Pregnancy

[aurorasky112]

When can you normally began to feel the pups moving in smaller breeds? We are at day 53 and cannot feel them move yet....is this normal?

[4Dogsihave]

I am not a breeder but I think a dog is pregnant for 65 days so I would think at this stage you should be able to feel them. Maybe you should take your dog to the vet for an ultrasound that can check and make sure the pups are ok.

[aurorasky112]

Dogs are pregnant for 63 days. Ultrasounds are extremely expensive. We have bred big dogs, but this is our first litter of small dogs. We are just curious to whether you can feel them move 10 days before they are born. With our bigger dogs you couldnt, but with a smaller dog I thought you would be able to.

[charmedagain]

Hi.depending on the size of the litter and the depth of the female then you should be able to feel abdomonal movement 7-10 before whelping some it can actually be sooner.

I dont mean to sound rude at all with my next statement but its valid.
You say that you have bred before, Are the dogs pedigree?
Why are you breeding?
If you can not afford an ultrasound which i know is expensive depending on the vets that do it but its helps alot to check the progress of the pregnancy and to check to make sure there is no abnormalities in the developing foetus.

Dogs pregnancies last on average 63days but some dogs can whelp anytime from day 57 and still be viable pups born before the 57day may not survive.

Has the female been wormed?
Do you know if she can free whelp or will need an elective C-section which is needed in some breeds.

Are you aware that most small breeds are prone to whelping difficulties.
I breed german shepherds and they have regular ultrasounds and checks to make sure all is going well.

Again please dont take offence to what i stated above.

To feel the pups moving its best to do this after she has eaten or had something to drink.
When she is lay on her side place your hand lightly on her abdoman just under her flank hold it there for a few minutes and you should feel slight movement again this depends on the size of the litter and how active the pups are.

Has her food been increased to help with milk production.
The last 5days or so you may want to wipe her teats and vulva with clean warm water to make sure they are clean.
If she is long coated you may wish to trim the hair around her vulva and teats.

If you would like any more help please feel free to ask away.

mike

[aurorasky112]

She is a shetland sheepdog. Being bred to hopefully produce a show pup, but that is doubtful since the stud owner let her breed to the wrong male. Its not that we cannot afford an ultrasound, just that I dont see a valid reason for that yet. This will be her fifth and last litter and before she has always whelped on the 63-64 day. She also has always free whelped. Her litters have been 6, 7, 7, and 8. We skipped two heats before breeding this time. She eats all she wants of dry food during the day, and canned food twice a day, plus nutrical and a vitamin(skin and coat) daily. I did not know that about feeling after eating though, and will try that tonight. We felt pups on the 28th day, but havent felt them since. Also noted the comment about the long hair...would you clip it to the skin or just short? No offense is taken by the way, I appreciate the help!

[charmedagain]

HI i use a pair of hair clippers to shave her belly area that way her teats are exposed and there is no worry of the pups choking on fur.
The hair around the vulva i just trip i dont go right near the skin just short enough to make cleaning herself more easy during whelping.

You may aslo find that giving her a substitute formula used for bottle feeding and weaning puppies wil help with milk production and has all the minerals and vitamins needed you can buy it from any good petstore or veterinary practice.

Please keep us posted of how she gets on and how many she has.
My litter is now 11days old and being little terrors at the moment lol

mike

[aurorasky112]

Off subject, but how did you get your picture to show up?

[charmedagain]

I linked my webpage to the site you can do it through your profile.

Add your website link in the box provided and it should show up your pic

mike

[Jamiya]

Wow, five litters? I don't know very much about breeding. How many litters should any one dog have in a lifetime?

Is there any way to estimate how many litters a dog with an unknown past has had?


Jamiya

[aurorasky112]

Five is enough litters. If you breed skipping at least one heat, starting when they are two years old, then retire the female at six-seven years old, its typically about five litters. With a female that has an unknown past, the only thing I could tell you, is that if her nipples are long and thick, and if she has some hair loss around them, then she has had a litter. If her breasts dangle, then she has probably had several litters, and may have been overbred.

[Jamiya]

She is probably only 1-2 years old, judging by her teeth. Her nipples hang down a bit - maybe a centimeter or so. I can't tell about the hair loss because she was shaved for her spay before we got her.

Probably she only had one litter, poor girl. I bet she made very cute puppies, though! I wish I knew where they are.


Jamiya

[aurorasky112]

I wish I knew were our babies previous puppies were at and how they were doing! The breeder who had her first didnt keep records of who she sold to(she also didnt sell on limited registration ).

[charmedagain]

Hi i have to say something that the mammary glands being droopy means they have had several litters and if only a little they only had 1 litter this is not true.
My other females that have had litters once they have dried up have had there mammary tissue go back to normal as if they never had any litters.

Its all about feeding during pregancy and while lactating and the exercise.
Providing the female is not fat when pregnanct and is not given lots of vitamins and minerals which she dont really need during pregnancy then she will not have the droopy tissue problem.

Also after every whelping of a litter she should miss the next heat cycle and then if going to breed from her again would be the year after her missed heat.

This litter mitzy has just had is her first and last litter as she having a really bad time with them.

My other girls i have now retired and having them spayed the oldest now coming up 7years old mitzy being the youngest at 5yrs old

mike

[aurorasky112]

I think the dog being droopy also depends a lot on the breed. Our female that has had four litters is not droopy at all. But we have an overbred female we took in that has only had two litters, but is extremely droopy. And most people who see the two together would guess wrong when asked which one is six and which is almost two. But most overbred females have had several litters and have droopies. If the dog in question is only two, and doesnt have droopies, I would think she has only been bred once. Mitzey is a german shepherd? How are the pups doing?

[charmedagain]

Yeah mitzy is a german shepherd her pups are doing great they are 11days old and have started opening there eyes and walking a little still unstable but they are getting there.
Mitzy has a thing for taking bits of her food to her bed and dropping it and the pups have taken a liking to it as they seem to s**k on it bless them.
They will be 2weeks old on friday so i am going tp see how they get on with a little puppy food.

Mike

[aurorasky112]

Last night I didnt feel anything....but tonight I got kicked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!