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My mini Dachshund Mocha is about 44 days pregnant. The sire is my 1yr old mini dachshund Romeo and they had two ties on July 19th each lasting about 2min. She's progressing well but I'm a nervous wreck... I've heard mixed opinions on whether to have an x-ray done before whelping. Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated thanks!
An x-ray would not only be a safe thing to do, it would ease your mind during whelping to know how many puppies to expect.
The pups skeletons would be visible and you could get a count at 45 days gestation.
Remember to keep the vet on speed dial, if this is your and her first litter you don't want any complications.
I would highly recommend getting x-rays done. This is part of the expense of breeding, and a necessity.
Thank you very much... Yah I'm n
Oops, lol meant to say I'm not worried about the cost, well prepared for anything she and her pups may need. Just didn't want to do unneeded things medically you know? I was also wondering about when she should really start to pudge out w pups. She has definitely gained weight but it's not super obvious she's pregnant. Her appointment w our vet is next Friday.
When do dachshunds really start showing? My Doxie Mocha is 44days pregnant today... She's definitely put on weight w the extra feeds and the high quality puppy food but I can't really see the baby bump real prominently.
Some of that will depend (just like humans) on her size and build and how many pups she is carrying.
I once had a cat that was being boarded until we could spay her, the night before her surgery she had a litter of 4 kittens at the clinic, I didn't even know she was pregnant.
She was naturally a long, lanky cat and hid it well.
Mocha still has approximately 20 days before giving birth, so she still has a ways to go.
But to the original question, Yes, go for the x-ray.
How much exercise should she be getting? I know it's not good for her to be completely lazy... I'm worried she's gaining too much weight.
Take her for a walk around the block once a day.
I hope by now you are feeding her puppy food. She should be fed puppy food now and until those pups are weaned. It helps her keep her body weight and give extra nutrition to the puppies.. plus it makes weaning easier.
At this point, I know she is a "short and long", you want her to gain weight. She needs to gain weight.. she needs to feed her puppies and keep her energy levels up.
Switch her to puppy food.. you might even have to feed canned puppy food on top of the dry 3 times a day to help her out. If it's a quality puppy food, than you won't have to supplement any vitmans, if you are feeding foods such as beneful, pedigree or low grade Purina products, vitamins should be given along with the puppy food and canned puppy food.
We are feeding her Kirkland Signature Chicken and Rice dry w 1/3can of wet puppy food 2-3times per day. She licks her bowl clean but I can't leave food out all day for her cause my other dogs will steal it. When we get her whelping box finished it'll be in an area where we can leave food out for her to eat at will. Thanks for the info on walking her once per day, she's so lazy these days which is to be expected of course but I didn't want to over do it on the exercise.
I do have another question though. She had her regular yearly booster 5in1 in June of this year, she was bred in July... Do I need to have get another 5in1 before she whelps?
No, absolutely do not give another 5 in 1 vaccine while she is pregnant.
Besides, if she just had a yearly vaccine in June, she is not due another vaccine until next June.
Here is some good general information on the labor process and care of the pregnant dog.
Giving Birth to Puppies
That what I figured, thanks for the confirmation. I didn't know about the isolation of the female for three weeks before and after labor. Is that really necessary? She loves to play w our other dogs and they all share a large crate at night. Obviously the whelping box will be separate from their crate. But between now and then.
So what's the best tips for a whelping box, I need to commit to a specific style soon as Mochas due to whelp in a few weeks. I want it out for her to get used to for at least a week before her suspected whelping week.
Ive heard of some people using baby pools for a welping area.. Its round so its harder for the mother to lay on her puppies.. Or you could build a welping box
How to Design a Whelping Box for a Small Dog | eHow.com
Building a welping box wouldn't be an idea if you plan on breeding multiple times, but if this is just a one or two time thing, the baby pools work just as good.
Make sure to also get a heating lamp for the whelping box. They sell ones specifically for whelping boxes, they hang over the box and keep the puppies warm. As you probably know, puppies can't regulate their own body temperature, so making sure they're nice and warm is very important. You could call around, or check Kijiji, and see if you can get a used one. They're not cheap when bought new, but they're a necessity.
Can't wait to see pictures of the new babies. :)
You don't need a heating lamp if the pups are inside... Just make sure they're in a room with low traffic and no drafts. For homes with ac, close the vents.
Heating lamps and new borns are actually dangerous, they don't move when they're too hot and can get too hot, especially during the warmer months.
If you feel the pups are cold, purchase the hot water bottles, or use latex gloves fills with water and heat it. When giving it to the pups, if it's too hot for you on bare skin, it's too hot for them..
I hate to disagree Lucky, but water bottles are, in my opinion, very dangerous. A puppy, like you said, cannot move that well, and laying hot water bottles under them can actually cause burns. I realize you said to test the temp first, but even then it does happen. Also, hot water bottles cool off very quickly, so unless the OP is willing to constantly refill the water bottles on an hourly basis, it's not a great way to keep the pups warm. Unlike the heat lamp which is suspended from the ceiling, and has many different settings so you can adjust to the needed temperature.
These pups will be born in fall. Not knowing where the OP lives, it could be cooling down. Goodness knows it's already cooling down where I live. Darn weather. ;)
We use hot water bottles at the hospital for sick dogs and new borns... And the book claims its safe.
My experience with heat lamps was kind of troublesome. The puppies got too hot and there was now cool place for them to go.. And it was positioned high above them. Heat lamps are just no good.. I think they work best for poultry, and that's really it
I was really concerned about using a heating blanket like so many recommend because of the possibility of malfunction and me accidentally cooking the pups. I thought I'd use what my family refers to as a "bed buddy" which is basically a soft terry cloth sack filled w rice or pellets that you can either freeze or heat and put wherever needed. And I'm committing to the plastic storage tub for my whelping box w egg crate underneath the top layer of bedding so we don't get swimmers. We are in Cenyral Cali and are still consistently getting triple digit weather here; it'll finally start cooling off mid October. The pups should be here some time between sept 14-20th.
Sounds like you have it all planned and figured out. September 14th would be a great day for the birth, it's my birthday. :)
Well then I'm rootin for seitember 14th. It would be day 58 for her... I was wondering though, if we did end up going the c-section route (god forbid) what will that run me? Again these are questions that I'll also ask the vet but if I can get a few tentative answers too ahead of time I'll take them! I'm probably getting obnoxious w all my questions but you guys are REALLY helpful and I've been itching to pick experts' minds on a few things. So thank you all for the great advice and tips!
You're not getting obnoxious at all. Truth is, it's a relief to see someone with a pregnant dog that's actually willing to not only listen, but willing to spend the money needed to ensure the health of the mom and the pups. You're a breath of fresh air. If you don't believe me, read some of the other posts in the dog forum. You'll be banging your head against a wall in no time.
C-sections aren't cheap, but really it depends on your vet, where you live. I would put a few thousand dollars aside just in case, but really do talk to your vet about this, he/she is sadly the only one that can give you the cost of vet care.
Are you willing to post pictures of the mama? We'd love to see her. :)
If you don't know how to post pictures go to the dog forum, there are stickies (permanent posts) on the top and one of them gives step by step instructions on how to post a picture. If you can't find it I can post a link.
Awe! Thank you, to tell you the truth I was worried about posting anything because I was worried I'd just get hot heads that think they should make my decisions for me and tell me how selfish and stupid I am for breeding at all. I'm young in life and I want to turn this into a hobby... I love the breed and have owned them all my life. I feel like you never really know until you do something and everyone starts at square one. So don't bash me just help me gain the knowledge I'll need to be successful at it! I'll look now and try to post a picture of my proud momma to be! She's gorgeous if I do say do myself! ;)
Ok I can't find the advanced button... I wonder if I go on using my computer it'd show up. Let me try that.
We are a group of experts that don't believe in backyard breeding, puppymills, and the like. But there's always a but. Some of my colleagues may not agree with me, but when I see an owner that is doing everything right, like you are, I'm less inclined to give the backyard breeder speech.
My only recommendation, if you want to turn this into a hobby, is to seek the advice of a breeder. That's how most breeders start. They get a breeding mentor, learn from that mentor, learn what to look for in a dog, the testing that should be done, etc. etc. If this is a life long dream, something that you want to be taken seriously for, then that would be what I recommend as your next step.
But, you're doing the research, you're willing to spend the money necessary to make sure that your dog and the pups are healthy, and I'm sure that when it comes time to find these puppies a home you'll do your research there too, and we can help with that if you'd like.
We can be harsh on this site, but only when it's called for. It's not called for in your case. :)
Okay I got it figured out... here is a few pics of Mocha and her little pregnant belly. I tried to upload a few other good pics of her but they are not uploading for some reason... not sure why.Attachment 41215
Attachment 41216
Yay I figured out how to reduce the pixels and was able to successfully upload another picture of my baby Mocha on her back with a good shot of her pregnant belly.Attachment 41217
If you're wondering... which you're probably not being you've probably seen many dachshunds in your time. She is a Brindle patterned smooth coat... only one in her litter to get this pattern. Her mom was a smooth red and dad was a black and tan red so I'm assuming dad was a "hidden brindle" being that this pattern only shows up on the red coat. She's my little Zebra Girl... I was able to feel at least 3 puppies today so we are thrilled... getting the x-ray on Friday afternoon to confirm. :) :)
She's gorgeous. I was going to say "you have a brindle pup", but you beat me to it. :)
Can't wait to see the puppies.
Thank you! We can hardly wait either. I'll be happy with healthy pups but our sire is also a smooth red and so we are wondering if any of the pups will get her beautiful stripes; only a brindle parent can throw a brindle pup (or so I've read). Do you know any other info about this particular color as far as passing down this pattern type?
I don't know a lot about genetics. I'm not a breeder, I just happen to know a lot about what it takes to be one. I mainly work in rescue, and most of my dogs have been rescue dogs. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by blissx46
From what I've read, it does take a brindle to produce a brindle, but it's not a sure thing, even if both parents are brindle's. This is just from what I've read though. A dachshund breeder could tell you a lot more about coloring and genetics. :)
The doctor I work for Always tells people with breeding dogs to have $2000 stash away for c sections or emergency anything with the puppies.
I just wanted to say that I must agree here that you are a breath of fresh air.
Ask all the questions you want to ask, I applaud your efforts to do things the right way, the safe way and are trying to ensure your pets well being.
And yah! She's a cute one that Mocha.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blissx46
This concerned me both from the angle of a malfunction and possibility of mom or a pup chewing through the cord.
I've never heard a heating blanket/pad suggested before.
Am I in the dark ages?
JudyKayTee a hearing blanket was recommended on a quite a few sites that I looked at to put it under the bedding on low. I think it was mainly to be used during the whelping so the puppies could be placed in a separate box while mom continued giving birth. Then everyone is to be reunited and I would imagine mom and pups could keep it nice a warm. I'm just going to use the bed buddies I talked about earlier and I won't be worried about any possible electric malfunction.
Thanks you guys for the comments on my little Zebra Girl Mocha... She is a cutie! I'll be sure to post pictures of the puppies when they make their appearance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blissx46
I hope it's for limited use! I had a dog who chewed through the cord on an electric blanket and severely burned his mouth (nothing more serious and, of course, he could have died). They scare me to death when they're around animals!
Yah they have been known to catch fire and electrocute those using them so I'm extremely wary of using one!
Quote:
Originally Posted by blissx46
I've never had much of a desire to burst into flames during the night.
Bliss, when I was researching Dachshund whelping for a different poster a long while ago, I came across this site: Dachshund Pregnancy And What To Look For. I don't know if it will have any information you can use, but it may be an interesting read.
She is beautiful and hope she has a safe delivery.
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