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Dogs Giving Birth - All You Need to Know to Safely Help
The magical day is approaching -- the day your female dog finally gives birth! The gestation period is approximately sixty-two days, give or take a few days in either direction. The process of your dog giving birth is also called whelping.
Preparing For Your Dog to Give Birth
Long before the approximate due date, you can begin to prepare the whelping box for the mother and litter. The box should be large enough for the mother dog to turn around but small enough to keep the puppies close. As a general rule of thumb, make the box about a foot longer and wider than she is when laying prone.
Include what’s called a “pig rail” around the edge of the box -- this prevents the mother dog from accidentally laying on and crushing her puppies.
Line the bottom of the box with a sheet of plastic, like a tarp or drop cloth you would use for painting. You can get one big sheet and cut it to fit the whelping box. Over the plastic, put down several layers of newspaper. Because whelping will be very messy, you can put down four or five layers of plastic and newspaper and take away a layer as it gets dirty. This will help keep the whelping box clean!
Make sure the whelping box is in a place that is warm and quiet. A mother dog can actually stop giving birth if she feels threatened!
Heed the Warning Signs
Up to a week before actual delivery, your mother dog may begin to lactate. However, milk may be seen much closer to the due date, so this may not be an accurate predictor. Up to three days before delivery, the mother dog will start to secrete a clear, thick liquid from the vagina.
Perhaps your best bet for predicting the actual delivery date is taking her temperature. A dog’s normal body temperature is several degrees warmer than a human’s -- normal is around 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Within twenty-four hours of delivery, you will see your dog’s body temperature drop down to around 99 degrees Fahrenheit. Once her temperature changes, your dog will be giving birth soon.
Whelping
How do you know when your dog goes into labor? The signs are not always obvious. Abdominal contractions may not be visible; that doesn’t mean they aren’t happening! Your dog may act nervous or restless. She may pant. She may even vomit! This stage of labor may last up to twelve hours.
Once you can actually see the abdominal contractions, your dog is ready to begin delivering puppies. If she is having visible contractions for more than three hours without delivering a puppy, call your vet immediately.
There are certain things you’ll want to have on hand when your dog is giving birth: clean towels, iodine, thread or dental floss, a small postal or food scale, vanilla ice cream, and your veterinarian’s phone number.
The actual birth can be dangerous for both mother dog and puppies. If mother dog is young and experienced and this is your first time too, you may want to have a vet's assistant or one of your more experienced friends helping both of you through this stage. Watching and helping dogs giving birth is certainly not for the faint-hearted. An older more experienced female will more than likely get it all done herself, just needing a few quiet words of encouragement and a drink or two to help her along. I have wonderful memories of staying awake with my dog Cherrie till the early hours of one morning till sheer exhaution must have made me nod off. The next thing I knew was being woken by the little squeeks and whimpers of 7 fat puppies - and Cherrie feeding them with such quiet dignity and pride. She was a brilliant mum.
The puppies may be delivered head first or rear end first -- both are considered normal delivery positions. However, it is NOT normal for a puppy to be in the birth canal for more than ten or fifteen minutes. You may need to gently twist or tug the puppy to free him or call your veterinarian for help. Time is of the essence; more than fifteen minutes and both mother and pup are at risk.
The time between delivering one puppy and the next can vary. In general, there may be fifteen minutes to half an hour between puppies. Then again, it’s perfectly normal to deliver a few puppies, then a few more several hours (up to twenty-four hours) later.
As each puppy is delivered, the mother should tear off the membrane that surrounds him. She will then begin to lick the puppy. If she doesn’t, you’ll need to remove the membrane yourself. After the membrane is removed, get any fluid out of the puppy’s mouth. You can do this with a finger, or use a turkey baster to suction out any liquid. Rub the puppy vigorously in a soft towel until it cries. Try to leave some slime on the puppy for the mother to lick off -- this is how the mother and baby bond.
You can cut or tear the umbilical cord; try to leave an inch or so attached to the puppy’s stomach. Tearing the cord flush with the skin makes the site more prone to infection. The easiest way to deal with the umbilical cord is to tie thread or dental floss around the cord in two places, leaving an inch between. Cut the cord in the in-between spot and dip the ends in the iodine.
The mother may ignore the first few puppies while she is delivering the others. This is normal! If she isn’t tending to them, you do need to remove the birth sac and get them breathing in the first few minutes after delivery or they may not survive.
You may see the mother dog eating the birth sacs after delivering the puppies. This is normal, but not necessary. While she will get some nutritional value from eating the placentas, it can also make her sick. The mother dog may also experience diarrhea or vomiting after giving birth, thanks to the hormonal changes. However, if she is sick, feverish, or not eating well for more than a day, you may need to call your veterinarian. A dead or undelivered pup still inside could be causing the problem.
During the birth process, you can offer your mother dog a special treat like vanilla ice cream. This will help keep her energy up and provide her with essential calcium.
Puppy Paperwork
Your national kennel club (like the AKC or UKC) can provide you with a litter registration application if you are planning to register your puppies. Applications must be received by the kennel club within six months of whelping. For each puppy listed on the form, you will receive an individual registration form to give to the puppies’ new owners.
The puppies should be weighed at birth and every day afterward.
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Also do not miss the other useful articles available to you – check out the links at the bottom of this page for free information and help with all your pet queries and concerns.
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