For the novice breeder, this is a most exciting and somewhat frightening event, but, with proper planning and a clear understanding of what will and can occur, it need not be overwhelming.

It would probably be wise to take your dog to the vet to confirm the pregnancy. This confirmation is usually not possible until she is in the sixth week. Therefore, most authorities suggest that a high protein diet, vitamins, and exercise be administered from the breeding until delivery. When you visit the vet, he will check her to make sure she is in good health, and this is also a good time to ask for any suggestions that he may have for the whelping. If the bitch is very hairy, he may clip some of her hah" around the nipples and the vulva area.

At least ten days before the due date, all the equipment for the whelping should be gathered. A whelping box of adequate size for the mother and pups should be placed in a warm and quiet place. Be certain it is large enough and that the sides are high enough to keep the puppies in, and that the mother can come and go comfortably.

Newspapers should be saved, as they will be used in large amounts. Sterile scissors, thread, rectal thermometer, hot water bottle, small towel-lined box for the puppies, and clean turkish towels should all be readied.

To determine quite reliably when the puppies will arrive, check the bitch's temperature rectally at the same time at least once every day, beginning a week before she is due. Preferably, this can be done twice a day, morning and evening. Normal temperature is 101.2. The temperature will drop about twelve hours before whelping. When her temperature drops, place her in the whelping box and stay with her. As the whelping time comes closer, the bitch will probably do a great deal of nesting. She will tear the paper in her box or she may find another spot which she favors and start building a "nest." Encourage her to get accustomed to the box that you have provided and to sleep in it for several days before the big event.

When labor begins, stay with her constantly as she will need your encouragement. Since this is quite an emotional time for most dogs, it is best not to have any additional excitement; thus, limit the number of "visitors" into the delivery room. Try to keep as calm and quiet as possible. A puppy should be born about an hour after labor begins. Signs of labor differ between breeds and even between dogs in the same breed. Some bitches will whine and cry, and some will lie quietly, get up and scratch around and dig in their whelping box, and then suddenly push out a puppy without making a sound.

When a bitch strains hard for a long period of time without making any progress, there may be a problem. If nothing happens after one hour, call the vet and have him advise you. Don't wait too long—serious complications can result, such as the loss of pups and/or mother. The vet may want to see the bitch or he may tell you what to do. He may want to administer a shot to help things along or possibly a Caesarean section may be needed. This is a surgical procedure usually performed in a veterinary hospital. The bitch is given an anesthetic, and the pups are removed from the womb. This is necessary if the bitch is too small for normal delivery, if a pup is stuck in the birth canal, or if the pup's head is too large. When such an operation is performed by a vet under proper conditions, it is not a dangerous operation. Usually the bitch can be taken right home afterwards and can nurse the puppies. Antibiotics to prevent infection are usually prescribed, which may be administered by injection or orally.

Some pups may arrive shortly after labor begins and others, with the vet's approval, may not be born for a day or two. The important factor is to have someone available to help her if necessary and to be certain that everything is going along correctly. Usually, a pup is born head first, but sometimes a pup may be breech—that is, come in another position rather than head first. Thus, the bitch may have difficulty, and you may have to assist her.

If part of the puppy is visible and yet keeps slipping back into the birth canal, then take hold of the puppy and pull gently in rhythm with each contraction. The membrane makes the pup wet and slippery so getting a firm hold may be quite difficult. Use a small piece of towel if you need a better grasp. Do not pull too hard or you may damage the pup.

As soon as the puppy is expelled, the membraneous sac in which it is enclosed should be torn open and removed and the umbilical cord cut. Then, the mother should lick the puppy clean and push it up to one of her teats to nurse. Again, you may have to assist here as some new mothers ignore their children. Quickly but gently dry and warm the puppy and place it by the mother to nurse.

After the whelping is finished, the mother is going to need a good cleaning. The breasts and bottom area should be washed with lukewarm water and mild soap, and then rinsed well. This will remove the discharges clinging to the mother from the delivery and will make for more sanitary conditions for her litter.

Reasons for a Caesarian Section
A puppy may be misplaced—sideways instead of head or feet first. It may be too large and thus be unable to move down the birth canal. On occasion, a puppy is dead, becomes stuck, and blocks the passage of the other puppies.

It is possible for a bitch to have more than one Caesarian operation. There are known cases of bitches having six such operations.

Assisting the Delivery
Surprisingly, instinct does not guide all bitches. Many are thoroughly confused as to what is happening to them and what they should be doing. It is not at all unusual for a bitch to expel a puppy and then to just sit there licking herself without doing her maternal job. The new mother should quickly tear open the sac which surrounds the puppy, bite off the umbilical cord and lick the puppy thoroughly to get it breathing and cleaned up. In your role as midwife be prepared to handle these matters if the mother neglects to do so. The most important thing is to quickly get the puppy out of the membrane sac in which it is enclosed at birth and to clear the lungs so that it can breathe. After removing the sac, cut the cord, rub the pup dry with a small turkish towel and hold it with its head downward and shake it gently. This should clear the lungs of fluid and help it to breathe. Too many puppy deaths have been attributed to respiratory failure which can be avoided. Fluid should be wiped off the puppy as it is expelled and the gentle downward shaking or swinging should be continued until no more fluid appears. Thoroughly drying the pup and keeping it warm is of utmost importance. The mother will probably eat the umbilical cord and the after birth which is perfectly natural and she should be allowed to do so as they seem to act as a laxative. If the litter is quite large it would be best to remove some of them so that she doesn't overdo a good thing. An afterbirth should be expelled after the delivery of each puppy. Any remaining within the uterus will cause infection and serious complications. Keep a paper and pencil near at hand to maintain an accurate record if the litter is large.

Frequently, there will be a little time between the bkths so that the new mother can rest and nurse her puppy. Once the straining of labor begins again, remove the puppies to the specially prepared puppy box close by. This is done in order to protect the pups from possible injury while the mother is giving birth. The box should be near enough, however, so that she can see and hear them for otherwise she may become needlessly concerned.

With the birth of each subsequent puppy the same procedure should be followed. If the mother is doing her part, don't interfere unless your services are needed. There may be times when a puppy is not breathing and the mother's licking and concern doesn't improve the situation. Take the puppy and rub it furiously with a towel to warm it and stimulate it. Shake it as described above. Continue working on it with rubbing and also proceed with mouth to mouth resuscitation. Open the pup's mouth and check for any obstruction.

Technique for Administering Mouth to Mouth Resuscitation

Put your mouth over the pup's nose and mouth and
(1) breathe into puppy's mouth
(2) inhale fresh air
(3) repeat.

Follow a regular breathing rhythm. Continue until breathing starts. Breathe gently as the puppies lungs are smaller.

When trouble arises it's so nice to have a veterinarian handy who can help you with:
(1) oxygen— hold the oxygen mask over the pup's face for a few minutes (this is often quite successful)
(2) an injection of adrenalin to stimulate respiration and the heart.

Difference of opinion exists as to how long it is wise to continue to attempt revival of a non-breathing pup. Some authors feel that it's never too late and to keep working vigorously until there is a response even if it takes hours. Most vets we queried felt that if the life processes didn't begin within a reasonable length of time after birth (approximately 15 minutes), even if the pup were revived, brain damage would have occurred. Since there is more to be gained from trying, it would be worthwhile to expend all the necessary time and energy to revive a "slow starting" puppy.

Most births are normal and follow a natural pattern. But one has to be prepared for any event. There are occasions when your bitch may expel an abnormal puppy. Remove it quickly so that the mother doesn't try to destroy it further or to eat it. When a bitch realizes that a pup is malformed or is going to die she may try to harm it. Sometimes bitches have been known to start this with one pup and then get hysterical and kill the entire litter. Such behavior is not usual but should be guarded against. If the bitch is highly agitated after the delivery and seems excessively rough with the pups—such as, biting them, ripping at their umbilical—then caution should be exercised. Separate her from the pups, if necessary, by putting them in their own heated, cozy box. Return them only for nursing every two hours until you see that the mother is acting normally. Consult your veterinarian—he may prescribe tranquilizers.

Usually during and after whelping, the bitch is quite tense, fearful, and overprotective of her new charges. Maintaining calm and quiet in her quarters at this time is highly recommended. Only family members should enter the nursery and they, too, should practice restraint. If the whelping box has been placed in a quiet and warm area, it is easy to maintain this necessary control. Veterinarians and breeders stress emphatically that for "preventative medicine" visitors should be kept from the "nursery" for several weeks. Infection spreads easily and avoiding unnecessary exposure is the wisest thing.

After you think the last pup has been born, consult with your veterinarian. He may wish to give the bitch an injection which would help to expel any matter still remaining in the uterus. Sometimes, there may even be another puppy.

Whelping is a strenuous experience for the bitch and she should get a tempting meal either between the delivery of pups or afterwards. She probably will not wish to leave her new charges so bring the food to her in the whelping box. Offer her some warm cereal with milk or cooked ground meat with broth —if she is reluctant to eat, coax her a little. Keeping her strength up at this point is most important for her and the nursing puppies. Allow her to go out to relieve herself. Probably it will be only for this purpose that she will leave her brood.
Compared to the human female the dog has a much quicker recuperation period. She is usually up and around all during whelping, running up and down stairs, immediately after and seemingly perfectly fit. Don't let this healthy appearance lull you into neglect. The postpartum period does have certain possible hazards. Beware of eclampsia—this is a type of convulsive paralysis which manifests itself by the dog shaking violently, its movement paralized, and high fever. Eclampsia is caused by a deficiency of blood calcium. Prompt administration of an injection of calcium gluconate should result in a remission of symptoms. Death can result if treatment is not initiated rapidly.

Peritonitis is an inflammation of the lining of the abdomen that can result if the bitch does not completely expel everything from her uterus and birth canal. Signs of the existence of such a condition are: high fever and a greenish foul smelling vaginal discharge. Antibiotics may save the mother.

Mastitis is an infection of the breasts. It is another serious problem to be aware of. Should the breasts become red, swollen, hot and tender, immediate action is necessary. Puppies should not be allowed to nurse as the milk is infected and they will die. Pups should be hand fed and the mother seen and treated by the veterinarian.


Hand Feeding Puppies
There are occasions when the hand feeding of puppies becomes necessary. The possible reasons may be death or sickness of the mother, insufficient milk because of the litter size, or neglect by the mother. When hand feeding is indicated, your job of caring for the puppies can become quite an ordeal. Here is the best procedure to follow:
(1) Use a fully prepared formula created for this purpose such as Borden's Esbilac.
(2) Feed it warmed. Keep unused portion refrigerated.
(3) There are several methods of feeding—a dropper, a small nipple and bottle made for puppies, or a stomach tube.

Once the technique of using the feeding tube is mastered, it is the fastest, easiest, and probably the most reliable method. The vet can teach you how to insert

a feeding tube into the puppies' stomach and then to inject the required amount of formula into it with a syringe. In this manner, an entire litter can be fed in a short span of time and you can be certain of the amount ingested.

Using the dropper is a very slow process. The puppy must be held in an upright position and the milk is dripped onto the tongue and then swallowed. Great caution must be taken to prevent any liquid from getting into the lungs as this will result in pneumonia and death. There is also the fact that it is difficult to know how much milk the puppy has actually ingested as so much drips away. Using the scale before and after each feeding is the only way to know with certainty and this can become rather time consuming.

The nipple and bottle is also a slow feeding method which has the danger of allowing fluid to get into the lungs.

Since some controversy exists as to the frequency with which to feed puppies, your vet should be consulted. The amount to feed is determined by the size of the dog and he will advise you on this matter as well.

Be sure each puppy gets some colostrum from the mother. This is the watery looking substance which is the "first milk" that is so important in providing the pups with the vital immunities against infectious disease.

Post Whelping
After whelping, the bitch will have quite a copious blood-stained discharge for a week or two. This uterine discharge is normal and should stop after two weeks. The dam's temperature should return to normal at least forty-eight hours after whelping. If it is raised, an infection may exist and antibiotic treatment may be necessary.

Feeding the Bitch after Whelping
After delivery, the bitch will require a 50 to 100% increase hi her normal food intake. For now, she must meet her own body needs as well as provide for her nursing puppies. Her diet should be rich hi protein and provide ample liquid to help in the milk production. Eggs, meat, and milk can be added to enrich her diet. While she is nursing, she can be allowed to eat as much as she wants without fear of her becoming overweight.

Immediately after whelping, she may want her food brought to her in the whelping box—this should be done, because she is reluctant to leave her new litter. The first few days after whelping her diet can contain milk and milky preparations, such as cereal. Often, bitches need to be coaxed to go out and relieve themselves during this time.