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Becca1025 · Sep 2, 2008, 01:33 PM

My jackrussell/lahso apso is pregnant and due in mid September. I've called the vet and got all the basic info (she won't see the vet until after the puppies are born so all of them can go at once). She is very healthy and we take good care of her so the vet told us everything should go okay at home, if not I know when to go in. I have done my research and have everything ready, but in everything I've read it doesn't say if you are to latch the puppy on the mom right away or are you supposed to wait until all puppies are delivered? What if she is walking around or moving too much for me to latch the puppies on during the delivery? Should I give them puppy formula and then when the mom is done, then latch them on or what?

wildandblue · Sep 2, 2008, 02:21 PM

You will want to attend the birth but just make sure she does not roll over on or step on any of her newborn offspring while she is delivering the other puppies. She will lick them off clean herself, maybe step in if one's nose seems to be clogged with the amniotic fluid, wipe it with a clean tissue. I would leave her in a safew area that is easy to clean until she delivers and passes the afterbirth, then move the new family to a clean box you have ready. The pups can usually go an hour or two before eating so don't worry about formula right away, mixing two kinds of milk, formula and mother's milk together in their stomachs could cause them indigestion or diarrhea.If any of the pups are breech you may have to assist her, because a breech can lead to the others being in the wrong position too.

akez · Sep 2, 2008, 02:33 PM

First off - How exciting! Please forward pictures of these pups when they arrive! I thought I might mention that sometimes the little bag they are born in they will puncture the bag itself but might need assistance. You might have to rip it open with your finger nails if you see the pup is having difficulty. Anyway, from my experience after mama gave birth she was put into a clean area and then began to feeding process. I know the runts of the litter might need some help getting their turn.

wildandblue · Sep 4, 2008, 12:53 PM

Well consider a baby chick, only a couple ounces at birth, yet they can go for a day in the mail in a cardboard box from the hatchery to you! When they are born the baby animals have a lot of fat in their bodies they can rely on in an emergency, but keep everything very very clean and don't handle them more than necessary because their newborn immune systems won't be fully developed. The mother's milk contains a lot of immune system antibodies. And be sure to wash your hands before and after touching the babies.

wildandblue · Sep 4, 2008, 12:56 PM

Also if for some reason you do decide to bottle feed a weak pup it's best to separate him or her from the litter entirely and not put her back with mom. The baby can get confused and not drink properly, apparently nursing from the mom versus out of a baby bottle confuses them.

Becca1025 · Sep 8, 2008, 11:42 AM

So I took my baby girl to the vet to get an x-ray today, but it turned out she's not far enough for one (only about 40-43 days). But they felt around, one vet said she felt very pregnant, but then she went for a second opinion and the other vet said he could only feel one little bump and it was very small for how far she is supposed to be. I have no idea when she was bred, so the dates were just guessing, but they are thinking it is a false pregnancy. I have to reschedule in two weeks for an x-ray. I am so sad, I was really hoping she'd have puppies. I got so used to the fact and prepared myself and researched my brains out to be ready for her puppies and was starting to look forward to it. :(
But they said not to be too discouraged that they just had a lab go in for x-rays and told the owner they didn't see anything but two weeks later she delivered a small litter of puppies, so I guess all I can really do is wait.

wildandblue · Sep 8, 2008, 11:59 AM

I don't think X-rays would be good for a pregnant dog maybe an ultrasound
Once about 22 years ago I had a vet tell me my dog wasn't pregnant, the next day he had to deliver three pups that were full term but stillborn. I thought she was in labor and taking too long when I called him the first day, turns out she was. Too weak to deliver them and should have had help. I would have thought at that stage he could have clearly felt the pup's little skulls right through her abdomen wall. I have learned a lot since then.

Becca1025 · Sep 8, 2008, 02:50 PM

THey do not do ultrasounds at that vet and they said the X-ray will be safe (I'm only getting one done) after 50 days and that's why it will be in two weeks to make sure it is after 50 days. I've been calling around to see if anyone can do an ultrasound but so many places don't. I've found one place but I won't be able to get her in until the first week of October. I'm trying to find other places. So did your dog have all stillborn puppies because they stayed in too long?

My dog seems a little smaller then last week but then it could just be my imagination.

wildandblue · Sep 9, 2008, 12:53 PM

False pregnancy is for real, they will even go so far as start to produce milk even though they are not really pregnant. You should just keep her in if you don't want puppies, arrange a suitable partner for her if you do, then wait out the 2months it takes to produce more dogs to love! I just think, do no harm, you know. We ourselves worry about dental X-rays. It seems a bad idea to x-ray her reproductive area, could lead to birth defects or etc. later in life even if she's not pregnant when you do it.
Weell my dog's story happened years ago and as bad as it sounds I did still use that vet until he retired. He had a lot of experience and he taught me a lot. But back then I would blindly follow what I read in a book or listen to a professional and didn't think so much for myself and my dog suffered because of it. Yes they were too long in the birth process. They still get their blood supply oxygen etc through the umbilical cord until they are born and they start to breathe on their own, but once the water breaks and she starts contractions the pups need to come out pretty quickly or they could be in trouble.

Becca1025 · Sep 23, 2008, 10:20 AM

She should be approaching 60-63 days soon, so we're still waiting it out. Her belly is lumpy and she is starting to lactate a little bit. So we're going to wait another two weeks and if no puppies I'm going to take her back to the vet. She's shedding a lot, no temp dip yet, so we'll see. I've tried feeling for puppies or kicking of some sort, but haven't felt anything. I'm not a professional so I don't know what exactly to feel for, just trying to guess. We're just playing the waiting game.

Becca1025 · Sep 24, 2008, 03:57 AM

She has done a completely turn around. Last night I watched her walk into the house after going to the bathroom and her belly has expanded a lot. It so so much wider and it seems to be sagging towards the ground. So I laid next to her for awhile and put my hand on her belly for a few minutes and kept feeling these tiny little thumps. I'm pretty sure they were kicks since they were towards the sides, middle, just everywhere. She's been panting, won't leave me side (even though she's always like that), she keeps changing positions when laying down and just seems very uncomfortable. So we'll see in a day or two...

wildandblue · Sep 26, 2008, 09:22 AM

Congratulations, Becca1025 sounds like you are going to be a "grandmother" be sure to take lots of pictures. Also be careful of showing the pups to others too soon, you don't want them picking up germs, and sometimes the mother can get really overprotective of them and snap at people/strangers if she feels they are threatened.