When my dog delivers puppies.....

[PunkinPeep]

I'm expecting my dog, Jelly, to deliver puppies in the next week or two.

I'm wondering if there are those here with experience who can help me if i need advice when the time comes.

I know nothing more than what i've read on the web about whelping. I don't know much about dogs either. I just love my Jelly, and i want to make sure she's o.k.

 

[Roll farms]

It'd help to know what kind of dog she is and is bred to.

(Little dogs tend to have more issues than big dogs...)

Do you have an exact due date?

Plenty of towels on hand would be my general advice.

 

[PunkinPeep]

It'd help to know what kind of dog she is and is bred to.

(Little dogs tend to have more issues than big dogs...)

Do you have an exact due date?

Plenty of towels on hand would be my general advice.

Jelly is a mutt, who surprised me when she went into heat before i got her fixed. Did i mention i know nothing about dogs?

She is a mix of German Shepherd, Collie, and Lab. She is bred to a dog of similar size to her. I don't know the breed, but he is solid red all over.

I stupidly did not write down the date when i saw her breed, so i don't know exactly. I remember knowing it should be around the middle of February.

Here is Jelly. Sorry that pic is so big.

Here she is lying next to my cat if that gives you some idea of size.

 

[Roll farms]

I wouldn't expect you to have any problems since she's got 'hybrid vigor'...just keep an eye out for pushing for longer than 1 hr, if that happens you may want to call a vet or, if you're feeling brave, go in w/ a couple fingers and see if you can feel anything.

If she won't nurse or doesn't have colostrum, you might have to bottle feed the pups.

It took our pyr 12 hrs to have 12 pups last year....longest 12 hrs of my life.

Dry them off good and keep them safe until she's done whelping (she may lay on or smother one while shifting positions).

GOOD LUCK!

 

[PunkinPeep]

Thanks! It's good to hear encouraging expectations.

I was able to squeeze one of her teets today and get a little bit of white stuff, so i'm hoping that means she'll be o.k. on the nursing front. They're huge and hanging, poor thing.

And i've gotten pretty good at getting 'intimate' with my animals. My chickens have trained me to that one. Face whatever grossness you have to face to save your animal, you know?

Should i expect her to have as many puppies as she has teets? Is that an accurate way to tell?

If not, how will i know when she's finished whelping?

 

[Lil Chickie Mama]

I don't know anything about it, but just wanted to say good luck and Jelly is too adorable!!!

 

[PunkinPeep]

I don't know anything about it, but just wanted to say good luck and Jelly is too adorable!!!

Haha! Thank you! I think so too.

 

[Roll farms]

I wish the number of teats indicated the number of pups....My pyr had 12 pups and only 10 teats, LOL. I bottle raised 2.

All dogs have the same teat number (usually....). That's not indicitive of the number of pups she'll have. Outside of an ultrasound, you just have to wait and see.

Having milk doesn't mean she'll let them nurse...but again, I'd expect a good 'mutt' (no offense meant, I love mutts) to be a good mom.
It's usually the fancy and small dogs you have to worry about sometimes.

Each pup should have it's own placenta that will be born w/ it. She should rip the sac open and clean the pups, if she'll let you, HELP her, clean their noses / mouths well.

I made a whelping box for our dog, 12" tall sides out of 2x6 boards, so she could go in and out but the pups weren't crawling all over creation.

Change the towelling in it daily...it'll stink real quick-like.

AND....if you have any green puppies, don't freak out. The last 2 my dog had were green the next day from all the amniotic fluid leaking out.

 

[PunkinPeep]

I wish the number of teats indicated the number of pups....My pyr had 12 pups and only 10 teats, LOL. I bottle raised 2.

All dogs have the same teat number (usually....). That's not indicitive of the number of pups she'll have. Outside of an ultrasound, you just have to wait and see.

Having milk doesn't mean she'll let them nurse...but again, I'd expect a good 'mutt' (no offense meant, I love mutts) to be a good mom.
It's usually the fancy and small dogs you have to worry about sometimes.

Each pup should have it's own placenta that will be born w/ it. She should rip the sac open and clean the pups, if she'll let you, HELP her, clean their noses / mouths well.

I made a whelping box for our dog, 12" tall sides out of 2x6 boards, so she could go in and out but the pups weren't crawling all over creation.

Change the towelling in it daily...it'll stink real quick-like.

AND....if you have any green puppies, don't freak out. The last 2 my dog had were green the next day from all the amniotic fluid leaking out.

I think i'm about to seem really stupid.

Why is it going to stink so bad after the puppies are born and put in a new clean surface? Are they going to pee everywhere?

 

[Roll farms]

Well, mom will clean up what she can but...they'll still get milky, poopy, pee-y and slobbery...cleanliness is a must to prevent them from getting sick.
Sometimes I do more 'animal' laundry than human around here.