Whelping Pups
Everybody kind of discourages folks from breeding at all, but few say why. The truth is that most dogs produced today aren't worth a damn. The other truth is that when things go wrong, they go very wrong and your pups die, your bitch can die and you can be left standing with nothing but a huge vet bill. The risk of the huge vet bill and unbelievable sorrow isn't worth it if you are going to produce crappy dogs. If you intend to produce good dogs, the risk might be worth it to you.
Folks will tell you that you need these supplies and that kind of stuff, and most of the lists are pretty good. Some get downright silly because by the time you get around to using some of the items on the list, you needed to be at the vet's office an hour earlier. So what exactly do you need to whelp pups?
A good Whelping Suite.
You need a spot that is private enough, not drafty, where the bitch and pups will be safe. The floor should be easy to clean. I know it sounds really simple and it really isn't that difficult, but you do need to think about it. Until proven otherwise, you should assume your bitch will protect her pups against your other pets and family members. She is also going to scrounge for food (and non-food) to feed to her pups, so keep her away from your kitchen and drug cabinets. Think about how she will go out, remember she'll be eating several times her normal food intake, and need to go outside very frequently. When she goes out, you need to think about drafts. At four weeks, the pups start going out quite a bit.
A good Whelping Box.
There are a lot of designs out there. (Click the link above to see one of my friend's box.) A whelping box does a few things. It allows your bitch to have a safe place to keep her puppies. It protects the pups from accidental crushing by momma. It confines mobile pups to a safe place. The box needs to be sanitary and easy to keep sanitary, and safe with "pig rails" and expandable so it can get taller as the pups get older.
Towels.
You need dozens of towels. I like the ones from Wal-mart in the automotive department. You get a dozen small towels for about $5. Go buy $20 worth. You will also need a few larger towels. The towels are to clean up the puppies and the ick. I like the hand-sized towels because they are easy to handle the pup in, and unlikely to loose the pup in one.
Hemostats and scissors.
The hemostats are to clamp the umbilical cord, and the scissors are to trim off the excess. When you trim, it goes Puppy - Hemostats - Cut. Not Puppy - Cut - Hemostat. You leave the crushed part with the puppy so the blood coagulates. We recommend German hemostats if you can find them, and children's scissors or bandage scissors will do nicely.
Incubator.
You need a spot to put the puppies while your bitch is in labor so they don't get stepped on by you or her. They can stay with mom during the process, but when hard labor starts, it's safer to put them in a separate box. My incubator is a cooler with the lid replaced with Plexiglas with holes in it. We use a corn-filled heating thing for a heat source. The other advantage to taking the pups away temporarily is the new pup can get sole access to suckle.
Esbilac, Goat's milk and Bottles.
You need the milk replacer before you need it. You can't run down to the Qwik-E-Mart and get these items. Many vet's offices don't carry them. I mix the powder with the goat's milk instead of water. It dramatically increases the pups' suckling. You need the little pet bottles, infant ones are too big. I can't find pre-me bottles; I figure most pre-me's go home from the hospital with them. Both products are made by Pet-Ag. Canned goat's milk can be found in the grocery store in the health-food section.
A good Veterinarian.
Chances are your veterinarian has never naturally whelped a litter of puppies. She may have never done a C-Section. In fact so many of the pets that actually see a veterinarian are spayed or neutered veterinarians seldom actually see intact animals. They do not study canine reproduction very much, if at all, in veterinary school. Many veterinarians are hostile to dog breeders.
Do not assume the emergency clinic's veterinarians know how to do a c-section. Many of them have a lot of experience, others don't. You need to find out before you have a problem.
So where do you start? I recommend you start with one of the veterinarians that bulldog breeders recommend. You see nearly all bulldogs are artificially inseminated, and whelped via c-section. The breeders have sniffed out the best veterinarians in the area, and those vets have a lot of experience in reproductive services.
Some questions to ask:
Once you have found your new vet, you need to develop a relationship with her. This means having the regular check-ups and screenings. You need to spend a little money here. If you want to get a veterinarian out of bed in the middle of the night, she needs to be part of the process. You need to be a client, not an occasional customer.
Folks will tell you that you need these supplies and that kind of stuff, and most of the lists are pretty good. Some get downright silly because by the time you get around to using some of the items on the list, you needed to be at the vet's office an hour earlier. So what exactly do you need to whelp pups?
A good Whelping Suite.
You need a spot that is private enough, not drafty, where the bitch and pups will be safe. The floor should be easy to clean. I know it sounds really simple and it really isn't that difficult, but you do need to think about it. Until proven otherwise, you should assume your bitch will protect her pups against your other pets and family members. She is also going to scrounge for food (and non-food) to feed to her pups, so keep her away from your kitchen and drug cabinets. Think about how she will go out, remember she'll be eating several times her normal food intake, and need to go outside very frequently. When she goes out, you need to think about drafts. At four weeks, the pups start going out quite a bit.
A good Whelping Box.
There are a lot of designs out there. (Click the link above to see one of my friend's box.) A whelping box does a few things. It allows your bitch to have a safe place to keep her puppies. It protects the pups from accidental crushing by momma. It confines mobile pups to a safe place. The box needs to be sanitary and easy to keep sanitary, and safe with "pig rails" and expandable so it can get taller as the pups get older.
Towels.
You need dozens of towels. I like the ones from Wal-mart in the automotive department. You get a dozen small towels for about $5. Go buy $20 worth. You will also need a few larger towels. The towels are to clean up the puppies and the ick. I like the hand-sized towels because they are easy to handle the pup in, and unlikely to loose the pup in one.
Hemostats and scissors.
The hemostats are to clamp the umbilical cord, and the scissors are to trim off the excess. When you trim, it goes Puppy - Hemostats - Cut. Not Puppy - Cut - Hemostat. You leave the crushed part with the puppy so the blood coagulates. We recommend German hemostats if you can find them, and children's scissors or bandage scissors will do nicely.
Incubator.
You need a spot to put the puppies while your bitch is in labor so they don't get stepped on by you or her. They can stay with mom during the process, but when hard labor starts, it's safer to put them in a separate box. My incubator is a cooler with the lid replaced with Plexiglas with holes in it. We use a corn-filled heating thing for a heat source. The other advantage to taking the pups away temporarily is the new pup can get sole access to suckle.
Esbilac, Goat's milk and Bottles.
You need the milk replacer before you need it. You can't run down to the Qwik-E-Mart and get these items. Many vet's offices don't carry them. I mix the powder with the goat's milk instead of water. It dramatically increases the pups' suckling. You need the little pet bottles, infant ones are too big. I can't find pre-me bottles; I figure most pre-me's go home from the hospital with them. Both products are made by Pet-Ag. Canned goat's milk can be found in the grocery store in the health-food section.
A good Veterinarian.
Chances are your veterinarian has never naturally whelped a litter of puppies. She may have never done a C-Section. In fact so many of the pets that actually see a veterinarian are spayed or neutered veterinarians seldom actually see intact animals. They do not study canine reproduction very much, if at all, in veterinary school. Many veterinarians are hostile to dog breeders.
Do not assume the emergency clinic's veterinarians know how to do a c-section. Many of them have a lot of experience, others don't. You need to find out before you have a problem.
So where do you start? I recommend you start with one of the veterinarians that bulldog breeders recommend. You see nearly all bulldogs are artificially inseminated, and whelped via c-section. The breeders have sniffed out the best veterinarians in the area, and those vets have a lot of experience in reproductive services.
Some questions to ask:
| Do you do c-sections? | The answer to this is almost always "yes" even if they have never done one. |
| How many c-sections have you done in the past year? | It will depend on where you live, but you want at least a few. |
| If I need a c-section in the middle of the night, do I come here, or the emergency clinic? | The correct answer is "If you keep me informed about the due date and during the pregnancy, I will help you here." Otherwise, you need to start interviewing the emergency clinic veterinarian. |
| Do you think you will be available in (your projected due date)? | Veterinarians do have lives. If your due date is during the veterinary conference in Las Vegas or Orlando, you might be hard pressed to find a veterinarian working. |
| How much will a c-section in the middle of the night cost? | This will likely be in the thousands of dollars. |
Once you have found your new vet, you need to develop a relationship with her. This means having the regular check-ups and screenings. You need to spend a little money here. If you want to get a veterinarian out of bed in the middle of the night, she needs to be part of the process. You need to be a client, not an occasional customer.
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