Whelping: New Puppies
On The Way!!
Norwegian Elkhound
Norwegian name : Norse Elghund
Special thanks to two breeders:
Mrs Barbara Barganska
(check out link page for web site)
and Mrs Nancy Moser of the USA
for the use of the photos below
Whelping and new pups! Well, you've really gone and done
it now, haven't you! That moment you've been waiting impatiently
for is here and you have to face the facts that you are going
to be a mother...of sorts. Luckily, the vast majority of bitches
will have their pups without any help from you or anyone else.
You may be able to just sit back and watch the entire process.
Nevertheless there certainly are times when you MUST intervene; times when the bitch and the neonates will need your assistance. Your local Veterinarian will present a good guideline for you to consider when you are observing the whelping of the new pups to help you know when to help and what to do.
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Breeding ...Most female dogs "go into heat" (estrus) about every 6 or 7 months beginning sometime before their first year of age. It is best to allow the bitch to reach full growth before breeding her, we suggest strongly two years, see page on Ethics. Why put the added stress of forming and nursing a litter of pups while her body is geared toward making her own structures? Always wait until she is fully developed before breeding her.
Picture shows puppy called Lexi at 2 weeks old
(Email : Mrs Barbara Barganska ) |
The bitch is usually ready to stand
and hold for the male to breed to her about ten to twelve
days into the heat cycle.
Start counting days at the first sign of any blood discharge
from the vulva. Just remember that every dog is different
regarding when she will allow breeding, so keep good records
of everything you note regarding dates of first bloody discharge,
how much discharge is occurring, how much swelling of the
vulva is noticed, and the bitch's attitude and temperament.
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Important note:You should mark the day you first see any discharge "day one"...However, you may have missed a few light flow days. In these cases, what you are calling "day one" may really be day three, four or five! So, when do you bring the male to her for breeding? Do not wait until the tenth day; bring the male to her a few days ahead of time because if she's ready you better breed her now! She will let you know if your timing is right by her willingness or unwillingness to stand for the male. If she's ready, regardless of what number day it is, she will crook her tail off to one side, stand in front of the male, and even back into the male. Just because we think she should breed on a certain day has no influence on her hormonal levels. Try to get the bitch and stud together a number of days and times earlier than that tenth day of bloody discharge. Another good guideline as to when to breed is that often the discharge will turn from a dark, bloody colour to a more lighter, almost tan colour. |
Lexi at nearly 5 weeks only (Email : Mrs Barbara Barganska )
A note about doing a slide smear.. So many breeders ask their veterinarians to "do a smear
so I know what day to breed her". They are asking the
impossible! A "smear" of the vaginal discharge is
done by swabbing onto a microscope slide a small amount of
the vaginal discharge. Those cells are dried and stained and
the types and maturity of those cells are noted. When the
preponderance of those cells have lost their nucleii and become
more old appearing, the technician can safely say that the
peak of the heat cycle is approaching. That's all. In no way
can a determination as to the "right time to breed"
be made with a high degree of accuracy from a vaginal smear.
All your veterinarian or veterinary technician can do is to
say "She hasn't reached peak cycle yet" or "It
looks like she's about at her peak now" or "I think
she is past her peak breeding time now". Anything more
specific than that is pretty much just a guess. The best way
to know when to breed is to get the male and female dogs together
and see if THEY think it's time. Always bring them together
sooner than you believe is the peak of her cycle. It is far
better to be five days early than five hours late. Remember,
she won't be in heat again for half a year!
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OK...so she and the stud bred twice the
first day and twice the second day and once the third
day. Nice goin'! There's a great chance she'll become
pregnant. The sperm will fertilize the eggs and the fertile
eggs will migrate down the two uterine horns looking for
a favorable area to attach to the lining of the uterine
wall. Attachment will occur a number of days after the
breeding (that's why some anti-fertility medications can
be given after the breeding. These medications make the
uterine lining a hostile area for the fertilized eggs
so the eggs can't find an inviting area of the uterine
lining. If they do not attach to the uterine lining they
eventually degenerate.)
3.5 Weeks Old "Blessed Are The Wee Ones ... (Email : Mrs Nancy Moser ) |
New Puppies...If impregnation into the uterine lining has occurred, your
veterinarian will be able to feel the swollen areas along
the uterus about the twenty-second to the twenty-fourth day
after the last breeding. A good estimate of the number of
active areas can be made, too, so you can start lining up
all those potential buyers for your pups! The pups are usually
ready to enter our world sixty-three days after conception.
It is best to count days starting from the last known breeding
since many bitches will allow breeding to occur for two to
four days in a row.
What To Expect When "It's Time"...Let me suggest that you forget about using a thermometer
to aid your guess as to when the pups are on the way. Some
bitches' temperature will drop from a normal range (101 to
102.5 degrees) to a degree or so below their normal a few
hours prior to whelping...but many don't. And if her temperature
does drop and no puppies are forthcoming, are you going to
rush her into surgery? Of course not! Recording the temperature,
and over-estimating its importance, can cause you more turmoil
and anxiety than any value taking the temperature may have
as a prognosticator of labour, so don't bother with it if
you don't want to.
The first signs...The first sign that the new puppy-family is on the way usually
is signalled by the bitch's lack of interest in food about
twenty-four hours before whelping. Then you may notice she
will lick at her vulva and have slight abdominal cramping.
Then the abdominal contractions become more frequent...about
every half hour. All of a sudden you may notice a shiny, greyish
sac drooping through the vulva; it looks like a grey water
balloon. The bitch may walk around with this hanging out and
will often open the "water sac" and a clear fluid
will run out. The pup's on the way! In most cases the pup
will be delivered within an hour of this sac being presented
for your viewing pleasure since now the pup is surely in the
pelvic canal. The first pup often is the most difficult for
the bitch to pass, and she may strain quite hard and even
moan a bit. Don't panic yet. (Although, it is a good idea
to call your veterinarian and announce proudly "she's
havin' 'em!". Now the entire animal hospital staff will
be on the alert that you will be calling every fifteen minutes
with updates on her progress.) If she hasn't passed the pup
within one hour of the "water sac" showing, do
call your veterinarian and discuss the need for her to be
seen right away to help pass the pup, if you do not have a
Vet go to the two links below, and get the information.
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The Birth...When the pup is passed through the pelvic canal and into our world it will be covered in a thin membrane that looks like plastic wrap. If the bitch does not lick and nip this membrane away from the puppy right away, and most do, you should remove it so the pup can breathe. (The pup has about six minutes of "grace period" before it must breathe, otherwise brain damage or death will occur.) Give the mother a few seconds to remove this membrane; if she doesn't, you do it.
You will notice that the pup is attached to a yucky looking mass of tissue by the umbilical cord. You can separate the pup from this blackish-green tissue, which is the afterbirth. (The afterbirth is the tissue that attaches very closely to the lining of the uterus. Through the afterbirth the pup "breathes" and acquires nourishment via the umbilical cord; now that the pup is born, though, there's no need for this equipment any more. Now it's nasty looking and yucky so throw it out.) There is no real benefit for the bitch to eat all the afterbirths so discard them if you wish. In fact, some dogs can get digestive upsets from consuming a large number of afterbirths. Those of you who for some reason want their bitch to eat the afterbirths, be my guest...
Licking and cleaning the new pup is the bitch's first order of business now that the membrane is removed and the umbilical cord is chewed through (or separated about an inch away from the pup by you). If she ignores the pup, you can take a clean towel and rub the puppy dry; this will stimulate it to breath and it will protest a bit. Ouch...Welcome to our world! While doting over the new pup the bitch will probably start the process over and present another one...here we go again! While the new pup's brothers and sisters are yet to see the light of day, the first pup, having found a nipple, is already having breakfast. (I say breakfast because the vast majority of whelping occur in the very early hours of predawn darkness!) |
Time Period... In any litter the entire process of whelping can take from
two to twenty hours. In some cases, they may have three pups
in the first hour, take a break for three or four hours, have
a few more, take a break, have one, take a break and finish
up sometime the next day. All that may be perfectly normal. However, if a bitch is really straining,
with contractions coming every minute or so and no pup is
presented within half an hour, get the veterinarian on the
phone. Often, if the bitch seems to be doing nothing
for a few hours and you are sure there are more pups to be
delivered, the bitch often can be energized to have more contractions
by a brisk walk outside. She may not want to leave the pups
but fresh air and a short run or walk will get things started
again. Have food and water available
for her, too.
Problems...Sometimes the litter will be so large, either in numbers
of pups or size of pups, that a problem with Uterine Inertia
can occur. In these situations the bitch will fail in weak
attempts to pass the pups. She may not even show any visible
contractions. Here is a good example of why you should keep
good records of dates and times of breeding. If
the bitch has progressed to the sixty-fifth day after breeding
and still no pups are on the way, there's a problem!
If the uterus has been so stretched and fatigued by a large
litter or large size of the puppies, she may not be able to
pass them. Uterine Inertia also is common when an older bitch
has a single fetus that doesn't stimulate the uterus enough
to begin contractions. Your veterinarian
must be consulted. Medical intervention will be tried
first, an x-ray may be taken (don't worry, a single x-ray
in full term pups presents practically zero risk) and if medications
do not induce labour...it's time for surgery!
Be Prepared...It is much better to prepare yourself ahead of time by
reading and talking to an experienced
breeder if this is your first time at breeding a dog.
Be certain that your bitch is wormed
or has a negative fecal exam, be certain that the diet is
excellent... not just "good". Avoid the notion
that you must supplement the diet because of the "stress"
on the mother. The real stress nutritionally comes after the
pregnancy when the pups are between two and four weeks of
age. That's the time they are extracting the largest amounts
of nutrients from the mother, and making all that milk can
really tap into the bitches' nutrient reserves. Over-supplementing
is a mistake. A high quality diet containing
large amounts of quality protein and fat is important; high
fat, high protein and low carbohydrates (grain) is best.
It is a good idea to get a small postal
scale and weigh the new pups daily. After the second
day they should gain steadily every day. If you notice a pup
that is slower, colder, softer or whinier than the others,
take special care of that one. It just may need your help
to survive. Each day the pups should put on a bit of weight;
one that is not may be a "poor
doer" and could need veterinary care.
....More Information ....
Care of the Mother and Family
Building a Whelping Box
For this page
Australian & New Zealand
Our Vet
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