We rescued an abandoned pregnant dog and have some questions, can anyone help answer with experience?

Question

We are preety sure that someone abandoned this dog because it was pregnant and they didn't want to deal with it. She is friendly but wary. She's a Sheltie mix and the vet estimated that she is around two. We are giving her puppy food as the vet recommended. We are also doing plenty of research on whelping and delivering puppies. Luckily, we have a lot of people that would like her pups! We are working something out with a local animal rescue group that they must agree to have the pups fixed so this doesn't happen again. They are nice enought to find a vet that'll spay and neuter for half the normal cost. He did an ultrasound and said it looks like 6 puppies. Should we be giving her additional vitamins or is the puppy food sufficient? Where can we buy a whelping box or is it cheaper to make one (and if so, how do you make one?)? Is it better to keep distance while she is delivering and let her do everything or be by her side? She has really grown to trust us. Thanks!

Answer 1

The puppy food should have all of the nutrients in it that she would need, but if you want to make doubly sure, you might want to get some beef liver and cook it very well for her, with a dab of garlic powder to encourage her to eat it. This will give her iron levels a boost.

As far as the whelping box, you really don't need a fancy one. A large cardboard box with some old towels or sheets will suffice just fine, and she will probably be happier in it actually. Make sure that you place it in a quiet corner somewhere that does not see a lot of traffic, and put her food bowl and water bowl nearby so that she knows the box is hers.

One she starts to whelp, kind of stay back a bit. The whole process should be over fairly quickly (in about an hour or two) and she should be fine alone. Once all the pups are here, approach her and see if she seems to mind you being around. Look for any signs of aggression or fear. If she wags at you and seems happy to see you, you are golden. Try to switch out the mucky bedding for fresh, and then leave them alone to let them bond.

Personally, I wouldn't handle the pups for a couple of days.

Good luck, and happy puppies!

Answer 2

You can make a whelping box out of anything, just make sure it is big enough. Put soft towelling for her to lie on, this will also help soak up the fluids, but do not make a 'big fluffy bed', puppies could suffocate. Most dogs manage the birthing process perfectly well alone, but you should be close by to keep an eye on her progress. You don't know if this is her first litter, but if it is your presence will reassure her. Don't interfere if she is doing well on her own, but if she appears to be taking a long time to expel a puppy, thehn you must get her to the vet. You don't know the breed of the sire, and if he was of a larger breed, she may have problems. If you feel you cannot cope with the birthing, then your vet can admit her at the first sign of labour. That way if she has problems, or a pup gets stuck in the birth canal, or the puppies are just too big for her to deliver, expert help is at hand for quick action. Well done and a gold star for helping this little girl.

Answer 3

We have had a few dogs that delivered pups and we have been near but not right on top when they deliver in case of complications and they seem happy we are there as moral support. As far as the box we just use a box about twice the size of the dog and cut one side down where the mother can get out but the puppies can't then put a baby blanket or a couple of towels in the bottom. The reasons for the towels or blanket is to absorb the mothers scent so the puppies won't go too far from the box and if you use towels as you let people have the pups after they get old enough to separate from mom they will not cry as much if you give a towel with the mother's scent on it. We have done as your vet said and give mom puppy chow till the pups are weaned to help her give the proper nutrition to the pups without draining it all from mom. I hope this helped.

Answer 4

The puppy food is fine, no additional vitamins are necessary. Make sure she has plenty of fresh water. As far as a welping box it's cheaper to make one of your own. Most any box or crate will do as long as she has room to stand up and move around. You don't want it too big. I would recommend you get one of those dog fences, I can't remember the name of them. They're plastic, foldable, about 2.5 feet tall. Make a circle out of it and put the welping box along one side, preferrably by a wall. She'll feel safer that way. When 'the time' comes just talk to her and see if she welcomes your company. She's probably going to be scared so don't just assume she'll trust you. Be cautious. But keep an eye on her to make sure all goes well. If you think she's in trouble call the vet immediately.

Bless you for hooking up with a rescue organization. They have the best contracts, and anyone who really wants a life-long pet will abide by their rules.

Good Luck to you!! Wish I was there to help and/or watch. How exciting!

Answer 5

What a lucky girl that you found her and are willing to go to all this effort- Kudos. I would try to borrow a whelping box if you can rather than going to the expense of buying one or building one- maybe someone from the rescue group has one that you can use for a few weeks? I only fed my girl her regular food, and added puppy formula (milk replacement) to her food the last 1/2 of her pregnancy and for several weeks after the pups were born- the extra calories and nutrients were very important- this birth and nursing takes a lot out of them. It is advisable to be close by when she is delivering, if only to keep a watchful eye- how involved you are really depends on the girl's comfort level. Good luck with everything.

Answer 6

Thanks for doing your research!!!!

If you want to invest in another book... I strongly recommend "The Whelping and Rearing of Puppies" by Muriel Lee. After 19 years of breeding dogs (7 litters of my own and about 40 total litters whelped) I STILL have this book by my side while the pups are coming.

In addition to the equiptment others have mentioned... a large clock so you can note birth times in a notebook as well as sex and markings. Something to mark each puppy with so you know which is which (your vet may have paper collars you can cut the longways.. otherwise, you can order them online). A "Ready" box.. I store my whelping kit in this... and when the pups come, I fill up a hot water bottle and wrap a towel around it... so if necessary I can transport pups and mom to the ER vet.

Plastic pool works fine as a whelping box... and its easy to clean which is important.

I'm very hands on while whelping pups. I have friends who have had to put pups down because the mother pulled a leg off while whelping ... or chewed the cord too short and the pup bled to death... I simply prefer to be safe. Of course, that assumes mom is ok with you helping...

Good luck.. and thank you. Please feel free to email if you need more assistance.. if you're in the Seattle area, let me know and I may be available to lend a hand.

Answer 7

Congratulations on rescuing her and doing all of this research to find out just what needs to be done.

I reccomend being by her side and having the vet on speed dial just in case anything happens. It si great that she trusts you. Let her do the work unless you suspect something is wrong, then call the vet and tell them what is happening and they can walk you through everything that needs to be done.

As far as a whelping box is concerened, I would just make one if you have soemone who is a handy person. It's fairly simple. Figure out how highm wide and long you want it (rmembering that you will want to give momma a way to get out when she needs to), then get the wood to do it. 4 walls, and a bottom. Make sure that if you use nails or screws (I reccomend screws) that thereis no way that anyone or dog or pup can get stuck on one. I reccomend if you can making sure they are all put in going away from the inside of the box.

On the part where momma will be getting out, we took a half of a rubber hose and laid it over the edge of the wood, that way her underside wouldn't get hurt.

I also reccomend lining the whole box top to bottom with one continuous piece of linoleum (doesn't have to be expensive). This will make it easier for you to keep clean and sanitary.

As far as vitamins go, I would give your vet a call and see what they think. I gave my female vitamins during her pregnancy, just to give her that extra boost, but then again, all of my dogs get vitamins and fish oil on a daily basis. That is definately a question to ask your vet.

Good luck, and if you need any support, feel free to email me :)

Answer 8

Depending on the size of your dog, many people use a baby pool because it's a sturdy plastic that won't leak. I used a big appliance box and cut off the top and one long side. Place tons of newspaper on the bottom and top that with plenty of towels so it's comfortable and absorbed plenty of the liquids because it is messy.
As for the delivery, is the dog very friendly with you? I stayed right next to my dog when she delivered and if I even stood up she would freak out because she thought I was leaving so I stayed next to her at all times. I think it's best to stay in the same area as the dog incase she has any trouble. Also, make sure you keep a water bowl next to her because she will become dehydrated during the labor if she doesn't continue to drink the water.
The puppy food is plenty for her because it contains a lot more fat and essentials vitamins that the unborn puppies need to develop well.
A few signs of her going into labor are her licking her vulva excessively, panting a lot, walking around nonstop and acting as if she can't get comfortable, and nesting in her whelping box. Make sure you put her whelping box out a week before she is due so she gets used to it and will be more likely to go to the box during the delivery.
Also, you can take her temperature (regular dog temperature is around 101.5) and if it's around 99 degrees or lower then she will give birth within 24 hours.
I got a small medicine dropper and right when the puppies were born, I would use the medicine dropper to clean the fluid out of their throats so they can breath correctly and if any of them are not breathing or have a very low heartbeat then you can put the puppy between your hands and rub it (pretty hard, but not too hard) to stimulate the heartbeat.
Remember, you want to hear the puppy squeel/cry when it's born because that means it's airway is clear.

As for the sacs, my vet told me it's best that the mother eat at least 2 or 3 of the sacs because it helps produce the milk. Then you can take the rest away if you want. My dog ended up eating all of them because anytime I tried to get it she would take it away. Just be aware that if the dog vomits after the delivery it's most likely because of the sacs (occurs in some dogs from the fluids).
Also have on hand a pair of little clippers so you can cut any umbilical cords (about an inch away from their tummy).

Also, make sure you have a good sized dog bed that both the mom and the puppies can fit in so they can nurse. It's also good to buy a heating pad from the pet store and put it on low under the dog bed so the puppies can keep warm if the mom gets up to eat or potty. Make sure the mom doesn't sit or lay on any of the puppies (this will happen, trust me) and if she does just gently lift her up to get the puppy because it will suffocate quickly.

It's so nice of you to take her in and get her seen by a vet and what not! Good luck with everything and email me if you have anymore questions.

This link is also very helpful with the actual delivery of the puppies:http://www.ehow.com/how_2261_deliver-puppies.html

Answer 9

you can use a plastic baby pool for a whelping box. Give her all the puppy food she will eat, that should be sufficient. If she is wary you might want to allow her to deliver alone but check on her frequently. Keep her in a quiet place with no traffice while she is whelping and nursing her pups.

Answer 10

My vet advised not giving vitamins until after the puppies are born. You don't want her to have troubles whelping because the puppies are too big. Feeding her puppy food is great - let her eat as much as she wants in the last couple of weeks.

You can make a whelping box, or if you're running short on time, get her a kiddie pool. Put it in a warm, quiet room with lots and lots of newspapers in the bottom. (When she's whelping, you take the papers out as they become soiled.)

As for whether to keep your distance or not - she'll let you know. A lot of b!tches become more clingy, not wanting to let you out of their sight when labour begins. If she's come to have a lot of trust in you, she'll be calmer if you stay with her. It's going to depend on her - she may appreciate the help in drying off her puppies, maybe she won't want to deal with the cords herself - you may need to cut and tie them.

When a puppy's born, make sure first of all that it can breathe. Don't try to take a puppy out of her reach, she'll panic, do anything you need to do without taking the puppy from her.

If you're working with a rescue group, perhaps they have an experienced breeder who could be on hand to mentor you through this.

This girl is very, very lucky that you were the person to find her and take her in and are there to help her through this!!