Pregnancy & whelping

Our web site was first set up to advertise our stud dog Levi,this page has been added to share how we care for our bitches after a successful mating has taken place.
We do not claim to be experts,every whelping is different,but we are happy to share our experiences with any body interested in pregnancy and whelping.


Pregnancy lasts 63 days (9 weeks) here is a whelping chart that we use to work out the date to expect our litters.
Whelping Chart. Our bitches are fed a dry complete adult feed, her diet is not changed for the first 5 or 6 weeks if the bitch is carring a good size litter she will soon let you know she needs her food increasing,we have found mother knows best not books or other people !


this picture shows the bitch 4 weeks after mating showing no changes yet but we are all guilty of looking to early

For the first three weeks, after mating, there are no changes in your bitch apart from we have noticed she may be more sleepy than normal & less likely to as play hard with other dogs in our house hold they seem to instinctively know that changes are going on inside them , some bitches around three weeks can have morning sickness.
A vet can examine a bitch on day 26, through palpation can often tell you if a bitch is pregnant,a good indication is a clear discharge from the vulva.
Here are some picture of the developing embro


After day 30, a fluid builds up around the whelps making it much harder for a vet to feel.
This picture was taken 5 weeks after mating , the niples look slightly longer & are starting to look pink due to increased blood suply, but the pinkness is not be seen in a darker bitch



We look at the bitch if we are unsure if she is pregnant or we are to impatient to wait we get her scaned, , for the best results we scan between four and five weeks after a mating has taken place size of the litter is not realiable from the scan .




From 5/6 weeks after mating, if our bitch is having a normal size litter, we are defiantly able to see the change in her shape.
Vets charge quite alot of money to scan ask before booking is our advise , we have a local kennel that Scans our bitches for £20 I hate waiting but with in a week following the scan we can see our bitch is with out a doubt pregnant


To read information about worming & vaccinations (see mating tips page). if our bitch is taken to the vet for treatment, after mating, we always inform them she may be pregnant as this may change the course of treatment and medication given.


We change our bitches at 6 weeks,to a dry complete puppy feed.We give the same amount as normal because, this food contains everything a bitch needs, We normally feed twice a day but in the last two weeks, we give three smaller meals.
We have found by changing the quality of food to puppy food, the bitch is more comfortable as she does not require extra bulk.
We are careful not to over feed a pregnant bitch, as her whelps will get too big for her to pass naturally.
Ask your vet for help if you are unsure of your bitch's requirements.


It's really only the last 3 weeks you can see for sure if your bitch is pregnant
A bitch at 6 weeks pregnant, her nipples enlarged and her shape has changed ,we exercise as normal until this point.

We normally take the bitch for two shorter walks for the last 3 weeks, our bitches seem to know what's best for them. we have five dogs and play time is often too much for them, they just stop joining in when the games become hectic, it must be an instinct.
This book of the bitch, is very interesting.It covers everything you need to know about bitches, we recommend reading it.




Things we do from 6 weeks of pregnancy.
Either make or buy a whelping box with a rail is recommended.


7 weeks and we ask why we kept looking at her belly at five weeks and could'nt tell!

She is sleeping in her whelping box by 7 weeks of pregnancy.


The box is large enough for her to lay stretched out plus at least 18inches room for the pups to feed.


A safety rail is a must it saves the pups from being crushed by mum.


Inside the box must be waterproof we use lino stuck down with silicone.




We collect as much news paper as possible.


We use vet bed to line the whelping box, we have at least three new bits for it!


This needs to be secured so mum cannot move it we use Velcro straps & attach it to a base that fits our whelping box.
We use a felexable thick plastic sheet


it needs to be flexable to fit under the rail

sew on the straps

and put it together making a secured bed for the pups

we have made this as no one offers anything suitable for sale
Why bother? If it's not secure pups will go underneath vet bed and will die from suffocation, or mum will squash them by standing on them if they go underneath! A flat pancake looking dead pup is not a nice thing to see!


We make sure our bitch doesn’t have the run of our home, she will take them on the sofa or our bed, pups can slip down behind sofa cushions and die, we place a child gate tall enough to stop her getting out from her whelping room, this works well, we have now invested in a puppy pen and found it much better, but both ways keeps mum and pups safe.




We live in a bungalow, we use a spare bedroom as a whelping room, and this gives the bitch a private place away from our other dogs.


I have a problem with my back, the whelping box is raised, so I can assist my bitch if needed, we made the box to fit a cot, this works well for us.

Our whelping kit.

A digital thermometer.

Used for taking the bitches temperature in the last few days of pregnancy
most chemist sell them we brought ours in asda with the weekly shop in our opionion every body should have one if they are breeding a litter

KY jelly.

Used as a lubricant, when taking temperature thermometer is inserted into the anus.

Surgical gloves

whelping is a messy business if we need to help our bitch tear the sacs and sever the cord ,we use gloves, but more importantly if a pup gets stuck we may need to insert a finger into her vulva ,we use a gloved hand to stop infection KY jelly is used at this point.

Liquid glucose

this is given during labour ,we found it really helps give a bitch extra strength during whelping ,she may become very tired and wish to rest ,glucose helps her giving her an energy boost when its really needed

towels

As many old towels as we can get, for drying the new born pups.

Pet safe spray antibacterial cleaner

For cleaning the whelping box

A mild antibacterial wash

When whelping is over, we shower the bitches back end, we have a white bitch her tail and legs turn green during whelping, not a pretty sight but normal.

A plastic box with a lid

Containing a hot water bottle wrapped in bubble wrap covered by a blanket, to put our new born pups in while our bitch is delivering & to use while cleaning our whelping box , pups cannot regulate their own temperature for the first ten days, we keep them warm or we may lose them.

Black bin bags

For whelping mess dirty towels etc.

At lest two feeding bottles

Lactol puppy milk & Milton sterilising fluid (hopefully we will not need this but its better safe then sorry!) We know of a lady who had bill from a vet, out of hours, cost £70 for milk think ahead & do not waist your vets time having no milk or feeding bottles should not be an emergengy if it is expect to pay for disturbing your vet.

Cotton wool

For cleaning your bitch's nipples.We take extra care as whelping draws close.

A pair of sharp sterile scissors

for cutting cords if we need to ,this is done two inches away from the pup, we push the blood towards the pup before cutting cords.

News papers

we collect As many news papers as possible.

Scales

For weighing our pups

Pen & paper

To keep a note of first signs of contractions, and time between each pup born


This is a puppy on day 52

From eight weeks, our whelping room is set up and are bitch is settled in her whelping box

Pups can be born as early as day 58, from this point we start to take her temperature, just once a day just so we know what a normal reading is.
We are able to see a lot of movement in her belly now, and often notice a change in her shape as the pups move backwards ready for the birth.
when we get a reading from thermometer, that is lower than we had before, we know that things are changing, it is not unusual for it to go back up if fact in the last week this is normal,but when its down and stays down for 12 hrs or more our bitch normally will whelp within 24 hrs .
We have found day 61-63 days are the days our bitches will whelp.
In the early days I woundered why there was not many books on pregnancy and whelping the books I read were vaige but i think I know why ! it is very hard to say whats normal each bitch is different our last litter was 7 days later than expected the bitch must have ovulated late and the sperm lived happliy in side her and waited for the right moment to fertilse the eggs !
I have 20 years experience & learn somthing new with each pregnancy & whelping - but bitches who are not monitored closely in the last week could be at risk if somthing goes wrong,if whelping starts with out the bitches owner being aware it has started the whelps could die & if left your bitches life is in danger be a reasponsable breeder & buy a thermometer it tells you whats going on inside & never delay in seeking advise a bitch in labour may show no signs at all please be aware

just before whelping the bitch looks like she may burst .

her belly is now very low

she looks like a dairy cow her valva is slightly swollen getting ready for the birth





We have found a reading of 37.50-37.80 to be a bitches normal tempreture,37.10 is the first sign that things are changing, a reading of 36.90-36.10 thats stays this way for more than a few hrs, now we stay at home with our bitch.
our bitch may refuse food and water, at this time she may look a little wobbly on her legs & shiver, sometimes we notice a discharge from her valva just before whelping, it should look clear, if we see a blood stained discharge or a green discharge.We would phone our vet with out delay, as this is a sign that something is wrong.

Her nipples are large and the milk is here.

Just before she whelps, the pups line up ready to be born. At this point we can see if our bitches are having an uneven litter. See picture below - one side is bigger than the other.




All bitches are different ,some start to scratch and tear her bed, and run frantically all over the house or simply just go in and out of a deep sleep, our bitches are put into a puppy pen or crate its easier on my home, you could well find your sofa in shreds as she feels the need to dig.
At this point, we call our vet just to say we are expecting our bitch to whelp soon. This gives us peace of mind if we need out of hours help.

The first signs of whelping

Is a water bag, this is just fluid. A pup will follow any time from 10 minutes- 2hrs later.
The bitch will scratch her bed and it's not uncommon for her to be sick, she will be restless and pant.
Our vet has a 24hr service, with a nurse we can speak to at any time.We call them if we are worried or unsure, or if whelping is giving us concerns, as soon as our bitch starts having contractions, we make a note of the time, if no whelp appears We feel inside the valva , we may be able to feel a puppy a leg or a paw if the bitch is contracting and we feel the puppy we would take her to the vet with out delay if the first puppy is stuck the rest of the litter may die if you do not act quickly! we phone the nurse, by having noted the time our bitch started to contact this information can be accurately passed on.

With any luck, the first whelp is born

We assist a first time mum with her first born, by breaking the sac,at the head end, and severing the cord, we hold the head down to allow any fluid to drain from the pups nose and mouth, give it a good rub in a towel, within moments the pup should start to breathe, we let the bitch take over, she will be rough with the pup at first, just watch her but try to let her bond to the pup.
We leave the pups, with the bitch during whelping, (some breeders put the pups in a warm box ), but we find it best, to get the pup suckling, we feel mum is more relaxed, and the suckling aids whelping.

How long before the next pup appears?

We take the bitch into the garden on an extending lead, for a wee, this may get things moving, if its dark we take a towel and a torch, as a bitch squats to wee ,the next whelp could be born.
some bitches whelp quickly ,we have had pups born 10 minutes apart, or as long as 3 hrs apart.
We make a note of the time, when a pup is born, if our bitch has been having contractions for two hrs and no more pups are born, its time to call the vet for advice.
Before the vet is called, we put on our gloves and gently insert a finger into the valva to feel for a pup, this information is useful for the vet.
A delay may not mean there is a problem,if the bitch is tired she may just be resting, we use glucose at this point ,to give her a energy boost it is very effective ,we let her lick it of our fingers.
Hopefully the next pup is born and whelping continues, but we are never afraid to call the veterinary nurse for advice day or night it's her job and what she is being paid for!
As more pups are born, the bitch will tear the sacks and sever the cord her self, and eat the placentas.
some whelps come head first with the sac intact,but its just as common to have a breech birth.
you may just see a foot!we just wait for the next contration .

If you look hard you can see the paws and head of this whelp in the sack, If you need to assist break the sack at the head holding the pup nose down then give it a firm rub in a towel

When whelping is over

The bitch looks very pleased with herself and settles down with her litter.
The bitches rear end is stained green.




It's now time to clean the bitch. We give our girls a quick shower and feel for whelps that could still be inside, the pups are put into the box containing the hot water bottle, clean out the whelping box, line with vet bed and get them all settled in clean and tidy.
If our bitch has eaten several placentas, this will cause very lose bowel movements, she is given plenty of water but no food, the placentas have given the bitch all she needs.
The whelping room must be kept warm night and day,The bitch will pant for a few hours as her milk comes down, this soon passes.
See puppy how we care for the new litter from day one on our weaning page.