Hello, after my german shepherd passed away a year ago (aged 11). To bring the memories back, i bought a 1.6 year old adorable female husky, the owner stated she was neutered, i had her for 1 week, i went for a visit to the vet since i noticed a white liquid spot from her vagina, and the vet stated she is pregnant! the problem is i dont know how to deal with dogs giving birth... should i feed her what? should i walk her? should i keep her away from dogs? Please gives Do's and Don'ts I also heard dog eat their puppies can i prevent that? also how do i know when will she give birth? do i have to be there while she gives birth? and also have no clue on how to find her past owner!
Best advice is seek help from your vets they gave me a fact sheet that listed every do's & don'ts on, when I was thinking of mating my Skye it was in list form & was easy to understand, from how to mate to how wean the puppies xx
The problem is vets in my town are not experience with dogs and other types of pets except goats and... since i live in a middle eastern country. so what can i do?
There could be other reasons for the discharge, did the vet to an Ultrasound to confirm she was pregnant .
Yes, he said he can see three puppies by now, and maybe when i come for the next appointment after 8 days there is a possibility that other pups may be visible
I have no experience with pregnant dogs, but pregnant cats definitely yes. There are many similarities in all mammals. Contact your vet about feeding, exercise and setting up a whelping area because I'm sure there are specifics for dogs. I can tell you how it is with cats. As labor approaches, it usually happens at night the Mom will grow restless and be looking for somewhere out of the way and quiet. We had one litter born under a couch, one in a broken drawer and many in closets. That's why you want a whelping area. Mami needs somewhere she feels secure and comfortable and you want to be able to observe at a distance in case she needs help. If it makes you feel better, nature usually takes it's course with no problems. Unless the mother has some specific health or structure issues birth usually doesn't require human intervention. The only problem we ever had was when our Munchkin breed cat gave birth. Knowing what I know now she should have never gotten pregnant. Munchkin cats and bull breed dogs often have problems with kittens or puppies getting stuck or labor not progressing. Poor Chii gave birth to 2 stillborn kittens, one lived and was nursed by one of our other cats. As an adult that cat now weighs an astonishing twenty one pounds of muscle...so things can work out okay despite complications. Call your vet and don't panic
Hi Calvin, welcome to Breedia. You are clearly an English language speaker/reader. Did the vet give you any idea of how long you have to prepare for the birth? I think I would suggest that you order a decent book on the breeding of dogs via the Internet, read the relevant chapters thoroughly, and keep it by you as a reference for when the time comes. If your vet can deliver kid goats, I'm sure he/she would be able to deal with any whelping difficulty, if it should arise! Did the vet suggest any treatment for the white discharge? Bitches will eat each puppy's placenta, but usually would only attack their puppies if they are severely stressed. Try not to worry, both humans and dogs have reached this point in time by adapting to their environment and being able to cope. Your bitch is young and presumably strong, so think about creating a quiet space for her to make a den, and I'm sure that her own instincts will kick in when the time comes. Feed her a good quality high protein diet, and do not let her get too fat before she whelps. She will need extra food when her puppies are suckling. Carry on giving her exercise - this will help to keep her muscles in trim for the birth. She should not be unduly attractive to other dogs, but do keep her away from them if they pester her. Keep posting if you are worried - there will usually be someone on here who can reassure you. Good luck!
You need to talk to your vet but if they are not much help you can grab a book or even print stuff for free from the Internet. The vet should be able to tell you about how far along she is so you can know when to expect the pups. Gestation is 63 days / 9 weeks but of course can be sooner or later. Look for a high quality puppy food but don't over feed her. She's going to do a lot of work when she delivers so obesity is not in her favor. Dogs don't usually eat their pups, I can't believe someone would tell you that. They should have maternal instincts that come naturally as well as those induced by hormones. Wild canids have been taking care of their pups without human intervention just fine. As our dogs who's care we are in charge of we should be there to assist if complications arise but she will likely know what to do. It would be fine to walk her, staying fit and healthy is a good idea during pregnancy. You don't have to keep her away from other dogs but injury or disease from another dog could affect the pups or pregnancy. Make sure she is parasite free too if your vet didn't yet. You can make / buy a whelping box. You could also use a giant size crate or swimming pool. You want to make it comfy for her to nest in. When it gets close to time she will probably show more nesting and restless behaviors. Some will go off there food but some will not. Her temperature will drop which will be a big indicator that labor is about to begin. You can usually tell when the contractions start too. Things you want to keep on hand plenty of towels and sheets, blunt scissors, iodine, newspaper, paper towels, pedialyte and stuff for the pups just in case bottles or feeding tube. You can grab some books or read some breeding articles for more info or other things you might need.
I guess the bottom line best advice is doing reading online or from a regular book on breeding and birth. Set aside a crate, closet, quiet room, some area out of the way of human commotion. Have a vet on speed dial in case something might go wrong. Try to relax and know Mother Nature usually works just fine.
if the vet has been able to pick up the pups on the scan, then she will be at least 5 weeks pregnant, and as they are pregnant for 9 weeks, you will have around another 4 weeks to go, that is assuming she is that early she could be a lot later than that. You had her for a week, and I guess she would have shown signs of being pregnant when the other owners got rid, so again guessing she might have been around 4/5 /6 weeks pregnant. so work on the shortest time scale, Has your vet not given an indication on how far she could be. the advice you have been given will help you, get her a whelping box,, either buy or make it yourself, and find a nice quiet spot for her to have her pups. You have access to the internet, there will be plenty of info and videos out there for you to look at . also "the book of the bitch " is worth getting, you can find this on "Amazon" or other sites.
This may give you some idea http://www.argyllclinic.co.uk/features/41-a-guide-to-whelping-and-rearing-puppies Whelping box construction http://www.mcemn.com/WB-feedback.html
I have no past experiences with breeding dogs but I have bred cats and horses for a while the best thing to do is relax if you are relaxed so is your dog and prepare for birth by putting a nice cosy blanket somewhere quiet where she can feel safe you don't have to do anything but if any of the puppies get stuck or your bitch becomes frustrated that's when you will have to get involved make sure you watch the birth so you can monitor mum and babies carefully and after birth sit with her for at least 20 minutes to make sure everything is OK and then leave her to rest but check on her at regular times to be certain nothing is wrong if something is wrong make sure you have a pet carrier handy and get her to the vets as soon as you can good luck and i hope all goes well
