Ok - some advice please now I have got over the shock

[TheBlackMoth]

As some of you know I have an accidental (and forbidden) pregnancy going on here.

Bunny is nearly seven weeks pregnant now are there any dos and don'ts I should know.

Such as

1. Should I be feeding her more
2. Should I be walking her less
3. When should we stop walking her
4. When she has the puppies can she still go out for a walk or should she not leave the puppies

Arghh - must get one of those books you recommended.

 

[deja224]

http://www.hydeparkvet.co.uk/pethealth/postnataldog.html

hope link works looks useful

 

[Maesfen]

If you pm me your address I'll send you a book by Kay White which I used to have in one hand while holding paws with the producing mother - it was a great help and is very well thumbed!

I would let her keep exercising, they soon know when to slow down when they're near; don't push it, if she doesn't want a walk, don't make her.

Feedwise, I would be splitting the same amount so her stomach isn't too full at any time which would be uncomfortable for her. You might find she'll have days when she goes off it but I wouldn't pander her too much by offering temptation, she might grow up expecting caviar all the time!

When the pups are born, personally, I would not be taking her out of your grounds at all, not until they are all homed which might sound drastic but we had an awful experience of some oldies going for a run up the hills while we had a young litter. What they brought back on their pads nobody knows but it caused the death of two puppies and a very poorly two others so I've never let ours go off our land or any other dogs come here while we have puppies ever since.

Don't worry!

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Just a bit of feeding advice - by now she should be on a puppy food, this will help her nutritionally as it is a lot higher in protein than a 'normal' adult food, and of course she needs to be preparing to produce lots of milk. It also makes life easier then weaning, the pups will start eating the same food as their mother, and therefore you shouldn't get the scouring problems which happen often with a change of food.

Apart from that, use common sense and a good book!

 

[MizElz]

Speaking from experience...

- If, when she goes into labour, there is any sign of greeny coloured discharge, get her straight to the vet. Our girl did this - luckily we had been warned of the signs beforehand - and we only just made it to surgery in time. We nearly lost her; she had to have a caesarean and her calcium levels dropped dangerously low, but she pulled through!

- If she wants to go for a walk, then let her. China had a hell of a time, not only was she recovering from surgery but she had 11 hungry little beggars pestering her all the time. She started to get really down and sad, so one day, when the pups were about 5 weeks old, we took her to our local water park. The joy in her face when she realised she could go for a swim! I think that walk saved her; she picked up after that.

- Dont be surprised if you lose one, even a week or so after birth. We went down one morning to the whelping box to find little Norris had been pushed out; China obviously knew there was something wrong with him, and we couldnt save him.

Best of luck, hope all goes well!

 

[Tia]

Well as you may remember, one of my bitches had pups late last year. I had never bred dogs before and although some things were parallel to breeding horses, I didn't have specific dog knowledge in this sphere.

I switched my bitch onto puppy food about 2 weeks before the pups were due and as she is normally fed ad-lib, I continued with this. I moved her into the house at the same time. She went out and ran around the farm as normal right up to the morning she gave birth. I just let her figure out when to take a break.

I bought a puppy pen for the living room and put her duvet in there and encouraged her to lie in there and become familiar with it. She was fine and just went in an out as she pleased.

The night before she gave birth, she obviously decided that she was not planning to have her pups in the pen and that she was going to have them inside one of our sofas. This was not going to happen, so I put her, and the dog pen, in the laundry room just downstairs from my bedroom, so that I could hear her and go an help if she whelped through the night. She didn't, she waited till 10am the following morning. All went well. The last pup was stillborn.

After she had the pups, she was allowed to go outside whenever she wished. She never stayed away long though. She would zip outside, do her toilet and then scratch to come back in again.

Once the pups were about 4 weeks old and onto solids (puppy food and Carnation milk mushed together) I moved them all out to the dog room and made a much larger pen for her and them. She could get out of the pen but they couldn't, so it was perfect as she could wander outside whenever she wanted.

At no time, did we take her off the property, and we asked all friends not to bring any dogs onto the farm whilst the pups were here. After they left and we had our puppy vaccinated, then I gave carte blanche again to them bringing their dogs here.

I didn't buy a book, I found all of my information from searching the web or asking on here.

I hope all goes smoothly and you enjoy the experience as much as I did.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Well was going to offer some advice but MFH has said it all. Couldn't agree more about the Kay White book, it was my bible, even after 20 plus litters. I would not take her off your grounds or let her have contact with other dogs until pups have gone (or are vaccinated). Good luck!

 

[TheBlackMoth]

The thing is - I don't have grounds - just a very small garden. The worry is for Mumble (her brother) who goes completely bonkers without a daily long walk. Oh dear - that is very worrying.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Most bitches are very reluctant to leave their pups, I think you will find she will be happy to pop out for a quick wee in the garden and back in to pups. I have had to drag bitches away from their pups for the first few days. Regarding Mumble, I think you would be wise to keep him away from her once she has her pups, at least for a week or two. She will probably be quite protective of them, and there is always the possibility, being a JRT that he will see these little squeaky things as something to kill

. So you should be okay to take him for walks etc. I would perhaps give him a wipe over with a disinfected cloth when you bring him back. I am sure some people will think I am being neurotic but young pups are very vulnerable. And I can remember nursing a litter of pups with parvo when it first appeared, I was lucky we saved them all but many people lost them. Speak to your vet for advice, they ususally know if there have been any outbreaks of contagious disease in the area. I hope I haven't made you worry even more (suspect I may have

). I am sure everything will be fine, and there are always people on here who can offer advice.