Pregnancy and delivery are not illness they are quite normal physiological processes. You should not be alarmed or take it to heart – it won’t help, you should just make all necessary preparations. It is a well known fact that dog’s pregnancy lasts approximately for 62 days. 2 weeks before conjectural delivery you can feel the puppies’ movements lying down a palm on the dog’s belly, and from my point of view it’s the only trustworthy indication of the pregnancy. From experience: I was preparing for Katya’s delivery and even going for a walk with her took a bag with swaddling clothes (ultra sound investigation predicted a numerous litter). But her pregnancy turned to be false. Next time I made Katya’s and Gerda’s blood tests for pregnancy in Belgium. The tests were negative and I was very disappointed. As to Katya the test proved to be correct, but Gerda born 9 puppies. Orinoco’s children were predicted by ultra sound investigation without a mistake. I believe that a dog must be shown to the doctor who will take delivery a week before it. I do not doubt that only an experienced and competent person can take delivery. If delivery is easy the doctor will help you to remain calm (owners’ nervousness is very harmful for bitch in labour) and will examine the puppies and the dog after delivery. Surely you should pay for it. But I know many cases when presumption has led to the dramatic and even tragic consequences. I always invite a doctor and never have regretted about it. Long ago I have made a list of necessary things which must be prepared beforehand so that I would not be obliged to dash around the house in the last moment. So first of all puppies’ box. It’s a very useful thing. It can be disposable or dismountable. How to construct a dismountable box see Garbank-Lislone Kennel site.
Puppies’ boxes of different "fashions"
The walls can be higher or lower. And the box itself can be larger or smaller. The only important characteristic that a bitch can lie stretched there and can easily penetrate into it. As concerning me I use very high and spacious box made of a wardrobe.
Flap door is made in one of the walls so that mother-dog could easily enter but puppets could not leave the box. It should be convenient to clean the box. Underlying cloth should be easily removed, it must be absorbing and not slippery. The new-born puppies from the very first moments of their life try to crawl and need lugs for their paws. You should prepare a considerable number of underlying cloths so that you can change them regularly to keep the nest clean.
As concerning me I hate newspapers, oil-cloths and bed-sheets. On the newspapers the puppets turn black , on the oil-cloths – wet, bed-sheets are always gone awry. I prefer underlying cloths of "dry bed" type, pique bed-spreads or heavy terry sheets. It’s advisable to make a box beforehand so that a dog will have time to become accustomed to it.
Anyway my “mothers” prefer to give birth in other places.
Gerda prepares a hole
Gerda each time prepared a hole for delivery. A real hole under a tree or a stump, deep and spacious with an earthen roller at the entrance so that there won’t be damp inside. Having felt that she is pregnant she chose the place and during each walk dug earth and made the hole comfortable. Gerda is the only Golden with whom I acquainted who has such a strongly developed mother’s instinct and all natural models of behavior. The nest is always clean, the children are washed and fed and it’s a real problem to take her for a walk during first weeks after delivery. With lightning speed she relieves herself and rushes back to her children. Usually obedient and delicate she hauls back with such a force that literally pulls down. Even to feed her becomes a problem – she brings to the puppies every tasty bit even when they already begin to receive additional food.
Mikimoto digging two holes. One is "main" and one "just in case"
Gerda’s favourite place is on my bed, but all her four litters were born and grown up in the delivery room. (We have rather spacious bathroom, and it becomes a puppies room.)
Orinoco prefers to give birth in the kitchen’s armchair. It is very inconvenient choice but she insisted on it. So we had to put a box in the chair and she gave birth beside it.
On the towels still holding a toy in her teeth and licking all over every puppy in the armchair
permanganic acid
amiflayn
The house should be clean. Getting ready for the delivery it is advisable to wash the floors with pink solution of permanganic acid and to sprinkle the puppets’ box with amiflayn.
Newborn puppies need warmth. It’s fine if you have floor heating or oil heater
Electric lamp also can warm the puppies. But sometimes electricity is switched off that’s why prepare some hot-water bottles. At one instance my Katya as a really romantic character gave birth by candle-light. Electricity was switched off, flashlight soon expired and only “golden classic” – candelabra saved the situation.
This model of a flashlight is the most convenient as the hands stay free
Prepare medical oil-cloth, disposable diapers and paper towels and napkins.
Put an oil-cloth on the bed, sofa or armchair where your dog likes to lie down. Above it put a diaper, bed-sheet or a big towel. Before giving birth a dog sometimes wanders from one place to another as if searching for “the fifth corner” that’s why to put an oil-cloth won’t present any difficulties. I think that if a dog wants to give birth on a sofa let her do it, because she must feel herself comfortable. But if you do not protect it it can be ruined for good after the delivery.
Prepare towels and clean rags to dry the puppies. Already washed terry and ordinary towels are best of all. They are relatively stiff and perfectly absorb moisture. Drying a puppy you simultaneously give him a massage
Prepare a garbage basket, a pail with pink permanganic acid solution, a broom, dust-pan and rags for cleaning the floor
You should have at hand threads and scissors. The threads must be thick, approximately of the 10th number. You can take any scissors but preferably with blunt ends then you’ll not be able to traumatize anybody accidentally.
Some owners believe that a bitch must gnaw through an umbilical cord herself and eat several placentae. I also think that it’s better when a bitch gnaw through an umbilical cord herself but not all of them agree to do it. Besides not all of them are accurate, some bitches become so nervous that can leave the umbilical cord shorter than necessary. It’s fraught with haemorrhage and serious consequences.
As a rule a puppy is born in a bladder which must be quickly and accurately removed. The bladder is filled with moisture and a puppy can’t breathe in it. Placenta usually is born together with a puppy.
A puppy is wet and very slippery
First of all you should remove the bladder and wipe the puppet’s mouth so that he could breathe,
Then you tightly tie up the umbilical cord with a strong thread,
cut it and throw placenta in a basket which was prepared beforehand. Try to tie up the umbilical cord approximately 1 cm from the puppy’s tummy. And leave 1 cm of umbilical cord from the place of cutting.
It’s a wiped newborn puppy. If you want to admire him wrap him in a soft dry diaper as he needs warmth
You’ll need a watch to register the time of birth. You’ll need scales to weight the newborns. Spring-balance is less convenient but also possible You’ll need it in a three weeks time. Besides you’ll need a pen and a note-book to write down the time of puppy’s birth (it’s important), it’s weight, sex and if it was born in a bladder and with placenta
While weighting a puppy don’t forget to put a soft cloth on the scales.
Do not rely on your memory that’s why it’s better to write down all peculiarities of the puppy’s birth
Later when you have time it’s useful to make a file for each puppy. With it’s help it will be easier to register and keep information about a child
It’s very pleasant to choose soft and thick multicoloured floss and woolen threads
You tie up a thread (put a finger under the thread not to tighten it too strong), cut the ends (not too short) and a puppy goes to the mother for refreshments or in a basket
Nearly any box, basin or basket will suit. Put a towel or a soft bed-cover into it, put inside hot-water bottles and switch on a lamp. Put the newborns in this “house” when a bitch again will have labour fits.
The new-born puppies from the very first moments of their life try to crawl and climb on each other that’s why the boards should be quite high.
You’ll need a phone
liniment chloromycetin or something of the kind
medicines (discuss the necessary list with your doctor)
Thermometer. Electronic one is more convenient
Severalsyringes
Oxytocin (very dangerous in incompetent hands!)
Write down all telephone numbers which you may need
Find a tray where all instruments and other articles can be placed.
Don’t forget about spirits for scissors’ sterilization
Take care of yourself – prepare valerian and cardiac facilities. Let’s hope that you won’t need them.
Very often dogs begin to give birth at the most inconvenient time - about 4-5 in the morning. If you suffer from insomnia you always can look through Hilary Harmar or Valery Foss
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
