First time breeder alert! I have a border terrier who whelped Friday evening at 5pm and 8pm We lost the first pup so we only have a singleton. Mum has panted and shivered continually since and seems a bit disinterested. Wants to leave the pup and come and sit with me or go anywhere but be with it. I have just read the article about calcium so have managed to get three rennies in her and already the panting seems diminished. Will get calcium carbonate tomorrow.  She is still shaking intermittently. I am having to make her go to the whelping box and I am helping the puppy latch on so that she gets to feed. The puppy is small and is in the whelping box with a heat lamp and a water bottle. Puppy head pad arriving tomorrow. Is there anything else I should be doing? My breeder said his bitches are the same, always stressing and won’t lie down etc for days after whelping.Panting and fretting is common he says.  I am worried, given half the chance she would just leave her and go and sleep on a bed somewhere. She is currently asleep ( one of the few times she has slept) on the temporary bed next to the whelping box, so quite a long way from the pup. We are on shifts watching this pup but I have a young baby too so am trying to avoid more weeks of sleep depravation. Any help or advice extremely welcome. Thank you

I have just been into the house ( we are in an annexe) to get more hot water for the bottle and she followed me and went straight to one of the children’s bedrooms miles away and jumped on their bed and went to sleep! I have now made her come back but she was extremely reluctant and it now on the bed with me. The trembling is significant with breaks of a couple of seconds between each tremble.

Has a vet examined her to make sure she’s empty? Shaking is a sign of pain. Pets4Homes sells calcium tablets, I should get some ASAP and not wait till tomorrow.

I'd have her examined by your vet to make sure she's empty.  And asap.

Pet bitches often need to be encouraged to stay with pups. They feel torn.

How experienced is your breeder, as her behaviour is not normal.

Calcium wise order Calo-calD from vet or on line. Calcium needs to be correctly balanced with vitamin D which this is.

Having a litter and sleep deprivation is the norm, especially in this case.

You need to sit with her by the box.

For the first 3 days she should not leave them at all, except to be dragged out for a wee, and rush straight back.

The constant suckling washing is what encourages bonding and gets the milk in (remember when your baby was born the feeling on the 3rd day when your milk came in?).

With a Singleton there is often less to help bonding.

With just one pup, have the pup and Mum somewhere you can be constantly, but keep children away from the pup.

Thank you. Breeder has 40 years experience and a couple of litters a year so I hope he know what’s what! When she is outside with me she stops shaking and panting and seems completely normal and happy. Normal pee and poo. I know her behaviour isn’t normal but I trawled the internal last night and I know it’s not uncommon. Particularly as she is extremely close to me and my husband and is our shadow. I will just keep and eye on her and stay close.

Thank you. I wrote the post in the middle of the night and when I said tomorrow I should have said in the morning.

Hi the vet scanned after the first pup was born and could only see one other heart beat. We had her scanned twice during pregnancy and only saw two. Would you scan again?

No.   But then I don't 'do' scanning as it only tells you whether, or not, there is a pregnancy at the time of the scan.   If she's gone past her due date, I'd have had her x-rayed to confirm, or not, whether she was empty.   And especially if she only produced 2 puppies, one doa.  Under those circumstances, mine had an oxytocin shot to clear out any remaining birth matter (unless the one pup was delivered by C.Section when it was all removed at the time).

My singleton birth was not easy with mum only really going in, after the first week, if that, other than to feed/clean.   I felt so sad for the singleton girl and gave her a stuffed sock to snuggle against during mum's absences or rather than leave her alone in the box, carried her around!!  There was no shivering or shaking going on with mum however.

I made sure I rotated the pup round all the teats to help prevent mastitis although with limited nursing (compared to a big normal sized litter) she wasn't producing that much milk.

Pup wize with our signelton puppy here is a few things we did.

Put some soft toys in the box and rolled flannels under the vet bed - as I had read single pups can spend to much time laying on their chest putting all their pressure on it causing issues with a flat chest. The soft toys and rolled towls help to get them not to always lay the same way like they would when with other pups.

Made sure the pup fed from different teats - my boy didn't like the big back ones and kept avoiding them and they started to get firmer and warmer. Warm cloths and expressing sorted that and we then made sure he used different ones. It did mean I had to latch him on and hold him here at times as he would feed a bit then try to move to his preferred ones.

Left the back claws a bit longer - my boy was huge and a lump and I had seen with a friends litter that had a big fat boy in it who struggled to get up on its feet as the back kept sliding out and took an extra week to the others in the litter. So I clipped his front class but left the back longer to help give him some traction, mine didn't have any problem getting up.

Weaning was harder we found, he would pick a bit then wander off and forget about it. I guess in a litter they are seeing the others eating too may help encourage them. In the end I was spoon feeding him for a while to keep him interested and was feeding him whatever he liked, for him that was scrambled eggs and dry food soaked in puppy milk not water, he knew if I had used water and wouldn't touch it. Now he isn't fussy and will eat anything and is totally food obsessed!

I did find his bite inhibition was non existent and his mother wouldn't tell him off so we had to start stepping in because he was biting her so hard she was getting cut, he doesn't really get doggy language sometimes and is a rude greater and doesn't seem to notice when a dog is showing it isn't comfortable with him.

Thanks for this. She has improved today with some calcium but is completely disinterested in this poor little pup. Completely normal when out with me no shaking etc. Is still clawing at the floor and trying f to get into cupboards. A vet nurse I spoke to said she may want to move the pup somewhere and is looking for What she feels isa safer place.  I have called the emergency vet who is flat out busy until 4pm. She is having to be dragged to the whelping box so I have an alarm going for 2 hourly feeds. Puppy has a furry hot water bottle as she doesn’t have her mummy or litter mates. I thought I would write this down as much to remind me to never do this again! I now have enormous respect for breeders who take on this emotional rollercoaster with all its uncertainties.

Thanks for your reply. She had an oxytocin shot before the second one. The first was not doa but had ruptured intestines so had to be put to sleep. Waiting to speak to the vet re scanning/X-ray. I am rotating the pup and aware of mastitis after giving birth myself to 4 large babies!

Roofusmacdoofus:  Never Again!  What a shame you are having so many concerns at the moment.  You're right - Breeding is not something without pit falls.  When things come right, that's when all the good stuff will happen.  (just curious - because he/she is a singleton - will you keep the puppy?)

My own girl wasn't particularly fussed on going in the box, for the first couple days like you i set an alarm and told her to go feed him or brought him out to feed. I did at first do it every 2 hours but found he often would sleep longer and wasn't that fussed about feeding that often, I'm guessing because he hand lots of milk all to himself. So started to let him go longer as long as he kept gaining.
My girl did get a bit better after a few days and did start to go in to feed him when he cried sometimes without me telling her to but a lot of the feeds were done of the sofa. She never slept in the box.

Do you think she may be 'looking' for the one that didn't make it?   Our first 'litter' was, due to my inexperience, a disaster as although the first out was fine, the second got stuck and by the time I got her to my then vet, it was basically too late.   Mum survived but for a few days, appeared to be missing the one that died.   It was very sad, but eventually she was able to move on and boy did the one who made it do well.  It was a male and no, we didn't keep him.   He went to the daughter of one of my good friends who then got a job teaching up in Moose Factory (Canada).   He went up there with her and interestingly, because of the cold off the snow-covered ground, he grew a thick coat on his tummy. 

Our second singleton litter, which was really our first as there was only ever one puppy, was a bitch and we did keep her.

Sorry to keep banging the calcium drum, but are you giving enough of it?

Often people massively underestimate the amount of calcium needed.

If you let me know the weight of your bitch (pre-pregnancy) and what calcium you are giving (type of calcium and brand would be best), I can work it out...

Yes we absolutely will. The whole point was to have one of her puppies. She is the most wonderful dog with a heart of gold and an amazing temperament. The perfect family dog. It’s one of the reasons I am desperate for it to work out. I want another one like her.

She was 7kg. I gave 3 rennies at 2am( all I had) and 2 more calcium tablets from pets at home today. There was very little info on the box apart fromgive 2 tablets for a small dog. The brand is Bearphar? The box is in the house and I don’t want to disturb everyone and the baby. I figured the rennies and two of those should have an effect. She is better in herself and the panting has almost stopped. The shaking has diminished and is at its worse when she is feeding. No shaking or panting when she came on a short walk today. She was full of beans. There is no temperature either. No discharge or any other worrying signs. Eating and drinking small amounts. I had a long conversation with the emergency Vet who isn’t worried as she has shown signs of improvement.  She feels she may be traumatised and I. Shock and that is the reason to hide away and not bond.  I am hoping when she calms down she will start to bond.

I have just noticed when the puppy cried she shakes and trembles much more. She gets very worried when she cries.

I think she might be in shock and a bit traumatised and confused. I hope this will calm down and she may start to take an interest in this darling little puppy. I am now lying next to the whelping box and she is on my legs asleep and the shaking has almost stopped.i am crossing everything. I naively expected this to be a wonderful experience As I had longed for it since I was small. It has been such a worrying time for us all. Hardly a smile to be seen over this weekend as we are all so worried about them both.

Are you weighing the puppy, and is it (male or female?), is there steady weight gain.

Hi. I am weighing her.  She is stable and has a slight gain during the day today. feeding every hour or so. Quite short feeds but I can hear and see there is milk going in and the tears seem quite full. I have some bottles and feed at the ready in case she stops gaining. I am rotating teats. Thankfully, Mum appears more interested this evening and is licking her and watching her after the feeds. She is definitely a bit calmer when in the box together.

> 2 more calcium tablets from pets at home today. There was very little info on the box apart fromgive 2 tablets for a small dog. The brand is Bearphar?

We went and used this one with my girl when she was unsettled and wanted something asap. I have her a bit more than the box said as was told giving her more wouldn't be a problem. I gave the 4 for a medium dog then later on two more. Worked a great and she settled down.

I think the calcium has definitely helped. I noticed a change in her quite quickly. Tricky to get them in but when you are desperate you find a way!

Puppy fed very frequently over night. More than once an hour. The shaking has diminished and is mainly when she is feeding. Still wouldn’t go to the puppy when it cried. Appears to want to but stressed and confused. This morning I left them alone for5 minutes. She removed the puppy from the whelping box and put it under the sofa. Mum had moved to my husbands office a long way away.  By the time I got back the puppy was cold but ok. I warmed it and latched it on her and it’s fine. Overnight she was licking it and cleaning it and showing a bit more interest. My husbands want to keep her away from the puppy from now on as I cannot stay on there 24 hours a day. I was hoping the bonding would start and improve now she appears a bit less stressed. The puppy crying really gets to her so I am not sure how to overcome that. I did sit with them in the box in the dark stroking them both this morning and she did relax a bit but as soon as I left she wanted out. Any suggestions?

This is why when breeding you need to be prepared to not leave Mum unattended until pups eyes are open at least.

It's why the rest of your life really needs to be on hold during this crucial time.

I used to sit by the whelping box with a book. Also feed Mum in the box.

Pups were at the foot of my bed so I could rescue any pup getting lost behind Mum.

Puppies are unable to regulate their body temperature until they are close to 3 weeks old, rely on Mums bodyheat, or other source of warmth.

If a puppy gets chilled it can't digest food, and of course the risk of pneumoniae.

Litters that are not carefully monitored (such as those in large scale commercial kennels) have a very high motality rate 25%+, even though the bitches are closely confined with their.pups.

As you only have a singleton why not simply have it in a dog bed, (with heat paf) and move it to wherever you need to be, especially as.Mum wants to be with you?

Don't seperate Mum from pup, or bottle feed.

One puppy is going to get plenty from Mum as long as you have her so that she can stay with pup, and be happy with where they are.

I had my first litter in 1995 when my children were 4 and.7, and it was hard fitting school runs and everything around.

At least my daughter was old enough to watch them while I cooked, and a friend dropped kids off.

Thank you very much indeed for your very helpful reply.

>She was 7kg. I gave 3 rennies at 2am( all I had) and 2 more calcium tablets from pets at home today. There was very little info on the box apart fromgive 2 tablets for a small dog. The brand is Bearphar? The box is in the house and I don’t want to disturb everyone and the baby.

So at 7kg, she needs 1401mg of elemental calcium per day.

The type of calcium in Rennies is calcium carbonate. To get 1401mg of elemental calcium, she needs 3503mg of calcium carbonate per day.

One Rennie tablet is 680mg of calcium carbonate. So to get the recommended STARTING point of sufficient calcium, she needs FIVE Rennie tablets per day.

If you're giving Tums Extra Strength, she needs 5 of those too.

If you're feeding vanilla ice-cream, she would need EIGHT CUPS of it, to be enough - per day. (So you can see why you need a supplement and dietary forms are not enough.)

Please go to the store and get more Tums or Rennies, a lot more - and give the recommended amount of calcium. Divide the dose up into two doses a day. Calcium carbonate is best taken with food (better absorbed) so give the dose with her meals, twice a day.

Edited to add: The Beaphar calcium tablets don't even say what type of calcium they are or how much is in each tablet, so they are completely useless. If you are stuck, get Tums for now... it should be very short term and just in these first couple weeks that you need it...

You need to keep on top of the calcium and not let the levels drop before you re-dose - think of it like pain meds for a chronic condition, it's best to give pain meds before pain gets bad so you stay on top of the pain and prevent it rather than just treating it when it hits.

I really don't want or mean to play devil's avocate re calcium supplementation and obviously when needed, it can be vital.   However as I was interested in this advice (and only once had to use calcium in an eclampsia situation), I did some searching and found this -

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/eclampsia-in-dogs

Scroll to the end.

Sorry MamaBas, I've read that link before and it's complete BS. You can't lump together 'pregnant and nursing dogs' - clearly there are very different mechanisms at work when it comes to calcium if a dog is pregnant versus if they are nursing. One has multiple small beings sucking vast amounts of calcium out of it, the other does not! Pregnant dogs should never be supplemented with calcium, but as soon as even one puppy is out, calcium is extremely helpful.

Vets know nothing about calcium. Don't ask them about it. Don't get it measured, it will tell you nothing. There is no research on it, so you will find nothing online about it as far as research goes - because no one is going to make money selling calcium, it is incredibly cheap and widely available. There is only information from experienced breeders who successfully use it over and over...

Thank you! It is certainly making a difference. I have ordered some NOW calcium. Would you be kind enough to let me know much should I give her?

If you order Calo-calD the dosage is on the bottle. It's in liquid form, so easy to add to food.

onetwothreefour: link is complete BS> whoa girl, OP know nothing, Vets no nothing, calcium is a grey area as nothing is researched? All responses relate to the experience Breeders have had withdrawing or administering Calcium.  Everyone is only giving their personal opinions.  It may turn out that as you say every situation is different - pregnant or whelping....the reader has to make up their own mind.

I have had one bitch, once, who rejected one of her two pups. It was strange because she loved her daughter, but the son she had zero interest in. I ended up having to handrear him and he's almost 6 years old now so it wasn't because there was anything wrong with him.

If the bitch hasn't for whatever reason decided to reject the pup, then my first thought is that the whelping box should be inside a puppy pen. I always do this for my toy breed and 99% of the time did it when I bred pedigree cats as well, except then it was cages. Not giving the mother a chance to move the litter, or not staying close. If she isn't feeling safe then I'd also cover the box/pen with blankets.

> All responses relate to the experience Breeders have had withdrawing or administering Calcium.  Everyone is only giving their personal opinions.

Exactly - and even if that article is BS, it is worth consideration.   The article does say ' generally not recommended'.  I've always been wary of over-supplementing however, and tend to go with a good quality food, before and after mating and when in whelp.   I did, however usually have a bottle of Calo-cal to hand when doing a litter.   Just in case.   I thought it worth injecting a bit of caution here.    I did use cottage cheese - for puppies and as my bitches cleaned up after the litter was fed, they got some of that too.

>I have ordered some NOW calcium. Would you be kind enough to let me know much should I give her?

It depends what type of calcium it is. That information is essential. Is it calcium citrate? Calcium carbonate? Calcium lactate? The dosage will be different, depending on which you've ordered.

I wouldn't recommend Collo-Cal D because it doesn't state on the bottle what type of calcium it is, so we don't know how to dose it. The ingredients only state: "0.75% w/v colloidal solution of calcium, 70iu of Vitamin D per ml."

I'd bet all my savings that the recommended dosage on the bottle isn't enough...

Hoggie, I clicked on your reply this one time to understand some of the other comments above - but just to say that I have you blocked, so I don't see your comments.

Hi. I purchased some Now calcium powder. CoulD you be extremely kind and tell me how much I should give her? Pre pregnancy weight was 7kg. Thank you very much indeed.

Hi. Just had a tearful chat with my lovely vet who listened to the whole sorry saga of letting her sleep wherever she wanted ( blood everywhere Even my children’s beds ) staying up all night, feeding rennies at 2 am and hand feeding roast lamb and chicken and digestive biscuits ( all she will take) and said ‘well done for staying sane, some bitches are just terrible mothers and you have done nothing wrong, best to just accept it and top up with a bottle of necessary and wean at 3 weeks and don’t beat yourself up’ she says she sees a huge amount of bitches behaving like this and says it’s not uncommon, there are always good mothers and bad and it’s nothing to do with the temperament of the dog beforehand. Feel A bit better

Roofusmacdoofus: With the best will in the world, we can only do our best when problems arise and as your Vet said 'you have done nothing wrong'!  Mother Nature doesn't always give new Mums the ability to adapt to such a huge change.  Been where you are at the moment and it's exhausting never mind emotionally draining.  When you're hand rearing the little pup, you will get to know his/her needs for feeding & toileting really well and you are doing the right thing by supplementing with formula & Mum's milk. My my advice would be to wean as soon as possible.  Puppy kibble softerned to a mush with hot water, then mix with puppy milk formula and feed in Mum's presence.  Stimulate puppies genital area and bottom with cotton wool and in a very short space of time. life will get back to normal for you.  (few weeks not months!}

Is your Vet a breeder.

If not then their advice on rearing is going to be far   than breeders with generations of experience.

It is too early to be giving up on Mum being maternal.

They are only 4 days old.

As has been suggested someone should stay with the bitch and pup all the time, and praise her for being with it.

Do not allow her to go into bedrooms, jump on sofas and beds.

I assume you must have bought a puppy pen for when this planned litter were older?

As someone has already suggested put her whelping box/bed in it, and shut Mum in.

She won't need much extra food with just one pup.

Weigh the puppy every day, and put pup to teats while praising and strokinging her.

One of my girls took 3 days before she would toilet pups.

She was an excellent mother, but the birth had been traumatic for her.

She went on to have more pups with no issues.

Thank you Hoggie.

>Hi. I purchased some Now calcium powder. CoulD you be extremely kind and tell me how much I should give her?

As mentioned, we need to know what type of calcium you bought.... NOW calcium comes in many different forms.

If she was low in calcium you may find as she gets more of it she will start to get better, and if you keep encouraging her to feed/toilet the puppy this will help too.
I feel your pain, my girl didn't really enjoy being a mother either, she did eventually get better after the first 3/5 days. With mine I had the box in the living room as if im not in bed or the bathroom it's the room I spend all my time in, and what with sleeping on the sofa it was easy to spend almost 24/7 in the same room as the pup to make sure mum was sorting him.
As long as she isn't aggressive to the puppy I would defernatly keep up with encouraging her to see to the pup.

No matter how little Mum does it's always easier and better for the puppy, than hand rearing and doing all the work yourself.