Nature is wise and humane.That is why all animals in the process of reproduction of offspring, as a rule, do not need outside help. However, when it comes to our pets, we do not think so. And if a cat or a dog is going to give us their cubs, then we, in turn, are puzzled by how to help her with this. And even if the birth proceeds without pathology, we strive to take a feasible, and sometimes the most active part in this process. The issue of obstetric assistance is especially worrying for dog owners. So let's find out how to help a dog give birth, and what experienced dog breeders advise on this matter. Dogs living in a person's house are so "humanized" by them that it seems to us that we cannot do without help in this very delicate process. In most cases, our help is not needed for a whelping dog. All that the owner must do is just prepare a place for the dog and act as an independent observer. However, for many dogs (especially first-time mothers), childbirth is a real stress. It is even more stressful for the dog's owner. In addition, you need to be prepared for various kinds of surprises. So, how to prepare for this event and how to deliver a dog?
Preliminary preparation
First of all, be sure to agree withveterinarian for his help in case of such need. Have his phone number or the phone number of the emergency veterinary help with you. But, let's hope that you will not need to call these numbers and everything will go well. Secondly, stock up on a set of necessary medications. Check your home medicine cabinet and replenish it, which should include:
- a bubble of liquid zelenki (a green-pencil in this case will not work);
- the smallest (children's) syringing;
- levomecol (ointment);
- scissors;
- acrylic or silk threads;
- medical alcohol or vodka (not for you, but for puppies!);
- soothing (this is already for you).
You will also need clean sheets andnappies (which can be thrown away later), a heating pad (possibly electric) or a couple of plastic bottles, a roomy box (where you can put six or seven newborn puppies). Some dog owners successfully use a heated blanket instead of a heating pad and say that it is much more convenient. If possible, make a playpen for the mother with the puppies. This should be a low box with sides in which the dog could lie down, stretched out to its full height. In special playpens, there is also a small gap between the bottom of the box and the lower part of the sides so that the dog does not press the puppies against the walls. If you cannot buy or make such a playpen, then simply prepare a place on the floor for the dog, covering it with a blanket (foam mattress), medical oilcloth and a sheet.
Preliminary manipulation
A dog's pregnancy lasts 58-68 days.Moreover, she can give birth at the most inconvenient time for you, for example, late at night or when you are at work. Therefore, before the expected birth, take two or three days off and be prepared not to miss this important moment. Otherwise, your dog can easily turn a sofa or bed into a “maternity ward”, and you can develop psychosis due to worries about your girl. Before giving birth, the dog begins to behave restlessly. Even before the contractions begin, she begins to look for a place to give birth, and if she has already found it, she will dig the bedding and make herself comfortable. This means that soon, soon everything will begin. As soon as your girl (fish, bunny, darling) lets you know that she is ready to give birth to her offspring, prepare everything you need to meet her. Take out and place all the above medications in a convenient place, soak acrylic threads in a saucer with alcohol and have a hot water bottle or bottles ready to replace it. Wash the syringe with boiling water, wipe the scissors with alcohol, make sure you have the vet's phone number at hand. It is also a good idea to prepare the puppy box in advance. Line it with a flannel blanket (or a heated blanket) and a clean diaper. And most importantly, prepare yourself. Don't panic! There is nothing wrong with your dog giving birth now. This is a natural process. So calm down and try to calm the dog down. Pet her, say sweet words. Remember that your excessive anxiety can be transmitted to the dog. And she is already having a hard time. Watch how she behaves. Signs of contractions: chills (fine tremors), rapid breathing, panting, digging the bedding. If you are already observing all of this, then pushing will soon begin, and then the birth itself.
Childbirth
Before the puppy appears, the pushing and looping begins(vulva) becomes loose and elongated. You will see a spasm running through the dog's body, and water pouring out of the loop. This water may be clear, or it may be yellowish (greenish), cloudy and with flakes. At this point, your girl may start licking herself, or she may take a comfortable position: lying on her side, hunched over as if she were going to relieve herself, or standing on her hind legs, and resting her front legs on a table or chair. Do not interfere with her, but be prepared to receive the first puppy. It is the first puppy that may get stuck, causing panic in both the mother and you. But this is not a fact! Perhaps your intervention will not be required. Nevertheless, be prepared. After the amniotic fluid has left, something resembling a bubble or a pink nose or paw appears from the loop. At this point, the dog begins to strain, pulling her tail back, and the puppy safely slips out. But! The birth of small breed dogs or first-time mothers can be complicated by some surprises. Sometimes these "incompetents", having given birth to the head or body, calm down, deciding that everything is over and try to sit on their bottom. Do not let the dog do this under any circumstances. Holding her in a standing or lying position (it is better if an assistant does this) insert a finger lubricated with Levomekol into the loop. Do not be afraid. Do this carefully, moving your finger along the puppy until you hit the bridge (the narrowest part of the vagina). Carefully "dive" under this bridge and move your finger around the puppy. Then everything will go like clockwork: the mother will strain and "spit out" the puppy. Immediately after the puppy, the placenta should appear, similar to a piece of raw liver (possibly greenish). Ideally, without your intervention, everything will happen like this. The mother rips the amniotic sac with her teeth, bites off the umbilical cord and starts licking the puppy, stimulating its breathing. At the same time, she eats the afterbirth. If this is how it happens, do not interfere, but act as an observer (independent and happy). If the dog does not take care of the puppy, then you need to do it.
Care for a newborn puppy
You will only have to do all these manipulationsif the mother refuses to handle the puppy herself. If the dog has licked the puppy, do not touch it until the second one begins to be born. Then take the baby from the mother and put it in a box warmed with a heating pad or a heated blanket. Remember that without the mother, it will freeze, so make sure that the box is warm. If the dog shows anxiety between the births of puppies, take them away from the mother only at the time of the birth of the next baby.
Tips and Wishes
In fact, everything is not as strange as it might seem.imagine. And if the dog has a healthy maternal instinct, then she will practically not need your help. Although she will not be against your presence at this sacrament. She also needs sympathy, moral support and a sense of confidence. Therefore, listen to the advice of experienced dog owners and veterinarians, so as not to harm the mental and physical health of your pet (and yours too):
- if all the dogs behave normally, then do not fuss and do not bother her;
- Do not panic if more than half an hour has passed since the birth of the puppy, and the next one does not yet exist: this break can last up to several hours;
- with long attempts (protracted labor), do not be afraid to help the girl by repeating the procedure with a finger lubricated with a left-handed needle;
- in no case do not scold her, do not cry and do not cry yourself;
- at any suspicion of a possible pathology of labor, call the veterinarian urgently (perhaps, his counseling will be enough);
- be sure to stock up with the amount of money in advance for payment of veterinary assistance.
But even after reading a pile of specialized literature,Having consulted with the best specialists and knowing in theory how to deliver a dog's baby, be attentive, first of all, to the dog itself. It has instincts (which we have almost lost) and will tell you whether it needs help or not. Of course, if there is trust and love between you. And there simply cannot be any between a dog and a person (at least on its part). We recommend reading:
