Gundog Training Forum

Thank you all for every post and opinion.

When I posted originally it was knowing that everyone would have something different to say.

You have all been helpful and educational and I had no idea how strongly some of you feel

I have picked up some very good tips and will be putting some of them to good use.

I am certain that all the pups will find good active homes and, if not, there is a plan B!

I will keep a low profile for the time being and I might post some puppy pictures when the time comes....but don't shoot me

Ash, you have absolutely no need to keep a low profile! Well, not until after the pups are born, you might be too busy to get on here then!!

Feel free to ask questions any time, if nobody asks then there wouldn't be a forum for people to read! If peeps don't like the question they don't have to answer it!

Judy

Please keep posting! It's great to hear from someone who's going through it for the first time. My first lab was from a "hobby breeder" and I couldn't be happier with her.

Out of interest, who have you used as stud?

Sham

A really nice dog from the Olivertash kennels.

I posted in the early part of this thread but I was away when Ash recently asked about whelping.
I breed Springers and I'm happy to pass on tips and advice that was given to me and what I've learned myself.

My bitch is vaccinated against herpes virus to reduce the risk of fading puppy syndrome.
In the last three weeks the bitch will need more food than her normal amount but increase by 10% per week and split into two meals or even three as the pups will be taking up a lot of room. It is essential that she is not overfed as then the pups can grow too big for an easy whelping.

Spend extra time with the bitch making sure that the bonding is strong - you may have to handle her newborn pups so she has to trust you.

Get the whelping den ready around week seven if you can so she gets used to it. Big cardboard cartons make good liners and can be thrown out when soiled with the birth fluids and replaced with clean. Make sure the den is big enough for the bitch to do a full stretch out. Keep emergency towels etc in the car in case you have to go to the vet.

Keep an eagle eye on her as whelping time approaches. From the first stage of labour until the end of whelping she only goes out on a short lead to toilet and stay with her the whole time. Have a torch ready for toiletting in the dark. Each time you both go out, take a towel with you to wrap the pup that pops out as she squats to pee ....yes, speaking from experience here.
When she starts to strain, notify the vet. If she has had contractions for 45 minutes with no result, take the bitch to the vet. If there are any pups already delivered, take them too in a box on a well wrapped hot water bottle.

When the pups are coming naturally, keep as hands off as possible. Read a book or watch tv and glance at the bitch, don't stare at her. Although instinct usually takes over, for her first time she may not know what to do with this pup that is suddenly confronting her. If she doesn't open the birth sac, you have to do it. Ditto if she does not bite through the umbilical cord - details in Book of the Bitch. Once you have handled a pup, present it immediately to the bitch for her to lick it clean. If she is not interested, give it a quick wipe and then plug it into the furthest back nipple, squeeze out a drop of milk to encourage it to suckle. Suckling stimulates the mother instinct and also promotes the production of oxytosin which stimulates contractions to continue the birthing.

Expect her to rest between puppies, she may even snooze a bit. If nothing is happening after a couple of hours and she still obviously has pups to come, ring the vet as she may need an oxytosin injection to start contractions again.

Personally, I don't try to sex the pups or do weights until they are a day old. If a pup is not viable, the bitch often rejects it and it can upset her if you try to press it on her, even if it looks perfect to you - let nature take its course.

It is essential to keep the pups really warm for the first three weeks but not to overheat the bitch. I use a heating mat in half of the whelping den so she can move on or off it as she chooses. I don't use pig rails but they do stop a clumsy bitch squashing a pup.

Once the pups are born, my bitch has unlimited high quality food until weaning begins - some bitches will be skin and bone by the time the pups are weaned and others will put on a bit of extra fat.

Hope the above helps,

Cheers
Sgurr

Wow! Thanks.

That is all really helpful.

Books have been read and the pen is clean and ready.

Thankfully, we recently bought a load of bedroom furniture and I stopped OH going into tipping frenzy with the boxes

She is looking pregnant and feeling the heat a bit.

I have been giving her little bursts of gentle exercise rather than her normal blatting around!

The vet has checked her over and sees no reason to see her again until after the pups.

Fingers crossed.

We were given this by our vets for our first litter and found it most helpful. We also used the "Book of the Bitch" by Evans and Mackay


Whelping your Bitch



Pre-mating
Assess bitch's weight at least one month before the start of her heat. If she is overweight, decrease her daily ration by l/3rd; if underweight, increase the daily ration by 1/3rd. Fat bitches are less fertile than slim ones and, in the event of problems during delivery; it is far safer to perform a caesarean on a slim bitch!

Worm the bitch for round and tapeworm.

Ensure a full booster vaccination has been given within the last 6 months, so that the bitch will pass on the puppy protection against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Leptospirosis via her milk.

Treat the bitch against ecto-parasites - particularly lice.

Post-mating

0-4 weeks: Maintain a normal level of feeding and keep up the bitch's exercise. Puppies at this stage are less than the size of a walnut!

4 weeks: Your Vet will be able to feel whether your bitch is in pup. Worm your bitch again. Worming during pregnancy is important, as it kills worms which lie dormant in the non-pregnant bitch, but which become activated by the hormones released by the pregnant bitch.

6 weeks: Increase the bitch's daily ration by a third and feed as 2 meals, morning and evening. Start the bitch on the food, which you have decided to give her for her lactation. A high-protein food (23-24%) is desirable.

7 weeks: Worm your bitch again. Check her ears for ear-mites (these can be passed on to the puppies) and treat her if necessary with drops from your Vet. Move her to the planned whelping accommodation. See Special note 2.

8 weeks: Remember that, although the gestation period for a bitch is 63 days, it is not uncommon for them to whelp several days early, so keep a close eye on your bitch during her final week.

Post-whelping

Day 2: Removal of dewclaws and docking, where appropriate, should be performed. If done correctly, these operations cause minimal stress to the puppy. Remember, only veterinary surgeons are allowed to dock.

3 weeks: Trim puppies' claws in order to minimise the excoriation of the bitch's undercarriage. Human nail clippers are ideal. Remove just the claw tips. Apply udder cream to the bitch's undercarriage daily, if sore.

Remove the whelping box, leaving just a slightly raised bed, so that the puppies can explore. An area of wood shavings close to the bed area provides an ideal place for the puppies to urinate and defaecate, as the shavings absorb moisture and keep the puppies clean. It also teaches them to keep their bed clean.

Worm the puppies and the bitch. Start feeding the puppies. Use a shallow dish with enough space for all the pups to feed from it at once. There are several good, complete puppy foods on the market, on which pups do very well.

4 weeks: Trim puppies claws again. Make sure that the bitch can escape from the puppies when she wishes to; a raised bed is ideal. Allow the puppies four meals daily.

5 weeks: Trim puppies' claws again. Increase the amount of food offered to the pups at each meal. Take the bitch away from the puppies for several hours at a time, but always leave her in with the pups at night. Worm the pups and the bitch again.


6 weeks: Increase the amount of food offered to the pups at each meal. Keep the bitch away from the pups, only letting her back if she is very full of milk, usually necessary once every 24 to 48 hours. Increase the bitch's exercise; this will help her milk dry up.

8 weeks: Increase the amount of food offered to the pups at each meal. Worm the pups again. Start vaccinations - see your Vet.


1. Special note on feeding the bitch
Immediately after whelping, offer the bitch a small meal; we favour raw egg and milk. Once the bitch has rested, offer her a meal of the food you have decided to use. The bitch should now be fed three times daily and will require three times her normal amount of food. If you have chosen a pelleted feed, this may be fed ad-lib. Ensure there is a good supply of fresh water, as your bitch will drink 3 to 4 times her usual amount.

2. Special note on the whelping accommodation
Ideally, the whelping accommodation should consist of an insulated building about 6' square, with a. concrete floor. The whelping box needs to be 4' square for retrievers and 3'6" square for spaniels and must have an internal 'creep' rail 3" high and 3" from the sides. A heat lamp should be suspended above the whelping box, in such a manner that its height may be adjusted. Vet-bed provides the ideal bedding, as it is warm, keeps the pups dry whilst all moisture drains through to the under-layer and is machine-washable and quick drying. An external, concrete run of at least 8' square provides a suitable play area for the pups.

I read these two very helpful posts and then I dreamt that Ash went outside for her night time pee.

She then proceeded to shoot the pups from her body and my husband and I were chasing around the garden trying to catch them in a towel and put them in a bucket!

This was very stressful, as I catch like a girl!

Should I seek professional counselling?

ash wrote::

Should I seek professional counselling?

No just have a dram to calm your nerves

Cheers
Sgurr

Sgurr wrote:

ash wrote::

Should I seek professional counselling?

No just have a dram to calm your nerves

Cheers
Sgurr

Of course- Talisker would be the dram of choice