Aa
newborn puppies
so, i am a not responsibile dog owner, i have 2 dogs, male and female, female black lab is only a year old, she got pregnant by my other dog, i wanted to sterelize the male, but kept putting it off for later, and didn't see she was in heat...so she got pregnant, on wednesday we brought her to a vet, and he said she has about another month till the puppies come, but guess what, my fiance goes downstairs in the morning today and there they are...4 puppies..one died.. we werent there for her when she was in labour, because she sleeps in the kitchen, and i think one died because she didn't lick the membrane off completely..it was covering its head..or it could of been still born, don't know, sad.. :(
we are not prepared, don't even have a basket (my fiance left straight away to shops, to get a basket with a bed and formula, to make sure the puppies will eat enough...just waiting for him to come back)
the puppies look healthy, and not premature, the mother is very good too, stays with them, lets them eat... i was worried about her mothering them because shes young..but she did great :)
any advice for us? we didn't plan to breed her now, later, yes, with purebred labs, but she got puppies with a mix breed...and shes too young..
its a first time i'm dealing with puppies, i'm trying to read a lot now on the internet, how to care for them and what not.. need advice from people who went through this..
we are not prepared, don't even have a basket (my fiance left straight away to shops, to get a basket with a bed and formula, to make sure the puppies will eat enough...just waiting for him to come back)
the puppies look healthy, and not premature, the mother is very good too, stays with them, lets them eat... i was worried about her mothering them because shes young..but she did great :)
any advice for us? we didn't plan to breed her now, later, yes, with purebred labs, but she got puppies with a mix breed...and shes too young..
its a first time i'm dealing with puppies, i'm trying to read a lot now on the internet, how to care for them and what not.. need advice from people who went through this..
yes she has lose stools, because of the puppy formula, so i let her out very often, no odor, and the puppies are so cute, cant wait tilll they are running around making trouble :)
Sounds like everything is going well but do keep an eye on that discharge and possible odor.
Handle the puppies more, stroke them, etc so they will get used to the human touch and smell.
Watch Mom's stool as the milk may give her loose stools. She needs a good quality dog food.
Didn't mean to put the water so close, just nearby. As I have crates and pens,I have the dishes that hang on the sides or doors.
Handle the puppies more, stroke them, etc so they will get used to the human touch and smell.
Watch Mom's stool as the milk may give her loose stools. She needs a good quality dog food.
Didn't mean to put the water so close, just nearby. As I have crates and pens,I have the dishes that hang on the sides or doors.
thank you all very much, the pupppies are doing great, they are 4 days old now, the father is away from them and the mother is very good with them, spends most of the time lying beside them.. only one puppy had a little bit of cord attached but if fell of yesterday, i didn't tie it as it wasn't bleeding or anything..
and if someone is reading this to get information, don't do what i did, don't put the water bowl right beside the mothers bed, yesterday one puppy almost crawled off the bed and right into the bowl, good thing i was in the room to move the puppy and the bowl before he reached it, he could've drowned :(
we bought them the puppy formula but the mother seems to have enough milk, so i've been giving the mother the formula instead because it says on the box that its good for puppies, pregnant dogs and lactating dogs, more nutrients for her and the puppies :)
there was no placenta, so i'm assuming she ate it all, and her discharge is red, no sign of infection or anything :)
the puppies are handled a little bit, by us when we are moving them if they crawl off the bed, or when the mother lies down on them uncomfortably, and by other people who visited to see them :)
and if someone is reading this to get information, don't do what i did, don't put the water bowl right beside the mothers bed, yesterday one puppy almost crawled off the bed and right into the bowl, good thing i was in the room to move the puppy and the bowl before he reached it, he could've drowned :(
we bought them the puppy formula but the mother seems to have enough milk, so i've been giving the mother the formula instead because it says on the box that its good for puppies, pregnant dogs and lactating dogs, more nutrients for her and the puppies :)
there was no placenta, so i'm assuming she ate it all, and her discharge is red, no sign of infection or anything :)
the puppies are handled a little bit, by us when we are moving them if they crawl off the bed, or when the mother lies down on them uncomfortably, and by other people who visited to see them :)
That discussion got so long, those puppies would probably be weaned before they got to the end! LOL!
Margot----Yes, your right! Sorry about that...Should have read it again, first! I'll remember next time! :) Karla
Mom will know what to do. She will care for them, but I would recommend taking them to the vet and getting checked out.
Ask your vet what you should do.
I had an oops a few years ago as well. Unfortunately I had 13 puppies instead of just a few. I locked off a room with a gate and gave the dogs that room. I made sure there was paper on the floor and cleaned it every day. Mom will want to spend most of her time with them, but she will need to eat lots and drink lots.
Remember to socialize the pups as they grow up. Introduce them to the smells of grass, dirt, and life in general. Bring smells of other dogs and handle them countless times a day. Let other people hold them too, but be gentle. Between 4-6 weeks mom will really start trying to push away the pups, this is where your vets opinion will come in handy. Puppies are puppies whether they are purebred or mutts.
You will only be considered irresponsible if you can't help this momma and her puppies for 8 weeks.
Ask your vet what you should do.
I had an oops a few years ago as well. Unfortunately I had 13 puppies instead of just a few. I locked off a room with a gate and gave the dogs that room. I made sure there was paper on the floor and cleaned it every day. Mom will want to spend most of her time with them, but she will need to eat lots and drink lots.
Remember to socialize the pups as they grow up. Introduce them to the smells of grass, dirt, and life in general. Bring smells of other dogs and handle them countless times a day. Let other people hold them too, but be gentle. Between 4-6 weeks mom will really start trying to push away the pups, this is where your vets opinion will come in handy. Puppies are puppies whether they are purebred or mutts.
You will only be considered irresponsible if you can't help this momma and her puppies for 8 weeks.
I'll try again:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Dogs/stray-dog-pregnant-or-not/show/2034792#post_9727213
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Dogs/stray-dog-pregnant-or-not/show/2034792#post_9727213
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You want to put her bed in a quiet area and away from drafts. She should have access to her food and water nearby. She may or may not want to go outside. If not, leash her and take her out.
I am not a big fan of a lot of loose towels or blankets in with small pups. I usually take a pad (or her bed pad) wrap large towels or a blanket around it and secure underneath with safety pins. I use crates and drape a blanket over the sides for warmth, in cold weather. You don't want the pups to get cold. If they are laid out or spread out and their foot pads are pink, they are fine. Just make sure they are all nursing and she is cleaning them as they need that stimulation to potty. Since you were AWOL during the birth, check the umbilical cords to make sure they are not too short, no bleeding, etc. they will dry up and fall off in a few days. Did you see any placentas or did she consume them? It is important that a placenta was expelled after each pup and nothing was retained which would cause a serious infection. If you notice a green or ***** discharge or she has an odor, that warrants a VET visit ASAP!!
Pups, on average, open their eyes 10-14 days and start hearing then also. Handle them daily but securely.
You will need to do regular wormings and shots, best to take a stool sample to the Vet and get the proper meds. No not use meds from the pet store.
Depending on the maturity of the pups, you can usually start weaning at around 4 weeks. I have always started with canned goat's milk and added boxed baby rice cereal then gradually use a good quality puppy kibble, ground fine in a blender to make a gruel with the goat's milk or warm water and stop the cereal.
Any other questions, we can try to answer them.
Yes, do get your make neutered!
Why do you want to breed your Lab? Breeding is a big responsibility and a lot of science, when done correctly. You need to know what possible genetic problems your breed can have and all pure bred dogs do.