She is 7 yrs old but this is her first litter. My husband had her bread to another champion English Pointer. My husband is leaving for a trip this week so I’ll be alone with his dog. Is there anything I need to know about a dog giving birth? My husband said I might have to clip the umbilical cords?? What do I do?
You need to know that 7 is too old for a first litter. Have your vet on call.
There is LOTS you need to know, more than can be explained here. Start doing lots of research on whelping, including knowing the danger signs and when to call the vet.
Do you have a whelping box and whelping kit ready?
Have you done x-rays so you know how many puppies there are?
Do you know what to do if a puppy is not breathing?
Do you know what to do if a puppy is stuck?
10 Responses
2009 Oct 16
don’t let the labor go on to long. if you start to fell worried, call a vet. they will do house calls if you can’t move her. she should be able to handle the rest herself. if a puppy is born not breathing you can help the mom clear it’s passageways with a warm damp cloth, but leave most of it to momma dog, she knows everything she needs to do to ensure a safe birth.
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2009 Oct 16
You should definitely be with her when she’s delivering her pups. I doubt that you’ll have to cut any umbilical cords. Dogs are born with a natural instinct so they pretty much know what to do. However, you may need to help pull out a pup if one gets stuck. Otherwise, just stay calm and enjoy the show!!
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2009 Oct 16
Infant-cannibalism is quite common in hunting dogs like pointers. You may want to make sure the mother is well fed.
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2009 Oct 16
Here’s a site for you… read up all you can beforehand!!! Maybe tell your husband, if he’s knowledgable, that he NEEDS to stay home for the safety of the puppies.
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http://www.pitbullregistry.com/PregScheduler.htm
2009 Oct 16
Find someone who knows what they are doing and keep their number with you at all times. Especially with a seven year old having her first litter? Really you should have known all this stuff prior to breeding, even if it was your husbands idea.
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2009 Oct 16
At this age, you should consider seeing a vet. If she were 4, I wold say don’t worry, but 7 is a bit past prime for a litter.
As far as size, she should pass puppies easily. Some dogs are experienced moms who easily clean up the puppies and care for them. Some need help. Sit by with clean clothes ready to rub puppies. I like to tie cords with dental floss before clipping. If mom bites off the cord and puppy is bleeding, just pinch it as best as you can. If she left enough of a stump, you can tie dental floss around it. If he didn’t then sit and pinch until it stops which can be a few minutes. If Mom pushes for more than 90 minutes on one puppy, then you need to see a vet. But this breed doesn’t have size issues very often, so she should do ok.
If she seems to have any trouble breathing or any heart issues, please take her to the vet. She really is a bit to old to have a litter. I wouldn’t breed her again. It’s too hard on her heart.
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2009 Oct 16
Make Sure She Has A Comfy Bed Or Something To Lay On Give Her A Bath And Sometimes People Shave There Stomachs But I Never Have So You Don’t Have To.
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http://dogbreedinfo.com/pointer.htm
2009 Oct 16
If after having giving birth to a puppy/puppies and she then stops having contractions for a few hours, and you suspect that there are still puppies inside her, you need to get her to a vet, as she may have Inertia. The Vet will probably give her an injection of Oxytocin to induce contractions, and if that does not work, he may need to give her a Caesarian Section to remove the puppies. Also, if she is straining to produce a puppy for too long, say for an hour, she will need to see the Vet for this also. If you are a novice breeder, it is better to err on the side of caution. Hopefully, none of the above will apply, and you will have a lovely, bouncing litter.
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2009 Oct 16
You need to know that 7 is too old for a first litter. Have your vet on call.
There is LOTS you need to know, more than can be explained here. Start doing lots of research on whelping, including knowing the danger signs and when to call the vet.
Do you have a whelping box and whelping kit ready?
Have you done x-rays so you know how many puppies there are?
Do you know what to do if a puppy is not breathing?
Do you know what to do if a puppy is stuck?
References :
http://www.hilltopanimalhospital.com/whelping1.htm
http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medical/whelping.html#kit
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/whelping.htm
http://www.waterloowest.com/articles/breedingdogs.html
2009 Oct 16
Contact the sire owner and ask her what to look for and do. She should be able to walk you thru it or come over and help you when your dog goes into labor.
I put a baby monitor near my dogs when they are due so I can hear every little bit of what they are doing, panting, scratching, etc. I must get up a half a dozen times for false alarms, but you have to get up. I would suggest a baby syringe, clean towels hand size, white, so you can bleach them, a tub with a heat pad ~drug stores have them (sunbeam) under a few towels to put the babies in (kind of like an incubator) the plastic ones that are about two ft. by 1 ft. work well, with a lid to sit crosswise over the top or another towel. Lots of newspapers, some iodine for the cords, sharp scissors, dental floss to tie them off if need be and some nutrical for mom. Good luck, and keep people away from her, especially because this is her first litter,and she is "older". I have known people who have litters at 7 1/2 with no problems, BUT they had had one or two prior. Keep the vet’s number and breeder’s number handy
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