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Topic Dog Boards / Breeding / restless nursing bitch?
- By Boody Date 30.11.13 10:11 UTC
My girl whelped 4 pups tuesday gone, she has been a great mom so far and all are a even weight with the smallest being 20 GS less than the biggest. However since yesterday she has been trying to get behind the whelping box, digging and fidgety. Also now and then she gets a bit full on with the smallest pup and keeps mouthing him and putting him under her. Her whelping box is covered,we are in a room by ourselves in the back of the house and she is eating well.
- By Dill [gb] Date 30.11.13 10:49 UTC
Personally, I would have her checked over by the vet, her calcium levels may not be ideal. 

This is from The Book of The Bitch
[url=]http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=zi_bbk9kUNAC&pg=PA150&lpg=PA150&dq=eclampsia+bitch+signs&source=bl&ots=ajVzwL9PdC&sig=Nncyoa2LdAdVA79lyhKng7srblw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=cMKZUtfiComN0AXSloGwAw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=eclampsia%20bitch%20signs&f=false
[/url]

Also check the pup's nails, they may be scratching her ;)

Hope you get her sorted soon
- By Boody Date 30.11.13 11:00 UTC
Thanks dill, I have got appointment for 11 45, I don't know why I never thought about her calcium levels, I have been giving her calciboost and puppy food etc but they are four figourous pups so makes sense really.
I looked in my book of the bitch but couldn't see anything about mouthing pups, I blame lack of sleep.
- By Boody Date 30.11.13 11:04 UTC
Stupid question should itake pups with me or leave them home with heat pad? I am in a flap now.
- By Brainless [gb] Date 30.11.13 11:07 UTC
depends how long your likely to be. 

If less than two hours, and they feed just before you leave, then I'd leave them at home.
- By Boody Date 30.11.13 11:08 UTC
Hopefully less than two hours, ishall feed them now and as vets only five minutes away for can always come back if need be.
- By Brainless [gb] Date 30.11.13 11:12 UTC
Then definitely leave them home.
- By Boody Date 30.11.13 11:15 UTC
Thanks Barbara shall do.
- By Boody Date 30.11.13 12:51 UTC
Back from vets, he was not very concerned but he's took a blood sample and is going to phone me back with results.
- By Jeangenie [gb] Date 30.11.13 13:40 UTC
Were you giving her extra calcium during pregnancy or only after whelping?
- By Boody Date 30.11.13 13:58 UTC
Only after whelping.
- By MamaBas [gb] Date 30.11.13 15:49 UTC
Just to say, and it's probably too late now, I'd take the puppies with you...... he might as well check them for abnormalities in any case if he hasn't and yes, on a heat pad.   If you leave them at home, as newborn puppies can't regulate their own heat, they must have some external heat while mum is away.   We used a brood lamp over the whelping box to keep it at an even temperature of around 80F.

We always had to clip the pointy ends of nails from days old, to prevent scratching mum.  

And finally, did you get her in for a shot to expel any retained birthing material immediately after she finished whelping?   Yes this could be a calcium problem, much as that normally happens into the 2nd week, when the demands of the litter start to take its toll on mum.   But I am wondering if she's retained something, and is feeling unwell because of it.
- By Boody Date 30.11.13 15:58 UTC
Hiya, her temp was fine and she is eating drinking normally, I thinki perhaps have the room a little bit😁 to warm for her as it a new house with excellent insulation. I have took the vet bed out and put a thin blanket and they and her are a lot more settled now.
- By Brainless [gb] Date 30.11.13 17:19 UTC
Having a Spitz breed myself I too find that the bitches, and the pups very quickly get too hot.

I use a heat pad and cover the whelping box at 30 inch height,  I have a thermometer attached to the box and find that even at 48 hours old they dislike it any hotter than 22'C or so. 

The pups keep away from the heat pad at that temperature.  By a week old they don't want the heat pad in the day and I keep room at 20'C, and only switch it on at night.
- By Boody Date 30.11.13 17:25 UTC
You are exactly right Barbara, mine will go no where near the heat pad and all spread out round the whelping box, I have turned the heat nearly off in the whelping room and I think the heat that will rise from downstairs will be plenty enough for them now.
- By Dill [gb] Date 30.11.13 19:01 UTC
I've never used a heat pad or lamp for pups, although I used a heat pad for kittens.

I just used a fleecy blanket over the whelping box, hanging down about 10 " at the front, and the flap of the box was 6"  up from the bottom.   Bedlington bitches are like hens on eggs and keep the pups nice and warm, they barely  leave them :-)   A thermometer told me they were toasty :-)

Of course, there was a radiator about 4 ft from the front of the box, so I'm sure that also helped :-)

Glad you've got her sorted, it's such a worry when they aren't right :-)
- By Boody Date 30.11.13 19:24 UTC
Ok so he has just rang,  calcium is normal just on the slightly lower side of normal but okay none the less.
Topic Dog Boards / Breeding / restless nursing bitch?

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