Whelping
A few things I have learned in the short time I have been breeding:
1. Whelping is never the same...even with the same mother.
2. If you have a good stud dog and one good breeding, once is better than 2 or 3 breedings as the puppies will be all from the same breeding and you will have puppies more uniform in size and development.
3. Keep an all natural vanilla ice cream in your freezer for the whelping...and no...it's not for you. I recommend Breyer's All Natural with Vanilla Bean. If your girl is getting tired whelping and her contractions are not strong, give her a scoop of the ice cream. It will give her energy, the calcium will help with her contractions, and the cold ice cream will make her feel better. It won't hurt her or the puppies and from my own experience I know it works! It may save you a trip to the vet. Then you can have some after she is all done whelping, the puppies have all nursed, and she is cleaned up and comfortable!
4. Have Bach's Rescue Remedy handy for a puppy that is slow to get started and that needs that good first gasp of air.
5. Also, keep Stat on hand. It is the greatest stuff I have used to give all the puppies a good start and keep in good weight. I give it to their mother to keep her in good condition as well. It can be bought from JB pet and can be found in their whelping section. It is also good for older dogs or dogs with kidney failure. I recommended it to my co-breeder and she will vouch for it as well... She told me she is sure it saved a puppy in one of her litters. I always have a large bottle on hand before the puppies are born.
6. Use incontinent pads that are used for people bedding for the whelping. The size I use are 30" x 36". They are much more absorbent than newspaper. The pads normally come 10 per package. I use about 1-2 packages per whelping. You can still place newspapers under the pads, if you wish, but the pads are so much better for keeping the area clean. They can be purchased at most healthcare stores.
7. After the whelping and I have cleaned the whelping box and mother and kids are cleaned up, I use a pad of fake sheepskin in the whelping box that you can buy at Walmart and have cut to fit. It comes in about 48" wide rolls. I keep mutliple pads on hand so I can rotate them.
7. Give the new mother vitamin C, 250mg, twice per day until the puppies are weaned and she is in good shape. This gives her immune system a boost. I can tell a definite difference in the mother's condition.
If you have any questions about any of the above or anything you think would be good to add to my list, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Here's to healthy puppies and their mothers (and fathers)...both furry and human!
Sharon and Steve