Pregnant Overweight Lab?

Question

I have a black lab that is 4, she is due within the next 10 days. She was overweight to begin with, no to excessive, but enough for me to be concerned with her labor. Does anyone know of anything I can do to make it easier for her? It is her second litter and she was bigger before but wasn't overweight to begin with that time. I just want to easy her discomfort as much as possible and help her breathing during, I am very concerned.

For those of you that are critizing, maybe you show you know the whole situation before you throw rocks. Not that its any of your business. I thought this was a forum for information, not to be rude to people.

I didn't HAVE to breed her and it isn't for the money, I don't need it and couldn't care less about it. It was an accident, we didn't know she was in heat (there was no bleeding) and we were dog sitting for my brother (who owns a lab). Next thing you know.... I would have NEVER knowingly breed her. She wasn't obese to begin with, just a little overweight. But being pregnant has me concerned. So SORRY to all of you rude people jumping to conclusions and assuming that I am a pathetic pet owner. Thank you to the rest for your encouranging words.

Answer 1

My husband and i breed pitbulls. the best advice i can give you is to make sure she gets plenty of water during her labor and also try to stay near her, petting her and soothing her. she will have heavy breathing no matter what during labor so just trust your instincts to keep her calm and make sure you have your vets number or a 24 hour vet number on hand in case anything should go wrong. good luck with everything.

i agree with you about everyone criticizing, its rude, but what can you do? i guess thats part of these things, having idiots like them answer questions when this is supposed to be a place you can come to for good advice. good luck though and dont listen to them, like you said, they dont know the whole story.

Answer 2

I just rescued a hugely overweight 6 year old American eskimo she has breathing problems due to being so fat and snores even when she is awake she is suposed to weigh roughly 25lbs and weighs 55lbs, she surprised me a week and a half after i got her with two little puppies she did just fine,i was the one stressed out not really a lot you can do for your dog now,just have the vet's number handy in case she doesn't do well,you can't exactly put her on a 10 day diet because the puppies inside her need all the nutrients they can get and you don't want to give her any type of drug during labor to ease her discomfort homeopathic or not as it may stop her in mid laboror harm the puppies no drug is good no matter what they say,just let nature take it's course but have the vets number on speed dial and be on hand to help her out if nessessary,where she is so fat it might take a lot more out of her to push them out turn and clean them and such so maybe pitch in with the cleaning off process and tying of umbilical cords and things this will give her a break in between puppies,if she trusts you then she won't mind the help

Answer 3

Why the heck did you breed an overweight Lab to begin with???? Was the money that much of a draw that even though you has concerns, you went ahead with it anyway, and now you are asking HERE???????????????

Ever think of a visit to the VET!!!! You are pathetic.

Yeah, maybe you should tell us why you HAD to breed a dog that was not fit to start with!!!! I can think of NOTHING that would make this seem any better.
And this is a forum where you ask a question, and we give you answers. You didn't really ask anything. So, we are giving you an OPINION. Clearly, you have a MEDICAL concern and choose to get advice HERE. This is not a medical advice forum. That is what your vet is for.

"Accidental breedings" can be totally avoided. You NEVER leave an intact female alone with an intact male. If you watched them, you would have seen that she was standing for him and he was mounting her!! Then they could have been separated!!!!! SIMPLE!!!! No accident. Only negligence!!!!

Answer 4

In my heart, I want to chew you out for your stupidity by breeding a dog that wasn't in 100% perfect condition. However, that won't change the fact that it was done and it won't help your dog.

First, please just get her to the vet. Have them x-ray her and make sure everything is fine. She may be smaller this time, because she is carrying less puppies. Less puppies MAY mean that the ones she is carrying are bigger! This may cause a problem. It may not, but you can't really be sure until she is vet checked.

The vet will walk you though any problems she may have and how to make her more comfortable. After this litter, you might want to consider getting her fixed. Good luck to you!

Answer 5

DO NOT TRY TO TAKE WEIGHT OFF OF HER! ! ! She is going to need it. At this point in her pregnancy she should be eating about twice her normal amount. The pups need the food!!!!
Believe me it is always a problem keeping weight on a nursing mother, so a little extra at this time is far better than having her to thin.

And don't worry about it, the PETA wolves are always on here ready to jump down someones throat.

Answer 6

Good news, bad news.
Bad news first: not a lot you can do to help her now.
Good news: it won't be that painful for her, and she doesn't need much help. Especially since this is her second litter, everything's already stretched out and ready to go.
To get her to lose weight, try this: feed canned pumpkin, mixed with a little of her regular food. Labs love pumpkin, it's cheap, and its basically pure fiber. (go figure). She'll get filled up and feel satisfied, and you can cut her caloric intake in half.

Answer 7

why di dyou breed her in the first place if she wasn't in tip top condition...... now you want to help her... kinda of like putting the horse behind the cart.

Answer 8

Neglectful idiot owner?