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© Copyright Roy G Symonds BA 2010 |
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" Your Pregnant Female Dog" A Thousand Facts About Your Dog. |
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LEARN MORE, BE MORE |
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| Updated: 06/08/10 13:27 | ||
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Learn More, Be More
" Is Your Pregnant Dog ? "'
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How Do I Tell If My Dog Is Pregnant?
Whelp - A young dog; puppy - Archaic - a cub.
An ill-mannered child or youth - a child in Old English.
To give birth to in canines.
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Whelping - Dog Giving Birth
It may have crossed your mind whether or not you should breed your female-dog. Here is some information below, that might help.
Before you do you should look at the Dog's Heat-Cycle
Never even consider letting your female dog have puppies until you have delved into all aspects of this situation.
Make sure you have good potential homes for all the puppies before you allow mating.
Basically, if you decide to do it, you want to do it right, and make sure that you get healthy and happy puppies, please note that it can be very expensive and a lot of work.
You must be prepared to help the mother as much as possible; helping in feeding, and their interaction with humans and their siblings.
Remember that you must ask your a vet if she is experienced in whelping dogs. This will be your best information resource, as well as any other breeders that you know. Not all vets are that knowledgeable about whelping, so be sure to ask.
Asleep At Last
Your female must be in the best of health, emotionally and physically. Get your vet to completely check your dog over prior to any consideration of breeding her. The vet should be looking for ailments like Brucellosis, which does not lend itself to having a happy litter.
Ask your vet if your particular breed, has any peculiarities that may show propensities for problematic pregnancies and births. Consider that if there has been an accident and your Chihuahua female has mated with a Great Dane, expect problems.
Ask the stud owner if his dog is a pedigree and completely free of disease, ask for proof.
Brucellosis (or undulant fever) An infectious disease of farm animals caused by the bacterium Brucella abortus. Symptoms include fever weakness, cough, joint pain, and sometimes swelling of the lymph nodes. The antibiotic tetracycline usually cures the disease, which can be contracted by man from contaminated milk.
Canis Familiaris - the Domestic Dog
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CAN WE HELP YOU
We get a lot of people log on to this dog site everyday. Perhaps 200 - 250 have a read to some degree. Many surfers are looking to solve a problem and actually ask this question as part of their search criteria. Only a small percentage write to us to ask a deliberate question. Hopefully this is because the site is quite comprehensive and covers most things.
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As you read this site you may want to take notes. Please get a pen & paper so you can note down little snippets that interest you. The Page that is loading carries a lot of facts and information about your dog. Though remember the site is always available for reference, anytime 24/seven/52
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© Copyright Roy G Symonds BA 1995 - 2010
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How Do I Tell If My Dog Is Pregnant?
1. Her vulva, genital area, will be more slightly swollen, than it would be after her estrus period has ended.
2. Her teats, or nipples, will become more pronounced and hard.
3. Her temperament will change, she should be less puppyish. She maybe quieter, more lazy and want more attention. Being quieter, is a wolf trait. A pregnant female is more vulnerable, and it pays to be less conspicuous.
4. Two weeks after mating, there might even be bouts of morning sickness, which will last a week or so. Some dogs are prone to sick up yellow bile in the morning if their stomachs are empty. Always give your dog a few dry hard biscuits first thing in the morning. Make sure that they contain a few of the black charcoal ones. A pregnant dog should definitely have a few biscuits with extra black ones if possible, first thing.
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If you have mated the dog 2 - 3 times successfully, and got your estrus dates correct, and the items above are prevalent, the dam is probably pregnant. Your vet will wait around 30 days before he / she can examine the stomach of the dog and tell for sure that the dog is pregnant.
You might be able to do this, but be gentle. Lay your dog on her side, if you are right-handed she should be facing right, and her head away from you. Slide your left-hand slightly beneath her around her middle, and place your right-hand over her abdomen, just below her ribs. Gently squeeze your hands together and feel for little golf balls, these are, we hope, puppies. With some gentle practice, you will be able to count the puppies, but do not stress the dog at all.
5. In the 4th week you may notice a muscle thickening of her sides, between her ribs and hip bone.
6. In the 5th week her abdomen may swell sufficiently to show that she is pregnant, similar to a human pregnancy. Some bigger dogs carry the pups high up in the rib cage, thus not showing so much, and it might not be so easy to notice.
7. In the 6th week most dogs will show, and she will be visibly pregnant. There maybe clear, or even slightly bloody discharge somewhere in the last couple of weeks. The discharge also has the consistency of Vaseline and generally has no smell. If she is anything other than this, call your Vet. A discharge that is green or quite bloody, and smelling quite bad, definitely call your Vet.
8. A dog pregnancy lasts for about 9 weeks or about 62 days. By the 8th week you will be able to clearly feel the puppies moving about inside the mother's tummy.
ARE YOU PREPARED?
CLICK HERE TO GO TO MAIN DOG PAGE
Click Here to go to Training My Big Dog
CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY DOG'S HEAT CYCLE
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Breeding Dogs
DOGS
Covers All Dogs
Please note that this page is only for general information.
READ:
© Copyright Roy G Symonds 1995 - 2009
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Every Female Dog Should Have at least One Litter
This is not true at all. Most female dogs do NOT have litters. Dogs are not improved by giving birth, and is in some way good for her physically.
Therefore, there is absolutely nothing wrong with spaying a bitch without her having a litter.
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Benefits of Spaying your Dog
Spaying - ovarian hysterectomy - is a procedure that involves surgical removal of your dog's ovaries and uterus.
This surgery may be performed at any age after the dog has usually reached SIX months. But the preferable age is between 6 -12 months. There is NO medical evidence to suggest that your dog will benefit in any way from going through a heat cycle or having a litter prior to being spayed. In fact the opposite might apply.
Spaying can provide you and your dog with the following benefits:
* Eradicates "heat" cycles and therefore eliminates the bloody discharge and odor associated with being " in heat. " OR " in season."
* Stops male dogs from being attracted to your dog because of her "heat."
* When performed before the first or second heat, spaying greatly reduces the risk of mammary cancer, to less than 1%. A common cancer of female dogs.
* Eradicates the risk of future ovarian and uterine cancer.
* Eradicates the risk of pyometra - pus-filled uterus, a life-threatening uterine infection, common in older female dogs, which usually requires emergency surgery.
* Eradicates the problem of "false" pregnancy experienced by many dogs. This can be a normal occurrence in female dogs following a heat cycle. This condition mimics pregnancy, complete with mammary development and milk production.
* Helps control the unwanted-pet population crisis by avoiding unwanted pregnancies. Millions of unwanted pets are destroyed in animal homes every year across the world.
There are many good reasons to have your dog spayed early in life. Unless you are convinces that you would like to show and breed your dog, we recommend spaying at the earliest convenient time.
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Temperament
Whilst we believe that a lot of temperament problems are through nurturing and conditioning, caused by the lack of good training, nevertheless, there are inherent traits in some animals that cannot be trained out. And we do not mention any particular breed here. ALL DOMESTIC DOGS have members of their group who are as placid and well behaved as any other group, but then every type of dog has its rogue element as well.
So never breed any animal that has temperament problems. This has been the cause of much of the degeneration of many breed's general temperament. If you consider that your animal is untrustworthy around people; more than usually aggressive to people, uncontrollably excitable, or is a fear-biter, do not breed it.
If also it is shy or overly submissive, again do not breed this dog as you may pass on these traits. Look for a happy, confident and obedient animal, one that has a shiny coat, a wet nose, a spark in its step and is outwardly a friendly dog. Such breeds like the Rottweiler, whilst having a reputation for being aggressive are not. ALL DOMESTIC DOGS, Species Canis Familiaris, can be vicious and aggressive.
You should bring your dog up, repressing any aggression, and promote friendliness and obedience. Any dog's natural ability to guard and protect will come out when the need is there. Of course, some types due posses greater guarding abilities but most any dog is very much like another.
Species - A unit of classification of animals and plants. Individuals of the same species / genus can breed among themselves, producing fertile offspring that resemble the parents. Some species are divided into subspecies and varieties. Breeds of domestic animals and cultivated varieties of plants have been developed by man and are derived from wild species. All breeds of domestic dog, for instance, belong to the same species - Canis familiaris - and can breed together.
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PEDIGREE
As far as pedigree is concerned you should be aware of your own dog's lineage, and you will have to decide what you want your puppies to be. Do you want the father to be of champion stock, an everyday dog, or just some run of the mill mutt.
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I will not preach here about this, it is up to you. But if you have paid a premium for your dog and spent a small fortune getting her ready for this stage, now is not the time to starts cutting corners. Consider all aspects, health, ailment traits like Displaced Hips etc, that might be in the sire.
If you plan to remove the dewclaws or even dock the tails. Get advise on this from your Vet, as soon as you know your dog is pregnant. Different countries have different laws about this. If you litter is a full pedigree one, know what you have to do to register them in your own country.
Care to Take With the Mother
Make sure that she has had all her vaccinations say in the last 6 - 12 months.
She will require supplementary food during the last month or so of pregnancy. In general, puppy complete food is formulated both for puppies and pregnant or nursing bitches. Read the label. Try to mix the biscuits with some tasty meat stock and fat.
We hope that you have taken her to the vet prior to mating and then informed the vet that she has fell. Read Heat Cycle Page Then taken her for a visit in the first week and then about every couple of weeks after that. Dogs can have miscarriages. Illnesses, diseases, or infestations that the bitch picks up during her pregnancy and these can obviously can affect the puppies. When walking your pregnant dog, keep her away from other dogs, and if possible from where other dogs tend to congregate. Simple safeguards will save you money and aggravation.
On most occasions your dog will give birth quite naturally and, with your help, as if she had done it a 100 times. But complications during whelping are wholly possible, and be aware that they might happen, especially in the middle of the night. Be prepared to get her to the vet quickly in an emergency.
Be also prepared for still births. Read the Heat-Cycle page. Different sizes of dogs have different numbers of newborn. Expect that you may have at least one of your puppies to be born dead, or very small or very weak, or even deformed in some way. Be prepared and understand that this is Nature's way.
When all the pups are out, the mother should clean them up. Even the friendliest dog may be a little tetchy and protective here so be careful, the most loving dog may give you a nip. Try and keep a vigilant eye on them for the first week as they can be crushed under her weight, or left out in the cold, away from the rest, or even bullied by the others.
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During the time whilst the bitch is nursing the puppies, she will require about three times the amount of food she normally eats. Leave food down for her all the time, and of course as much clean water as possible. Feed her some of her favorite food to encorage her. In the early days of the litter, if she goes off for a feed, or for some fresh air etc., be prepared to have a hot-water bottle wrapped in a thick towel to help the puppies stay warm.
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We recently received an email telling and asking us, about a mother who had apparently eaten three of her puppies. In any event they had mysteriously disappeared. Be prepared for ANYTHING in nature.
It has been recorded that a mother, or indeed a father will eat one or more puppies, it can happen in many different species. Perhaps 99% of the time, everything will be OK, but then something will go wrong. Consider, all eventualities that you can imagine, and try to avoid them or take steps to stop them.
Be Prepared.
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The Puppies
After the puppies are born, consider that you will have between 1 - 15 little monsters, that all want to eat as much as they can and then make as much mess and wet as they can. There are many strategies for lining and protecting the birthing area. Whatever you use, prepare to use a lot.
The mothers first milk, the colostrum, is important as it contains much goodness and anti-bodies. Try to make sure hat all your puppies get a first feed.
All newborns MUST be kept very warm. A young baby needs as much help in the first few weeks as possible. It will use up valuable energy keeping itself warm, the less the need for this, will put it in good stead for survival. Therefore, the room must be heated to, but no more than, 90 degrees F and 33 degrees C, at first. This can be brought down to normal as the pups grow older and stronger. As they all get bigger, they will become bigger handfuls and you may even have to expand your puppy area.
But at all times, watch them like hawks, make sure that they are safe and well away from anything that could hurt or poison them. This does include the mother; many babies are squashed or rejected by the mother; watch her as well, watch any unusual reactions by her. make sure that they cannot escape the confines of the delivery room.
As soon as possible, look at all your pups closely, you will know the ones that are not as healthy as the others. At first they will be just balls of fur, eyes closed like little rats slowly scampering about, not knowing where to go, or be, unless they are feeding off mother.
But as soon as they get a few days older, they will soon buck up. Their tails must be pert as they should be, running and playing and fighting. If one is up the corner, take concern over its wellbeing. Or if they are all packing together the room might be too cool.
At every opportunity, handle your little dogs, cuddle and play with them, touch them on every part of their body, checking not only to see if everything is OK but to reaffirm to it, that humans are OK. This association is paramount. It must learn that humans are friends.
Larger litters will require supplemental feedings if you want the smaller ones to survive. The mother might not be able to produce sufficient milk to go round. You will need to rotate the pups making sure they all get a chance. Make sure you know what dog, is who. You do not want to stop the mother producing but every calorie of food at this early stage is valuable. If any of the pups refuse to or cannot suckle on the mother, and also will not suck on your baby bottles, you may have to tube feed it, just past the back of the mouth. But be very careful and take it slowly as you might drown the poor little thing.
If you have a full-blooded litter, you must keep a record book. Record the date of birth, and all of the puppy's initial given names. This includes any still-births. Then fill out and send in your litter registration forms, as soon as possible, since many registries can take up to 6 weeks; any new owner will want to see these prior to any purchase.
When they are older than five weeks start them off on solids. Mush it up at first and ad warm water, or goat's milk. Read the labels carefully. Any that has been untouched for more than two hours remove and throw away. Puppies need to be fed very well but do not allow them to over-feed. Watch for those that are getting fat and those that are not and balance things up.
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At week six you should vaccination and worm the pups, and have them checked for heart murmurs, hernias, males for testicles, deafness, and eye problems. But as you have been already looking at your new dogs, this should be OK. Get the vet to fully check the mother.
Always be prepared with something going wrong, and things might just be OK.
Tail Docking
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Anyone finding or seeing any animal in distress or hurt, or being ill-treated should contact their local animal protection agency.
ASPCA website: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer
Call: (212) 876-7700 during normal business hours, Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm.
You can write to us at American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), 424 E. 92nd St, New York, NY 10128-6804.
RSPCA website: http://www.rspca.org.uk
RSPCA 24-hour national cruelty and advice line on 0870 55 55 999
Post: Write to Enquiries Service, RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9RS
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Romulus II - Early 2003 -
Taken on the beach about ten miles south of California
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