Well I think it's safe to say that we're expecting!

[ChrystalPaths]

Looks like my dear schipperke will be expecting puppies due on St Patrick's Day! :aktion033: I'm a bit anxious. I've foaled many and done kittens and bunnies but never a dog. You experts out there...Lyn, Jane, anyone, what to expect while expecting? Does the bitch need a booster shot before whelping? She is current on all. Healthy as a.... well horse.

: Getting big all of a sudden. Worming before and with what? She loves eating horse poo!

: I'll be setting up the whelping boxes soon and I have a warmer. Do I shave her tummy? I would be SO grateful for any info. She is registered and her boyfriend was my Kolby that we had to sell as Fia just hated him! Course when he came calling that Saturday she was most happy to see him. Thank you.

:

This was her 2 yrs ago as a puppy!

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Deb sit back....relax! No extra shots, no tummy clipping...just a washing off when puppies are coming...... Take her temp when she gets near to whelping about 59 days morning and night..... when it drops below 99 and stays there for a whole day then you should have puppies in 24 hours. If she pushes more than two hours with no results time for an emergency vet visit. Thats all.... We are here for ya.... call if you need to.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[slaneyrose]

Congratulations!!! Just as Lyn says....listen to her and you wont go far wrong!!

Dimimore!! Wasnt she a cutie pie!!! She looks like a little black fox!!!! gorgeous!!

 

[capall beag]

Oh Deb, what a little doll!

Oh how fun!!

Dogs are much less stressful during pregnancy and birthing than horses, IMO.

What a perfect Birthdate!

:

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

Oh Deb, what a little doll!!

: I raised Great Danes and German Shepards for years..and YUP--like Lyn said, its a breeze over foaling out minis! But all the excitmant will be there

: :bgrin So, are you going to keep the litter??? :bgrin

:

:

:new_shocked: Cant wait....yahoooo puppies, and darn cute ones coming soon!!! Corinne

 

[ChrystalPaths]

She is not happy about being photgraphed as you can see but here she is in all her chubby glory. I love this baby girl. I am beginning to think she wants to have them behind my desk under the stairs,

: Not alot of room for me but hey!

:

Thanks for all the good advice. I know it will be far easier than foaling! She sleeps with me upstairs and there is a gate across the top. I'll have an up and down box for her. Do they mostly go at nite?

: The pups will be for sale Corrine so keep watching....

:

 

[Sterling]

Oh how exciting!!! Please post pics when those babies arrive...I just love puppies!!!

:

 

[Candleliteranch]

Hey Deb,

Mine mostly go in the MORNING after keeping me up all night long! My OES juat had a litter 2 weeks ago. No warning at all and at only 58 days. She asked to go outside, then came in, voluntarily went to bed in her crate and had the first pup. No muss, no fuss. I've raised dogs for more than 20 years in addition to assisting in whelping other litters at work and I never saw anything like this girl. It was almost like the puppies just fell right out and she'd look and say "now where did that come from?" She went to sleep and delivered one while snoring away! She is not a good first time mommy. She'd rather socialize than take care of her kids!

Good luck to you and congratulations!!

And btw, I always try to shave the mama's tummy if she's a shedding dog. We've had hair impactions due to ingesting the Mom's shedding hair while nursing.

 

[luvmycritters]

WAHOO - puppies and they will be darn cute ones at that! Will be waiting for pictures!

Lori

 

[rabbitsfizz]

As Lyn says no shots and no worming- if the horses are UTD on worming (and I know they will be) then the dogs will not get anything from the poop- mine think it's lunch!!

I do shave tummies- that is a judgement call on your part- the pups do not ingest hair but it can confuse a weak pup to have to suck mouthfuls of hair before it gets breakfast!! Mind you I was breeding Shelties, last, and they get pretty hairy underneath.

You need to know when they are due exactly- is March 17th 63 days from mating??

Have you got your puppy kit made up??

I am the most disorganised person at foaling- if I have clean towels around it is a miracle, but I always had my clean warm towels for the puppies- and bottle and supplement milk etc.

I like to take the pups away as they are born and so a big warm jumper down which to stuff them is in order- they sleep well next to your skin and Mama stays focused on the job in hand. I know you have stairs- if the puppies slow down I take Mama up and down the stairs a few times- it beats Oxytocin as a stimulant!! ( I had one bitch who always got inertia half way through so we had two separate birthings!! That was a HOOT!!!)

Well, all I can say is it is no more difficult than a mare- now imagine a mare having six foals

:

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Thank you thank you :aktion033:

To answer you dear Jane, yes 63 days is exact. She was bred only the one day. She has quite long hair on her upper tummy so maybe I will scissor it a bit. Puppy kit? :new_shocked: Help! I have a gazillion towels and clean rags of fleece. I have tons of clean bedding to slip under her as we whelp and for after. I have a small fleece bag I made when we had orphaned kittens so I'll use that. Now please! I do not want 6 puppies! How many does a virgin bitch usually have first time? I'm hoping for 2 healthy babies. She hasn't been wormed for about 3-4 mos. Every time I take in a sample it's negative. Should I bother?

 

[C & C Farms]

Awwww....can't wait to see the puppies! :aktion033:

 

[rabbitsfizz]

My Shelties always had six, sorry!!!

I use newspaper for the whelping- it's throwaway, free and clean.

Also the bitch can dig it up nicely and give herself the feeling of having done something.

Do you have puppy bars on the whelping box??

A hotwater bottle is useful- you can get gel ones that pop in the microwave now- the heated pads are no use to puppies and kittens as they respond to weight, but the electric pads you can get for humans are like mini electric blankets.

I tend not to use heated pads , once the pups are back with Mama, so long as all is well, as they over heat Mama and she will not stay with the pups enough.

Fia will be fine, she is only cross about the photos because of her delicate situation, she'll settle down once things get going.

:

 

[ChrystalPaths]

See I am dense! :new_shocked: What's a puppy bar? They can't possible need a drink but I might! I think you should just fly over the pond and be here as my midwife!

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Bars on the side of the box so the pups do not get laid on!!!!

 

[justjinx]

How exciting! I have a schipperke too that i just love! lucky you with PUPPIES coming! i am sooo envious and can't wait to see the pics when they arrive! jennifer :saludando:

 

[slaneyrose]

Dimmimore, just be careful if you do decide on the microwaveable ones as they can feel warm then the real HOT heat can suddenly be felt as you put pressure on them and you dont want the puppies to get burnt. :no: A heat lamp is good too as you can adjust it by having it higher or lower and maybe you have one already for your foals??? when is she due???