will need to have on hand for the big day:
Read down further for explanations for each of these supplies.
Getting prepared for the new arrivals...
The following should be prepared ahead of time:
You will need a box, where your puppies will live for the first few weeks of their lives. Some people use plastic kiddie swimming pools, but we use a wooden box. Here's how we make ours:
You will need:
2 - 4' 2x4's, used to raise the bottom of the box off the floor
4'x4' sheet of either 3/4" plywood or particle board. (Bottom can be made smaller or larger, depending on the size you want it. A 4'x4' box gives "mom" and puppies plenty of room.)
1"x12" boards (we use pine) for the sides of the box
Before box is assembled, we glue either formica or linoleum to one side of each side board, and also the bottom piece. This makes for an easy clean-up, and it's much more sanitary. We use a 2' ex-pen around our whelping box to keep the puppies in when they get old enough to figure out how to escape from the box.
We use a plastic storage tub (just big enough to fit a heating pad into and without the lid) to keep the puppies in between feedings for the first week to two weeks, to keep them from getting chilled. Wrap the heating pad up in a large towel, so that the puppies are not laying directly on the pad. Medium setting is what we usually keep ours on. Never crank the heating pad up to high, or you will cook the puppies! Cut a hole in the tub on one of the bottom sides, and run the cord of the heating pad through it. This will prevent puppies from getting tangled in the cord. When the puppies are in the tub, cover the tub with a large towel. This will keep them toasty, but not too hot. Use a heat lamp when the puppies are out nursing to keep them warm. It is extremely important not to let a puppy get chilled, or they could die!
Your scissors and hemostats will need to be sterilized. Using a small plastic container, lay instruments in the container, and cover with rubbing alcohol. After each puppy, return the instruments to the alcohol so that they stay sterilized throughout the whelping process.
OK, now it's time for the puppies to arrive...
As it gets closer to time, you will notice the mother getting very restless, and more than likely shredding the newspapers in her box. She is doing this to "prepare her nest" for the babies. Do not disturb her, and if she needs more paper to rip up, quietly lay more down in her box. Although most moms could more than likely whelp alone, we are always there to assist incase something goes wrong. It can and does happen! When the mother is in active heavy labor, she will begin to contract, and you will notice that most mothers will arch their back when contracting. After a puppy arrives, remove the sack (sometimes the puppy may already be out of the sack). Then, suck out the mucus from the throat and nose using a bulb syringe. If a puppy still sounds raspy, wrap him/her up in a small towel, and gently sling them between your legs. This will help to bring the mucus up to where it can be sucked out. After the puppy is breathing properly, clamp the cord with the hemostats (not too close), and with the scissors, cut the cord. Leave the hemostats clamped for 1-2 minutes to prevent bleeding. Before hemostats are removed, apply iodine to the cord to prevent infection. Iodine should be applied daily until the cord falls off. If needed, tie the cord off with a piece of dental floss. Next, weigh and record the puppy. Any scale that weighs in ounces will work. All puppies should be weighed daily, and should double their birth weight in 7-10 days. Finish drying the puppy off with a hand towel, and then give the puppy to mom to nurse. You may have to help the puppy hold onto the nipple if they are small and/or weak. Encourage mom to lick the puppy, as this helps to stimulate their circulation. When mom starts to contract again, put all puppies in the heating pad box, so that they are out of the way during the next birth. Let mom have the puppies in between births. Allowing the puppies to nurse will help the mother to contract more. If the mother starts looking tired, and is more interested in napping than having another puppy, you can give her some honey. This will give her a boost, so she will have enough energy to continue. We always have two trash bags on hand - one for newspaper, and one for soiled towels. Be sure to change newspaper in between births, as it does get messy! When mom is finished whelping, clean up the box with disinfectant. Get the soiled towels washed as soon as possible. Lay soft rugs or blankets down in the box for the puppies and mom to lay on when they are nursing. We prefer rugs, as the rubber backing will stick to the linoleum, so they won't bunch up. For the first couple of weeks, the puppies will need to nurse every 2-4 hours. Make sure mom helps each one eliminate after every feeding, by licking them in those "areas". If you notice that she's not doing this, you will need to step in and help, as puppies are not able to do this themselves for the first 2 weeks. With a warm, damp cloth, rub them until they eliminate. We also recommend keeping an eye on mom's temperature for at least the first week, just to make sure she's not getting a fever. Please remember though, don't take her temperature right after she's been laying under the heat lamp. Let her cool off for at least 30 minutes. If you are not sure that your mom is empty after she appears to be done whelping, take her to the vet to have an x-ray taken. You are better safe than sorry, as if a dead puppy is left inside of the mother, they can die!
You may experience some of these problems...
Weak puppies at birth:
If you have a newborn puppy who is having trouble breathing, or isn't breathing, but still alive, there is a wonderful product called Fading Puppy Syndrome, which will give them a jump start. For weak puppies, it can be given every few hours as needed, as it is an herbal product. This product really does work, and it can be ordered at www.naturalrearing.com If you have to perform mouth-to-mouth on a puppy, be very gentle when blowing into the puppy's mouth!
Sometimes puppies need to be supplement fed:
If a puppy needs to be supplement fed because of low birth weight, mom not having enough milk or bad milk, or an orphaned litter, there are two options - tube feeding or bottle feeding. Puppies who are small and weak usually won't take a bottle if they aren't strong enough to hold onto a nipple, therefore, tube feeding is the recommended option in that case. If you have strong puppies who are either orphaned, or the mother simply does not have enough milk or has bad milk, you may choose to bottle feed them, as trying to get a tube down a strong wiggly puppy isn't very easy!
How to tube feed:
Lay the puppy on it's side, and with the tube, measure from the tip of the nose to slightly past the last rib. Mark the tube for each puppy, and be sure to re-measure them daily. Fill the syringe (with the tube attached) with formula, making sure there are no air bubbles. We use goat milk, heated but not too hot. Always test the temperature of the formula! Holding the puppy on his/her stomach, gently push the tube down one side of the throat (not the middle), until the mark on your tube touches the corner of the puppy's mouth. Slowly push down on the syringe to feed the puppy. The formula will go directly into their stomach. Then, slowly remove the tube. If you do not feel comfortable tube feeding, then don't. You can harm the puppy if this is done wrong!!
How to bottle feed:
For newborn puppies, if you use a human baby bottle, make sure you use a slow-flow nipple. Always feed the puppy while he/she is lying on their stomach. As with tube feeding, be sure to test the temperature of the formula before feeding!
Whether you are supplement feeding, or if the puppies are nursing off of mom, newborn puppies need to be fed every 2-4 hours, depending on their age and weight.
Bad milk:
Many puppy deaths occur simply because the mother's milk is bad. Since the mother will not necessarily act sick if her milk is bad, it's most of the time impossible to tell if her milk is ok or not. There is a wonderful product called Nitrizine Paper (can be found at most drug stores), that allows you to test moms milk before the puppies arrive. How it works, is it tests the PH level in the milk. Squeeze a drop of milk onto this paper. There is a color-coded chart included. If the paper turns green, the milk is safe. If it turns blue, this means that the milk is bad. Do not let the puppies nurse if the paper turns blue. Your mother will need to be taken to the vet to be put on antibiotics. Amoxicillin can be given safely to a nursing mother. After your mother has completed her antibiotics, re-test her milk, and if it tests good and your vet says it's ok, it's safe to put the puppies back on mom. We use this method on every litter, and we've definitely lost fewer puppies.
Dehydration:
If you have a dehydrated puppy, give them fluids under the skin on the back of the neck or at the shoulders. To check for dehydration, pinch the puppy's skin on the back of the neck. If the skin stays up and creased, the puppy is dehydrated. If the skin falls back down immediately, the puppy is not dehydrated. It is very important to check each puppy several times a day for the first week for dehydration.
Colic:
If a puppy appears to be cramping, or if he/she is crying, the puppy could have gas. For this, give the puppy 1-2 drops of infant's simethicone drops. If a puppy continues to cry, and the cry is constant, it could indicate trouble. Warning signs of a sick puppy include: constant crying, insufficient weight gain, no interest in nursing, poor color, extremely bloated abdomen, shallow breathing, cold to the touch, diarrhea, and vomiting. Contact your vet immediately!
Constipation:
If a puppy becomes constipated, give them a tiny amount (just one to a few drops, depending on their size) of white corn syrup.
Diarrhea:
If a puppy has diarrhea, there is a product that you can get from your vet called Albon. But, we do not like to give a puppy any type of medicine before 3 weeks of age unless it's absolutely necessary. Sometimes diarrhea can occur if a puppy overeats. If you suspect a puppy is overeating, watch him/her while nursing, and pull them off before they get too full. If overeating is not the problem, and the diarrhea persists, contact your vet!
Mastitis:
Check your mother's mammary glands daily, they should be full but not hard. Hard mammary glands that are hot to the touch could indicate Mastitis. Remove all puppies from mom, and get her to the vet immediately to prevent her mammary glands from abscessing. She will need to be put on antibiotics, and hot packs can be used to help soften the glands. Do not allow puppies to nurse until mammary glands are soft, antibiotics have been completed, and you get an ok from your vet.
Eclampsia (or milk fever):
Eclampsia can occur when a mother has a lowering of calcium levels in her system. The warning signs are: restlessness, fever, rapid breathing, spasms or seizures, and food refusal. If you suspect Eclampsia, get her to a vet immediately! Your mom will need calcium injections. If she is not treated immediately, it can be fatal. Do not allow the puppies to nurse on mom until her calcium levels return to normal.
Tips on how to feed mom:
It is important that mom gets lots of extra goodies in her food while she is nursing to help keep the milk coming. Plain yogurt, cottage cheese, or goat milk added to her food will not only help the milk to come in, but it will entice her to eat after whelping if she won't eat. An herb called Marshmallow Root can be added to her food as well to help with milk production. A litter takes a lot of out of a mother, and they will need more calories and fat added to their diet. We feed our moms puppy formula to give them that extra that they need while they are nursing.
We hope you enjoyed this page, and it was written to help people who look to experienced breeder's for advice. Please remember though, some of the advice mentioned on this page is medical related, and you should always contact your vet if you are having any problems.
©2003 Amber Wallace - All rights reserved.