How to care for puppies post whelping

The Nursery   If the mom doesn’t like the nursery environment you’ve provided, she might move her puppies.  This is why it’s important to choose a calm whelping area, such as a spare room or bathroom.  Away from the household hustle and bustle.  If the nursery isn’t confined, you may just fine puppies under your bed or behind furniture.  This actually happened with my very first litter.  I had the mom and puppies in a whelping box located in the front room of the house.  When I got home from work the puppies were gone.  We were all over the house, when we noticed the mom jump over the baby gate, back to our bedroom.  She had moved her puppies under our bed and placed them in a duffle bag.  She managed to carry her puppies over the baby gate while they were in her mouth.           If you see the female trying to move her puppies by carrying them in her mouth, don’t be alarmed.  Most first time breeders take this as an act of cannibalism.  If this happens, just direct the mother back to the nursery and confine her there.  If she has tried to move her puppies, try to find a more comfortable nursery environment for the mother.

Puppy Identification
         
After the puppies are delivered, you may want to identify each puppy.  Many breeders mark puppies as soon as they are whelped and keep records of the order the puppies were born.  It’s a good idea to take notes on the puppies that had a difficult delivery, CPR, or other whelping help.  This helps in your overall record keeping with your breeding program.  Identification is also helpful for monitoring a pups health and development.  Especially if the puppies look similar and you need to administer medication for any particular reason, the identification will help you stay organized as to which puppies have received treatment. 

Puppy Records

      If you plan to have a successful breeding program, then you need to understand the importance of record keeping.  I would recommend you purchase a binder with dividers.  Organize whelping and breeding forms you have accumulated and stay organized.  Day to day record keeping is vital information that is helpful for future liters.  Don’t rely on your memory, keep detailed records. 

          Characteristics such as sex, weight, markings, appetite, time of birth and personality should be recorded starting on the first day of whelping.  Other characteristics which are not noticeable until the puppy is older are just as, if not more important to document. Such as aggressiveness, which puppies bond to humans faster, personality changes and health problems.  Recording this information is important when looking for desired, or undesired traits when breeding. 

 

 Puppy Examination
      Once the puppies born and have been marked with a form of identification, it’s a good idea to examine the puppies carefully.  Here are a few things to look for.

• Umbilical Cord Hernias – appear as a small soft round bump under the skin at the naval.  In some cases the swelling is gone within a week, but if the bump grows larger the pup will most likely need surgery to correct the hernia. 

 

• Inspect each leg and paw.  Some puppies are born with extra dewclaws, which can be normal on some giant breeds.  It’s a good idea to have the dewclaws removed when the puppies is 2 days old. 

• Puppies are born with sealed eyelids and their ear canals are closed as well.  The eyelids and ear canals usually open around 2 weeks after birth. 

 

• Open the puppies’ mouth to check for clef palates.  Certain breeds are more receptive to this genetic trait.  Look for a split in the palate.  If you notice a clef palate, watch the puppy nurse to see if the puppy is receiving any milk.  If you see any milk coming from it’s nose you should contact your veterinarian. 

• After nursing a puppies’ belly should be full of milk, but not bloated.  Pupps that are bloated are usually wandering from the mother, frequently changing nipples, or give up on nursing all together.  If you suspect this condition, contact your veterinarian. 

 

• If a puppy feels limp when held, then it’s probably in trouble.  Weak puppies can die in less than 24 hours if ignored.  Healthy puppies are always moving when sleeping.  A pup that sleeps motionless might be in trouble. 

• Record the weight of each pup at birth, and once or twice daily during the first week post whelping.  Each puppy should be gaining weight every day.  If you notice a puppy that isn’t gaining weight, help ensure its nursing time with the mother.  You might consider tube feeding so you know the puppy is getting a certain amount of food.

Temperatures

          The nursery box should be kept at room temperature of 75 degrees, unless the puppies are weak and need support.  If that is the case, the nursery box should be kept at 85 degrees for a few days until you see improvement.  If you use heating pads be sure to leave an area in the nursery box that free of the extra warmth.  This will allow puppies to move to a cooler area if they become too warm. 

          I do not recommend sum or heat lamps for nursery boxes.  They dehydrate puppies too quickly and create too much heat.  I have found plastic soda bottles to work very well.  Fill them with hot tap water.  Wrap with a towel and place in the nursery box.  Just change the water every few hours to keep the temperature warm. 

Hypoglycemia

          Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar which can be very fatal to new puppies.  Watch for puppies that seem weak, have a hard time breathing, and crying.  Hypoglycemia can be treated by certain oral fluids containing electrolytes.  Contact your veterinarian when determining how much fluid to administer your puppies.