Hi

I'm after some help and advice from people with experience in breeding Pugs or even a breed with the similar 'flat face'.

My girl is six weeks along now so i have been doing continuous research on the web about whelping etc but i keep finding conflicting advice when it comes to the 'umbilical cord', whether to leave mum to chew it away from the pups?? or to intervene and clamp and cut the cord myself?? The problem seems to be coming up because of their faces and causing hernias ?!

Any help and advice would much appreciated as this is her first litter and i want to be able to do everything i can possible to help and do right by her and  the pups but also not interfere with her natural instinct!!!

Thanks 

This is the time when you need a mentor to help and guild you ....i know breeders that will do the cords them selfs the breed are flat faced but not pugs but dont clamp i use my own nail to shred the cord likemum wouls do it with her teeth ,less blood loss.

Another one here who doesn't use clamps.  Preferring to tear with my thumb.  However, I never take the job off the bitch.  I only intervene when a bitch is unsure, or not quick enough.  The same with tearing the sac open.

You must have very good thumbnails.  I have only so far broken cords with kittens, and they are tougher than you'd think.

My thumbs are my strongest nails!  I even use them to remove plaque!  :-)

Me too. I have clamps available but have only ever used them once. Fingers and thumbs here .And yes, I only intervene if bitch looking unsure.

Hi

Thanks for all your comments :) every bit helps. Hearing about peoples actual experiences is better than books i find!

What are opinions on dental floss? Not needed if done with thumbs i take it? Also the conflicting info is the length if you have to take over, with of a finger or over a inch??

Might seem like daft questions to some but just want make sure i get everything spot on, you can never have to much info :)

AS a pug breeder i would say the chances of your girl actually wanting anything to do with a newborn, much less cut a cord, is slim!  A pug mum is more likely to run away in panic immediately post partum, and want a cuddle from you. Not much in the way of natural maternal instincts, many of them.  I either use my nails or slightly blunt scissors, holding the card towards pup's tummy very tightly to restrict blood flow, and cutting/ breaking cord with other hand.  I always have clamp forceps and thread ready, but only had to use once in 20 + years, and then not for a pug puppy.

I always cut them with sterile scissors and if they bleed tie off with thread. But I deliver pups remove sac cut cord then give to mum.The way I prefer it. Use bulb asp as well.

I have flat face breed, I cut with sterile scissors and no hernias, when bitch has done it I have had a couple with hernias.

I always take charge of the cords/sacs, pug mums are not usually bothered about all that. I usually use my nails to break the cord apart, if the cord is stubborn then I'll do as much as possible with nails and then snip through with the scissors. This way, as others have said, the breaking up with nails reduces the bleeding.
I also clear the pups airways and rub down, our mums are usually too busy eating the placenta to give much thought to their newborns! Once the pups are squeaking nicely, then I offer them to mum and then if she isn't busy pushing the next pup already, then put them on her for the first feed.
Also when the time is near and you know she has only a couple of days to go (if you dont already do so) then bed down next to mum through the night and do not leave her in the day either. Handy if you have someone to take shifts with you, if not then be prepared for the long haul of sleeplessness lol!

Thanks looks like thumbs and nails are the way then ha and scissors on standby!

I think i will take charge then of getting the pups out of sacs, cords, cleaned up, and airways etc just incase.

Very excited now just 12 days to go :) whelping box has now been set up tonight, making it all very real now!!

Any opinions on the flooring in your whelping box?? My friend uses newspaper as hers likes to dig on it!

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Any opinions on the flooring in your whelping box?? My friend uses newspaper as hers likes to dig on it!

Shredded paper, newspaper by hand into short thin pieces, everything else through a shredder.

The paper really helps keep things warm and clean and easier to remove than wads of newspaper during whelping.

My bitches tend to dig in the first week and I was forever having kittens with them digging up the vet bed and the risk of pups getting under and being laid on.

So I now use copious deep litter of shredded paper with heat pad underneath.

Once the bitch is no longer in digging mode and pups bigger and starting to urinate unaided I put vet bed in.

I have a few bits of old vet bed which are the size of the bottom of the box, this helps suck the moisture away from mum and into the newspaper underneath.
I put a thick layer of newspaper under to soak up the fluids and being as its many layers thick you can whip out the wet/dirty stuff as you go.
On top of the vet bed I put an old towel or two, this she tends to ruck up and kick about whilst digging, it also means again you can remove and replace the towels as they get dirty. I have large amount of old towels, you may need to ask family/friends if they have any old thread bare towels you could have.

Start saving the newspapers if you haven't already, you'll need them all the way through, from birth to papertraining pups!