my black lab is having puppies, help!?

Question

So, I adopted a black lab from a nearby animal shelter a little over a month ago and come to find out when I went in to her looked at to be spayed a week ago, she is pregnant. I called the animal shelter and they said that she must have gotten pregnant before they had her. I have talked to the vet and they gave me a sheet with information, and I have already gotten her one of those wooden type things so she can begin to nest, but I still need more information, as much as I can get. I have 3 other dogs but I have never had a dog thats had puppies, I have many other people saying they are willing to help, but any tips or websites anyone knows of would be a huge help for me! The vet sayd she is due in about 20 days, she is guessed to be about 9 months old so she is very young. any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

For the people saying I should have gotten more info from the vet, I did, I asked them everything I could think of and I am taking her in again on friday for them to recheck her and make sure everything is okay, I feel pretty confident, but I just want to be able to do the best I can so there is no hurt in doing some more researching on my own as well.

Answer 1

Hopefully the Learn to Breed link I've put in the source box has helpful info for you.

Most important thing you can do is spay and neuter the puppies BEFORE they are placed. Ask your vet if he does early spays and neuters -- if not, ask for a referral to a vet that does.

Take care.

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ADD:

I am shocked the shelter did not spay this dog prior to placing her. Have you let them know she is/was pregnant? That was so irresponsible of them !

Answer 2

The main thing is plan on being with her the last week so if she starts in labor and cant have the pups you can get her to the vet for a c-section this is going to be very dangerous on her she is still a pup her self and will most likely not know how to care for the pups also you don't know the breed or breeds she was bred to so the pups could be way to big not only for her to have but to care for you will need to do research on how to bottle feed them if she cant or want the vet will have the puppy food and bottles you will need and can also show you how but again be with her 24/7 the last week even sleep in the same room to watch her close she may not know what is happening and kill the pups what you did is great and best of luck and people on here wonder why every one says to spay at 4 months so people don't have to go through what you are

Answer 3

This should help you prepare. There are many things you will need for the pups.

Make sure that you have plenty of towels. It can get very messy. You will also need new, steralized scissors and yarn in the case that she does not chew off the umbilical cord. You will need to tie the yarn around the umbillical cord and cut it.

Nursing bottles and formula. Some dogs don't know how to be mothers and will not feed the pups. They get confused. especially when they're young themselves.

Make sure you know of an emergency vet that is open 24 hrs. and call them right away if she has complications with the pregnancy.

You will know when she is going into labor. Make sure to check her temp. through her rectum twice a day. When her temp. drops, she will be soon be going into labor.

One of my dogs was pregnant over the summer. When she went into labor, there was a pup stuck in the birth canal. She couldn't push it out. After and hour, she had to be taken to the vet and they had to go in and take it out. It was dead but if that one wasn't taken out, the rest could've died. She ended up with 10 alive pups. It's a great experience but do know that it is a lot of work. Be careful she doesn't lay on the puppies. We lost one due to this. Make sure you have a clean space for mom and pups. I use a baby pool for my mothers and their litters. most breeders use these as well.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Oh gosh, that IS very young.

I'm absolutely shocked that the shelter didn't offer to help you with this situation. THEY are the experts on puppy care.

You have a whelping box, which is good. There are plenty of experienced breeders here that would be willing to help you out, I'm sure. I really don't know a ton about breeding, so I can't give you any useful advice other than make sure you find those pups a great home!

Answer 5

Labrador Having Puppies

Answer 6

Thank you for trying to be a responsible pet owner. Don't worry so much, dogs have been giving birth for thousands of years without people help. You should start feeding her puppy food because of all the extra nutrition, and don't use any pesticides on her without a vets supervision. As for the actual birthing part, leave her alone for the most part. You can watch if it doesn't make her uncomfortable, some animals are private in that respect. Supervise her progress, and if she has been straining for too long with no results, call the vet.

Answer 7

Chances are that she will be able to whelp the puppies on her own, but you should keep an eye on her just in case she starts having problems. Be sure to have the number of your vet on hand. Also have the number and location of the closest emergency vet clinic on hand in case she has problems and your clinic is closed. Most dogs are completely fine on their own and will take care of their puppies. There are also MANY sites that talk about whelping, just search for whelping. They will give you signs of labor and symptoms to watch for that indicate problems. Many breeders get more involved than is need with cutting the cord and such. The mother should take care of all this. Make sure the area that she will be having the puppies in is warm and quiet. Have plenty of towels and blankets for your girl to nest in. I have used puppy pads to line the bottom of the box, labor and delivery is messy. You can also line the box with newspaper when labor is starting for easy clean up. After she has had all her pups, make sure you keep the room she is in warm and safe. Make sure the blankets are clean as the newborns can be messy. Also make sure to keep your other dogs away from the new pups. Mothers can be VERY protective, even when she is friendly with the other dogs before giving birth. If your vet will do it, I would also recommend an x-ray to tell how many puppies you should be expecting. I would also like to say congratulations and thank you for taking on such a responsiblity.
Here are a few different websites to:
1. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1628&articleid=930
2. http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medical/whelping.html#whelping
3. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/whelping.htm
4. http://www.i-love-dogs.com/dog-articles/Dog_Pregnancy/page_1/Dog_s_Giving_Birth_Problems_During_Whelping.html

Answer 8

Here are some links that will give you the information you need on whelping puppies:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/whelping.htm
http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medical/whelping.html#kit
http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medical/whelping.html#whelping
http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medical/whelping.html#timeline-pups
I did find this video of a Golden Retriever giving birth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXFYTpQmLgo
I also found a video of a Lab giving birth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCowqAHVS34&feature=related
These videos will give you the general idea, of what to expect!
Make sure that you have the vet standing by, when she does start giving birth, just in case you need some coaching or god forbid, there are any complications. Everything should go well though! Good Luck! It's an amazing experience!

Answer 9

Hi, I have 4 dogs and one of them was "an accident" they didn't know her mom was pregnant and she ended up being one of10!! Dont panic, when she begins to give birth, she will nest, usually in a place you dont want her to, like your bedroom floor, lol, let her stay where she is comfortable and keep the other dogs away, she needs to feel safe and relaxed, not threatened in any way, when she does give birth, keep checking her but dont crowd her, they usually do just fine by themselves, being a labrador aswell, she is intelligent and mothering, also a decent size so there should be no probs with the birth. Make sure you have fresh water close by but she wont be bothered with food for a day or so, if she isnt eating straight away, dont worry. She will clean the pups and eat the sacks herself, keep the area warm and clean and safe, no sharp things, the pups will wiggle about everywhere. For about two weeks, their eyes will remain closed, when they start to open go and ask your vet for some wormers for newborn pups, nearly all pups are born with worms, the vet will start you on a programme for worming them up until they are 8 weeks and ready to leave their mom. Start weaning them at around 2.5 weeks with bits of porridge and weetabix and slowly introduce solids, at 6 weeks, although they will be totally weaned, you will still find that they try and suckle off mom, she will get annoyed and walk off, dont worry if she starts doing this from when they are about 2 weeks old, it is normal and good for her to get a bit of time away, it is also good for the pups to be without her for a bit. As long as they are squeaking and breathing, you got nothing to worry about, they squeak all the time for food, it drives you mad!! Mom will also lick up poopies and pees from the pups, that is normal to. When you do start to wean the pups onto solids, use bakers puppy and add warm water so it is mushy, feed small amounts and often, they only have tiny tummies and it is hard to digest anything but milk for the first few weeks, keep their eyes and noses clean and free from mucus, check that their bottoms are clean, mom will do all this but it is nice to keep a check so you know they are healthy.Rice pudding is good for them when they are weaning, warmed slightly, it is full of sweetness so it encourages them to eat for themselves and not from mom. Although she is only young, im sure she will do fine, good luck, hope it goes well!!Any worries, just ask

Answer 10

Try here:
http://learntobreed.com/

You might also contact your local Labrador club or Labrador rescue and explain the situation and see if any of them would be willing to guide you through the delivery and rearing of the puppies.

A really good book is Successful Dog Breeding
http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DG128