The raising of the litter begins well before the pups are born. The female to be bred is fed a diet consisting of high quality dog food, such as Orijen , with the addition of ground chicken, deer/elk meat, yogurt, cottage cheese, fish etc. and a supplement of K9 Showstopper. It is also important to continue with her regular exercise. She is also wormed prior to breeding and in her 7th week of gestation to help insure the pups are as worm free as possible.
As the time grows near to whelping I call my vet to alert her in case of a problem. Before the first pup is born I wash and rinse the females vulva area and teats. The whelping box is lined with a thick layer of newspaper. The heat from the presses used for printing newspapers helps to cut down on bacterial contamination in unopened newspapers, it is also easy to replace with more as it becomes soiled. I stay with my girls through the entire whelping and as each pup emerges I try not to intervene but let mom do her job. I keep necessary articles within reach in the event mom needs help such as a dry towels, alcohol, scissors, sterile gloves etc.
After each pup is born I weigh it and make notations in my notebook of time of birth, sex, color and markings.
If the whelping lasts for a considerable time, I try to urge mom to go outside for a quick potty break but stay with her to make sure she doesn't deliver a pup outside. She once again she will be washed as well as her feet before coming back to her box. I also will offer her some goat milk with a raw egg for energy.
Finally the pups are all born. I then replace the newspaper with clean blankets and call my vet to let her know all is well.
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This pic is of a 3 week old pup. The eyes are now opened much wider and they have begun to hear. It is a critical period between 3-4 weeks as their neurological senses are being bombarded with new sights and sounds. I make every effort to see that the puppies are not frightened in any way during this time. At 3 weeks I begin feeding the pups 1-2 meals a day with a thin gruel of warm goat milk, plain yogurt, and Gerber baby rice cereal. I will gradually add moistened dog food to this mixture and feed up to 4 times day as they become accustomed to solid food. Also they will recieve their first worming. Below is a picture of a litter of 3 week old pups that have mastered the art of eating on their own. |
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Below are a few pictures of puppies between the ages of 6 thru 8 weeks of age.