breed puppies

How I did it: Ever since we got Cassie (the bitch), we've wanted to breed her. So, then we got another dog, Max. She is 2 years old now and he's almost a year. But basically, a while ago they starting 'doing the dirty' We didn't really think anything of it, but that Cass started to get enormous. So we took her to the vets, and lo and behold, she was pregnant.
We took good care of her, built a pen for her and the puppies (The puppies are kept in an upturned bookcase) and made sure she was attended to.
Finally, the day came. She started panting heavily, which lasted for about 7 hours. Luckily it was a short birth. Each pup only taking about 20 minutes inbetween, at most. 6 pups were had in total. 1 died.
One came out the wrong way and is subsequently tinged green. They are about 2 weeks old now and opening their eyes. Seeing something take it's first breath is just magical.

Lessons & tips: Wow, where do I begin?
In terms of the pregnancy:-

• If you see any signs of complications, talk to your vet.
• Have the vet's number on hand. If anything goes wrong then you want to be able to deal with it quickly.
• Make sure she has plenty of food, and plenty of water.
• Especially during the last stages, make sure she has her own space. especially if the male dog is living with you. Neither of them will know what's happening, and her instincts may tell her that the male dog is a threat.
• Book her in for a few scans.

In terms of the birth:-

• Stage one is prolonged, heavy panting. This can last anywhere from a few hours to a day and more. Do not worry if it seems a long time. Just give her plently of water and if you see signs of distress o discomfort, Now is the time for phoning the vet.
• Stage two is the pushing. This is a noticeable series of grunts and moans. Watch her rear end for anything that's emerging. If you see the feet, or a black sac coming out first, then carefully start to pull. She may need help, as this is called a breach - the pup is the wring way round. If there is trouble with this then her or the pup may die, so make sure you know what to do. Scans should show any troubled pups.
• The mother should immediately start to lick and eat off the sac, the cord, and any gunk. if not, gently break the sac around the head area, and pull off. If the pup is not breathing, get a towel and rub the back. hold it facing the ground, to get any mucus or gunk out the airways.
• This is going to be messy. At stage one, bring her to a designated area with towels, maybe newspapers, and...oh yes, towels!

In terms of afterwards:-

• If you have a  male dog, KEEP IT AWAY from the pups for at least a week or so. It will not know what the puppies are, and may hurt them. Also, the bitch is likely to be very defensive against him.
• Again, have a large box or something where the puppies can stay. I recommend an upturned bookcase.
• A heat blanket is a good investment, as the mother won't always be with them. put towels and bedding on top of it and switch it on when the mother is not around.
• Keep records of weight. Pups should ideally gain 2 or 3 ounces daily.
• Lastly, the mother will eat. A lot. An awful lot.  Foods rich in calcium and protein are best.

---

Apr 27, 03:05AM PDT | 1 comment