Supplies Needed for Delivering Puppies
| Item | Use |
| Hair dryer. |
You may want to blow dry the pups to dry them off. Great for a sluggish pup too, gets him going. |
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| Stethoscope |
To listen for heartbeats and to make sure all pups are whelped. |
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| Towels |
Lots of them. If you think you have enough, your wrong. get more. Rub the puppies hard to stimulate them. |
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| Karo Syrup |
Weak pups get fast energy from a few drops of Karo Syrup. |
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| Styptic powder |
To stop bleeding | |
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| Hemostats |
For crimping the umbilical cord and to stop it from bleeding. |
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| Dull scissors |
For cutting the umbilical cord. Dull scissors crimp as well as cut. |
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| Paper and pen |
- To record the time each pups are born, and how much time lapse between pups.
- Record each placenta.
- Identify each pup.
- Notes on behavior of your female so you will remember next time she has a litter.
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| Heating pad |
Keep on low setting, with a towel over it. Keep the pups warm. |
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| Bulb syringe |
To aspirate fluids from nose and throat. Start with the throat, and then the nostrils. |
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| Antiseptic |
To apply to umbilical cord. |
Paper towels | Obvious |
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| Garbage can | Obvious |
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| Scale |
To weigh pups at birth. Monitor pups weight until you see them double their birth weight |
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| Camera |
Baby Pictures of course! Silly :-) |
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| Novel |
To read. Whelping can last for hours! |
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| Beer |
Nope not for you..... two teaspoons for mom if she has no milk. (Based on a 10 pound dog) |
Whelping
The act of delivering, or whelping, is a natural process for many dogs, but there are exceptions where normal birth is extremely difficult or sometimes, impossible.
Except in cases where a veterinarian must be consulted, it is best for whelping to take place at
home in quiet, familiar surroundings.
A special box (either cardboard or wood) roomy enough for both mother and puppies should be available three to four days in advance of whelping. The box should be situated in a place that is out of the way of household traffic,
yet easily accessible. Several thicknesses of newspaper make the best bedding to use in the box.
THE PRE-LABOR PERIOD
Signs of pre-labor can occur anywhere from 8 to 24 hours prior to true labor.
This period is identifiable by the following signs:
- Moms usually refuse food.
- Rectal temperature falls below 100 degrees.
- Agitation is apparent and attempts to find seclusion may be
made.
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THE LABOR PERIOD
During true labor you will observe definite abdominal contractions.
Should contractions persist for longer than TWO hours without the birth of a puppy,
notify the veterinarian.
Shortly after the onset of true labor, you may notice the appearance of a distended
membranous sac at the vulva. These are the fetal membranes. They indicate that delivery of the first puppy is well underway. With continued straining, the pup will be delivered.
Mom will usually chew the sac from around the pup and break the umbilical cord. Continued licking of the puppy stimulates respiration and crying.
If the mother fails to break the membranes pretty quickly after the delivery, you should do so yourself.
- Use clean white thread to tie off the umbilical cord approximately 1 1/2" from the abdomen.
- Then cut the cord with scissors (previously cleaned with 70% isopropyl alcohol).
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Brisk rubbing with a dry towel should be continued until the puppy is crying vigorously.
After the puppy is breathing normally, the umbilical stump should be painted with tincture of iodine.
Place the puppies in the whelping box (next to the mother or where the mother can easily
see them). You may place a heating pad in the box on the LOWEST SETTING or a hot water bottle. Puppies are normally spaced a half hour intervals, although an hour interval is not unusual. Total whelping time averages 6 to 12 hours. But can, and will vary, from dog to dog.
The single most important thing you can do for a female in labor is offer good, appealing food to keep her energy up! Most dystocias can be
avoided with this simple advice.
When whelping is completed, you should offer her a small amount of food and water, but don't be alarmed if she refuses both.
DANGER SIGNALS
- Dark red or dark green discharge PRIOR to delivery.
- Failure to produce a puppy after 2 hours of active labor.
- Extreme depression and cessation of labor.
- Gestation beyond 68 days with no signs of labor.
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Calcium; in the form of yogurt, cottage cheese or a multi-vitamin (not milk) should be given
soon after delivery, as milk-letdown ensues.
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