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1 year old whelping pups

18K views 162 replies 28 participants last post by  RebelGSD 
#1 ·
My one year old Has started whelping her litter of pups. She has had 3 puppies so far and we keep checking in on her in her kennal giving her water and words of encouragement. What else could we do to help her and what type of signs should we look for to know when she is done?

I am Going to be honest. I have no idea what to do or to expect with this process our girl got pregnant unexpectedly. We kept watching for her to go into heat we caught it her first time but I guess we missed her second one. We had no intentions of breeding her. We actually didn't even know she was pregnant until Sunday and I had an appointment with out vet to check her to make sure of our thought that she might be pregnant. I just thank god she mated with our other full blooded German Shepard. Please I do not put me down with this topic I am simply asking for help! Thank you In Advance.
 
#3 ·
Typical guy response! ;)

Ilda's heats were different....the hormone levels aren't always the same from heat to heat or from female to female.

I can see how it might be missed by an inexperienced person.

To OneLove, I'm not a breeder but given your lack of experience the safest route is to call your vet. They will probably want you to bring her in for an exam. You may also want to consider a mobile vet and have an in home visit.

I'd not leave the females side until you are sure she's done whelping and confirmed safe by a vet.

Also please stick around this site as there are several experienced breeders on here who can help with tips and suggestions on raising and finding the puppies good homes.

I'm sorry this happened but now you have all these little lives, including your female, depending on you. Don't be afraid to ask for their sake!
 
#5 ·
Thank you for the update. What some of the experienced breeders here have mentioned is making sure all the puppies are born. Sometimes the births can be separated by many hours or more. So the vet will make sure she has given birth to all the pups safely. Very important.

Also, just to make sure, you are aware that puppies can be very susceptible to diseases such as parvovirus? So discuss with your vet safety protocols to protect them from contagious disease.

I hope some of our breeders will be online today and see your thread.

Good luck with those precious ones! :)
 
#9 ·
Post your questions here, you'll get quicker responses if the breeders don't have to question you. How many pups so far? When did she start whelping?
What is she whelping them in/on? Kiddie pools are used often when whelping boxes aren't used.
 
#10 ·
She delivers her first puppy at 10:30 pm (mountain time), so she has been in labor for about 10 hours. And she currently has 5 pups. She is in their kennel. (We have a huge indoor kennel for them that they sleep in during the cold winter months and at night) I didn't read the post about using news paper before hand, so she got in her kennel which has pillows in it. :/

My first question is how do you know when she is done whelping?

Second, do I leave her In the kennel with the pillows and dirty blanket or should I clean it out? Will she harm the puppies of I get them out and remove the blankets and pillows?

Thank you all for your responses and for bumping the post for me throughout the day.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Clean it up,she should be fine with you helping her out.
Give her some vanilla ice cream to help with her calcium levels, which helps with the whelping. I don't know if you'll know if she's done. Sometimes pups get stuck, it can be hard, especially when a pup is the one giving birth.
Make sure you bump up her meal portions and feed her a good high quality diet. Hope one of the breeders come on and can help you. Pillows may suffocate the pups, so I'd try to keep the bedding flat. Not sure your temps but pups need to be kept warm....again, one of the breeders will hopefully chime in! I'm not a breeder :)
 
#13 ·
Ultimately when I've followed threads like this (and when discussing with my friend who has bred Siberian Huskies) even experienced breeders will bring the female in to the vet to make sure all pups have been born, whelping is complete if they are not sure.

Often, with planned breedings, they will have the female x-rayed while pregnant to have a good idea of how many puppies to expect at whelping time.

In your case, to be safe, a vet visit is in order, though our breeders here will be able to help you narrow down the timing of it, how long to wait and danger signs to watch for. :)
 
#15 ·
Got in touch with out vet. He walked me through what to do clean out the kennel. And he will be coming by later on to check on them
During his lunch hour.

So current update now that I was able to move mom and clean the kennel. There was 4 pups one didn't make it. So she has 3 living pups at the time. Not sure if that is all she is going have more. But should know as soon as the vet comes for lunch. They are gorgeous one sold black and 2 bark with blonde under coat just like dad when he was a pup. After letting momma back in and putting the pups back with her you can tell she is going to be a good mom she right away started cleaning them and helped them start eating again!

Thank you all for your help so far. Advice, knowledge and support is still greatly appreciated and much needed!!
 
#105 · (Edited)
Well MBD when a vet gets into the car and drives to visit a patient I guess by default that means he's become, at least temporarily mobile.

Amazing what having one of them thar motorized vehicles can do for mobility.

:rolleyes:

Really how deep you wanna dig yourself in?


Oh and here's a link to post #15. Modern tech ain't it grand? http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/5183058-post15.html

Got in touch with out vet. He walked me through what to do clean out the kennel. And he will be coming by later on to check on them
During his lunch hour.
 
#17 ·
That sounds great, I'm glad she's doing alright. Hopefully you can find great homes for the new little ones :)
 
#20 ·
One thing I've learned the hard way is to force mom out out of the whelping box for quick pottie breaks during whelping and the first couple of days.

Now, until the vet confirms that there are no more pups, have her on leash with a towel ready to catch any pup. Straining to go potty and straining to expel a pup can look the same.

Some of my moms I can entice out with something extra delicious some I have to force out. But the quick exercise and frequent potty breaks helps clean them out faster and they recover a lot faster. Also a lot less clean up for you with the post pregnancy discharge.

I also walk them in labor. With flashlight, towel and on leash of course.

Mom needs plenty of fresh water and I will also bait it with a little goats milk. I feed small frequent meals but pretty much allow her to eat on demand.

Have your vet tell you how to check for signs of infection and to describe an abnormal discharge.
 
#23 ·
Thank you Betty! As soon as I opened the door to go outside she ran out rather quickly. She went potty and came and sat at the door till I let her back in after I cleaned the kennel which room me less than 5 minutes. She got back In her kennel I put pups back at her belly and she was a happy camper!! :eek:) during her labor I would give her water and a couple bites of food between pups. And now that I cleaned out the kennel I gave her more water and a couple bites of food.
 
#22 ·
Well a breeder anyways....LOL

Also she is a young mom, have puppy formula ready in case you need to supplement feedings. I use a goat milk based mixture and have had very good success with it.

Hint: hungry puppies are noisy puppies...

Get plenty of newspaper and keep your whelping box clean. THe cleaner you keep it the easier the pups will be to housebreak.

Warm water and a washcloth for mom's private areas. She will appreciate you helping to keep herself clean.
 
#25 ·
I was just going to ask about the supplementing. One of the pups is smaller than the other 2 and seems to have more trouble trying to find a boob and nurse. How do I know if she needs to be supplemented?

Also mom doesn't seem to be acting like she is whelping anymore, is 4 a normal number for a young mom??

I was going ask about cleaning her up too. Just clean her privates or attempt to clean her fur as well? (I say attempt because Paris has a super super thick coat of hair. I don't know how successful I will be.
 
#26 ·
You referred to "kennel" but the photo looks like a wire crate?
If that is a crate, you need to quickly put together a different set up. There is not enough space in a crate and the puppies will be in danger of being crushed. The easiest and cheapest thing is going to be to get a large plastic kid's pool to serve as a "nest" for the first few weeks to keep the pups contained but in an area large enough for the dam to get in and out and nurse them without squishing them. Avoid too many blankets and such in the nest as puppies can get trapped and tangled and smothered or can be crushed by the dam if they get under the blankets and she can't see them.

As the pups get older you will also need to set up an exercise pen or something similar to serve as their enclosure.

Weigh the pups daily and keep records. Some minor weight loss after the first day is normal but after that they should steadily gain weight every day. If one does not you will need to either help it nurse or give it supplemental feedings.

You may need to set up a heat source. Cold puppies will die as they cannot regulate their body temperature. Either a large heating pad placed under a blanket where they can move closer or farther from the heat as they want, or a heat lamp from the farm store suspended a couple feet off the ground in side of their nest. General rule of thumb, if the puppies are crowded close together, climbing on top of each other and crying they are too cold and you must warm the area. If they are spread out, they are too hot. If they are in a nice close pile without being on top of each other and are making happy sounds rather than distress sounds, then the temperature is just right.

Expect to significantly increase the amount of food you are feeding the dam from now until the pups are weaned. She may easily eat twice her normal amount while she's nursing them.
 
#29 ·
Thank you Chris Wild. It is a wide crate/kennel set up. But it is the huge one, it fits both my German shepards at the same time with plenty of wiggle room and they are able to stand up completely in it as well. Do you think I still need to change out for a pool. I have a pool on hand from my kids so it isn't a big deal. But the crate is as big as the big pool we have just rectangular rather than round.
I have an electric dome heater in the room they are in till I am able to go to the feed store to get a lamp. I did take out the blankets and just put down newspapers. They are just cuddled up to moms boobs laying next to each other with happy puppy sounds right now thank goodness!

Would weighing them on a food scale work for the weight? If not I will have to find something else cause te big scale I have is a digital one and don't read anything under 15 lbs. should they gain steadily every day? Or how does that work? When should I be alarmed with tbe weight?

Thank you for your help! It is really appreciated!
 
#27 ·
I just try and give her a head start on cleaning, private area and fur. I think they like the attention. Very gentle movements and lots of sweet talk.

It will also give you a chance to inspect the area and you will be more apt to notice any changes.

I use this formula with fresh goats milk. You can buy canned at Walmart and most grocery stores.

Leerburg | Bottle Feeding Puppies

Litter size varies so much that you cant really say if that is normal or not.
 
#31 · (Edited)
I would definitely put mom and the pups in the pool. The wire is dangerous. Mom may feel more secure in a smaller area as well. As the pups get older then you can move them to the area with wire.

I encourage you to read Chris's website on her puppy raising and look at her whelping set up. See the pig rails in the whelping box? Those are to help keep the pups from getting caught in the corner and mom laying on them.
A pool would be the next best thing if you don't have a whelping box.
http://www.wildhauskennels.com/purchaseinfo2.htm
 
#32 ·
I tried moving mom and babies to The pool she got in for a second then went straight back to the kennel and then continued to try and move the puppies back. It seemed like she was more stressed being in there. The bottom
Of the kennel Does have a plastic tray so it isn't lien she is on the wire.

The vet did come by and said mom and babies all Look good and she is doing good caring for them. So that is good news!!
 
#35 ·
The vet did come by and said mom and babies all Look good and she is doing good caring for them. So that is good news!!
Did your vet check her to see if she had any more babies inside her? Did your vet tell you what her current temp was? Did your vet give you any additional advice as to what you can provide to your young bitch to help suppliment her food?
 
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