Comments on: Can you please answer these questions about my dog having puppies?

By: moops4783

moops4783 — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:38:39 +0000

Giving birth is very natural, but I understand that you want to be on full alert. Here are just a few helpful tips. First off, have the number to your vet at hand in case the birth is not going well. Your dog will either pick her own place to have her litter or she’ll come to you when the water breaks. Make sure you have blankets ready for her to lie on. Instinct generally takes over and helps the mama dog know what to do. If she comes to you, looking confused, you need to find a nice quiet, out of the way spot for her. If she’s an outside dog, make sure she has shelter. She may need assistance, though this has rarely happened to me. The best thing you can do for her is be with her. Let her know you care and you’re there if she needs you, between contractions making soothing sounds and touch her head. The only part of taking care of the puppies you need to really participate in is taking care of the mother so she can in turn take care of her litter. Puppies generally start opening their eyes around the beginning of their second week, they’ll start moving around more after that. They’ll start eating dog food when they’re ready, but in my experience it’s generally around week seven. You can start looking for new homes for them right away, but don’t take them from their mom until they are eight weeks old or older. The mama dog will start nipping at them when it’s time for them to stop nursing and start eating actual dog food. Seeing puppies being born is interesting, they come out in their placenta sacks, then the mama dog has to tear the sack open and clean the baby. If you notice that she isn’t opening the sack, don’t be afraid to tear it open, and get it off the puppies face and out of it’s mouth. If any of the puppies don’t seem to be breathing, wrap it in a towel and rub gently but firmly for a few minutes, this should revive them. In most cases, the mama dog knows exactly what to do, all you really need to do is make sure she’s comfortable and have a bowl of water around for her to drink between contractions. Good luck!

By: GitEmGang

GitEmGang — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:33:03 +0000

OMG!!!!! THIS IS ***SO*** SCARY!!!!

PLEASE!!!Tell me this was an ACCIDENT!!!That you were *just* irresponsible enough to NEGLECT to SPAY *&* keep the poor thing SAFE from being covered!?!?
You DIDN’T do this ON PURPOSE???? With such TOTAL lack of the BASIC INFORMATION???

You should be ASHAMED *&* scared to death!
***AND*** talk to your VET IMMEADIATELY!!!

By: gorfette

gorfette — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:44:19 +0000

The cost of puppies varies by how much your vet charges for services. If the puppies are born with hind dew claws (flimsy claws on the inside of the hind “ankles”) they will need to be removed within 48 hours of birth. Not all dogs are born with these claws so check them to make sure. It’s also good to bring the pups to the vet 24-48 hours after they are born just to make sure they are in good health. Dogs can have puppies by themselves but it’s always wise to be there to supervise in case there’s a breach in the litter - you may have to reach in there and turn the pup around…..again, a vet will be able to tell you what to look for and how to correct the problem without creating another. Mom will look after the pups, don’t worry, it’s a natural instict, you shouldn’t have to intervene there. Each pup will be born covered in a sack with the umbilical cord attached to a placenta. Don’t worry, mom will break the sac and cut the cord. She will even eat everything (sac, cord & placenta) - DON’T STOP THIS! As gross as it sounds, it is healthy for her to do this. Dogs will generally have their pups where they choose to but you can pick a spot for her by building her a nursing bed in an area that is the “quietest” spot in your house, somewhere that she won’t be bothered while she’s whelping and she feels safe to be. The walls of the bed should be high enough where the pups won’t be able to climb out of but mom can get in and out without having to jump. The puppies eyes should start opening between one to two weeks of age, it takes time for them to completely open and they won’t be able to make out much until they are open. At around 3-4 weeks, the pups will start cutting teeth and mom won’t be so keen on nursing them for long periods of time, and you should supplement their nursing with small amounts of soft food - you can use canned puppy food or soak and mash dry food to a liquid consistancy until they learn to chew their food. You should be able to tell when to start feeding them solids - usually when mom jumps out of the pen and they still whine and cry acting hungry - you’ll know. When it comes time to introduce solid food, make sure moms not in the room with them or she’ll eat all the food and then leave before the puppies can get their fill. As for actually taking care of the puppies, mom does most of the work, but she’ll need you to clean the paper, bedding and giving her a “break” once their eyes are opened by sitting with them and playing with them. Good luck and have fun….puppies are a lot of work but are so fun to have! Also, during delivery (or whelping), it could take awhile between pups, it’s safe to bring her outside to relieve herself just make sure that she’s not having contractions before bringing her out and follow closely while she is out there in case she does whelp a pup outside. Urinating can encourage whelping, so it’s a good idea to let her out during ‘lulls’. I wouldn’t worry too much if there is an hour or more between pups, this can happen and is considered fairly normal providing your dog is not having strong contractions. If your dog is having strong contractions and is straining for more than 20 minutes, you’ll have to bring her in to a vet, it could be the pup is too big for mom to whelp and may need a caesarian done.

By: Arabian Nights

Arabian Nights — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:39:49 +0000

that is a lot of Question’s!
1. If the pup’s r healthy it won’t cost much. and the first few weeks it won’
t cost anything B/c the mother will feed them w/ her milk.
2 And 3. if there r no problem’s with the birth, a dog will be fine.
4. If the birth was ok them you don’t need to do anything
5. for a month or two, but always give the pup’s Lot’s of love so that they r nice and friendly w/ ppl when they grow up!
6. the mother will need a warm, quiet, and out of the way place to have her puppies. so find a corner in a room ppl don’t use a lot. You might want to put hot water bottles or electric blankets in the corner too. but have other blanket too.
7. It may take a week or two before the pup’s see or hear. they r born w/ their eyes and ears closed
8. When the mother star’s to not have milk, introduce the puppies to wet food. and slowly mix in dry food as they get older.

But the best thing to do is to have a Vet on hand. Just in case the mother dog has problems

By: Suzanne G

Suzanne G — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:57:09 +0000

I don’t have time now, E me if you don’t get an acceptable answer.

By: linda_az06

linda_az06 — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:15:45 +0000

Wow! my suggestion is to call the nearest vetiarian clinic and let them know your dog is having puppies. And yes sometimes the female dog needs assistance if there might be a problem. To prepare for the birth of the pups I would make a bed with blankets and lots of towels if you are going to be there for the blessed event. the puppies should nurse from their mom for 6 to 8 weeks. Feeding them dog food comes after they are weaned off the mom. I would say 6 weeks or so.Good Luck!

By: venus

venus — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 02:30:57 +0000

1.) If you do it right puppies will cost a fortune, shots, worming, proper food, and supplements.
2.) yes dogs can have puppies by them selves, just make sure that she has one every 20 minutes, if not get her to the vet.
3.) Sometimes they do need assistance, but most times they are OK on their own.
4.) The mother will pretty much take care of the pups, but you will need to make sure they have clean bedding, water, and the mother has food.
5.) Most good breeders will not get rid of the pups until they are about 8 weeks old.
6.) If you make her a nest box and show her where it is she will have the pups in the nest box.
7.) Most of the pups should be walking within 2 weeks, and have their eyes open.
8.) at about 3-4 weeks old take some puppy chow and soak it until it is mush then put it in a blender and blend good, then take and put it in a pan, put the pups in front of it, if they lap at it you could start giving it to them, but they will still need their mothers milk until they are about 5-6 weeks old. Good luck to you and congrats.

By: k

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:03:53 +0000

you need to go see your vet immediately. Your dog will probably need to be on a different diet than she was now that she’s pregnant, especially when it gets closer to the time she will deliver.

It can be very expensive to have puppies, particularly depending on the breed of dog. Some dogs, especially small ones often need c-sections to deliver the puppies. This is why it’s important to talk to your vet and make sure she can deliver them on her own. Also, when it gets closer, you’ll want to get an x-ray or ultrasound to determine how many puppies she has…then, if she delivers them naturally, you’ll know how many to expect.

It is ABSOLUTELY untrue that it doesn’t cost anything to have puppies: you have to buy special food for mom, you have to buy special food for the puppies, you have to buy a whelping box, plus towels and blankets. Then there are the vet visits and the vaccinations and de-worming…just like people, your mother to be should be seeing the vet regularly to make sure everything is going smoothly and the pups will need to be checked out as soon as they arrive. The puppies should also have their dew-claws removed within the first few days they are born. Then there are the puppy toys and IF something goes wrong emergency vet visits and potential emergency surgeries. There’s a chance your dog will not want to be a mom and will refuse to care for the pups, if this is the case, you’ll have to bottle feed them which means buying formula and baby bottles. There’s also a whole host of emergency supplies you should have on hand (see the link below). DO NOT let anyone con you into thinking this is not an expensive, time-consuming and occasionally heart-breaking endeavor…there are lots of things that can go wrong, and, in order to be prepared, there’s money to be spent to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Most dogs can deliver puppies without assistance, but it’s always best that you be there to help if she needs it, especially first time moms. You’ll need to get a whelping box, preferably one with pig rails so she doesn’t roll over on the puppies and kill them. See the links below for pictures:

This link also has a nice list of supplies you might want to have on hand:

Puppies do have umbilical cords and usually the mother will chew it off, but you may have to intervene…the book I reccommended will cover in detail what may need to happen.

The puppies should stay with the mother for at least 8 weeks, I know lots of people sell their puppies as soon as 6 weeks, but this is TOO soon. Even though they will be on puppy food by then and will be whelped, they are still learning important lessons from mom about how to be a dog and shouldn’t be taken away until 8 weeks.

You shouldn’t let her have them anywhere she wants, you need to buy a whelping pen and get her used to it before the big day, do not let her next in other places, especially outside.

I recommend you buy this book ( you can find it on amazon.com) and read it several times cover to cover and consult your vet, you can never be too prepared:

Successful Dog Breeding : The Complete Handbook of Canine Midwifery (Howell Reference Books) [Hardcover]
By: Chris Walkowicz, Bonnie Wilcox

As soon as your dog has her puppies and is healthy enough, please have her spayed for the sake of her own health.

Good luck.

By: robins_rodents

robins_rodents — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:51:05 +0000

PLEASE go to the library and check out a book. I hope you didn’t breed your dog on purpose, as you clearly have no idea what you are doing. That’s fine, everyone starts somewhere, but you should have learned all this BEFORE she got pregnant. Well, to answer your questions…

1. It shouldn’t cost anything to have puppies, really, unless your dog has problems, and needs medical attention or a C-section. Those can be quite expensive. You also should vaccinate your puppies. I also would reccommend taking your dog for a checkup before she gives birth, and your vet can give you some pointers as well.

2. Dogs usually can give birth unassisted, in fact it’s usually better if you don’t interfere. If you think there is something wrong, or she has been straining for an hour and pushing and no puppies are being born, you should call your vet.

3. They normally don’t need assistance, just keep an eye on the mom so she doesn’t step on the puppies as they are being born, and also make sure she doesn’t intentionally hurt them (rare, but it does happen). Keep her warm and quiet and she should do the rest. Do keep an eye on her though (chances are you won’t even see her give birth, as they usually do it during the night), in case something goes wrong and you need to call the vet.

4. The mother will take care of the puppies, mostly. Depending on what breed they are, they may need their dew claws removed by a vet, which is usually done at 1-2 days of age. All you need to do is handle them, so they are tame and friendly. When they start walking around, you will be able to provide them with watered down kibble so they can begin to eat, though they will still nurse at this point.

5. The mother will take care of the puppies until the puppies leave her, though her care will become less involved once she starts weaning them.

6. The mother will choose an area to whelp that is calm, quiet, and comfortable. If you provide her with a suitable area, she will use it. Make sure the puppies cannot fall out or get stuck anywhere in it, and that they will be warm enough.

7. Puppies open their eyes around 2 weeks, and begin to walk around 2-3 weeks, though they can squirm around before then.

8. The puppies will eat food when they start to walk, though they will still nurse. Soak some kibble in water and mush it up for them. Once they are 6-8 weeks old you can give them some dry to munch on, but they still may need it watered down just a bit.

By: mercy me

mercy me — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 13:36:59 +0000

First thing you should do is calm down…..dogs been having puppies for years….as for her needing help: probably not they know what to do automatically unless it is an extremely small dog and it’s her first liter you probably won’t even know she has had them unless you keep her close to you………my female pit just gave birth to 8 beautiful pups….all we did was keep an eye on her around the time of birth ( you can tell when that will be she will act tired and rest alot and start swelling in the back) if you fix her a good pallet and let her sleep on it that is most likely where she will have them…..she had no trouble delivering all 8 my husband and I helped her dry them (mostly for us though we had been waiting for them to get here ) then we got a portable playpen and kept the puppies in it giving her a cut out in the side to come and go…she will keep them cleaned and everything ….they usually wean them at 6 weeks………hope you enjoy them……