So my dog just had pups...

demanufactured

Shes a choc lab cross

Got caught by the little ****er next door while we had her out for a run.

She had 8 pups all seem to be doing well and mother seems in good shape too..
Is there anything i need to give her specifically to eat as she is very tired and weary. its her 1st and only littler(gonna get her fixed soon)

Just need to know can she eat as normal or is there anythin i should give her.

PS:there be pups ready in about 6 weeks for good homes

SuzyS1972

One word

VET - speak to him - can't beleive you haven't been given proper advice on what to and ahow to feed a mammy dog properly.

I'm not sure how old the babies are now but if they are just born then please do not re-home these puppies at 6 weeks - 6-8 weeks is a crucial time in a puppies life where they learn manners from their mum. Taking them away from her earlier than this means they haven't learnt proper doggie manners and it can result in behavorial problems.

Please please please anyone out there with an un-neutered bitch - if you're not going to spay her then DO NOT walk a bitch in season - this is just ridiculous and asking for trouble.

If your dog does get " caught " then it's just irresponsible - the last thing this country needs is another litter of x breed unwanted puppies.
If it does happen then please be advised that your vet can supply the morning after pill for dogs - hence preventing an unwanted pregnancy - It's the best and kindest thing to do unless you are a proper breeder who has planned the mating and the litter and have a waiting list of homes for the pups.

Tabitharose

some useful info on the links below - I know more about cats & kittens than dogs & puppies, but whenever I have a new mammy cat I feed her good quality (royal canin normally) kitten food as it has extra nutrients in it, so would assume the same for a mammy dog. Feed her more than you would normally as well as she will need extra energy. A quick chat with the vet to check everything is in order & what he / she advises too would be a good idea. As SuzyS said, 8 weeks is the bare minimum age puppies should be homed at.

http://www.animaldefenseleague.org/newborn.htm

http://www.healthyhappydogs.com/Article.NewPuppyCare

and lastly a link to a site that gives info on why neutering & spaying are beneficail for your pet

http://www.sniksnak.com/benefits.html

Best of luck

demanufactured

"f your dog does get " caught " then it's just irresponsible - the last thing this country needs is another litter of x breed unwanted puppies."

She was showing no signs of being in heat at all.

MY black lab was in heat at the time but she was at home.

FranknFurter

Why is it no one seems to be aware, your local VET can give the "morning after pill" when this happens, its cheap (a lot cheaper than taking care of a preggers mammy & pups), and its safe, and it does your dog NO harm, (unlike pregnancy!).

You will need to give her extra vitamins and supplements now (being a labrador, the pro's and con's of a calcium supplement etc are VERY important your vet will need to check her blood levels and monitor her in case of eclampsia. Your vet will have to discuss this in detail with you before you both decide), the vet can tell you which and where to buy them.

In the next couple of days, her appetite will greatly increase and she may need 2 or 3 times the amount of food she normally would have.
Mix a high-quality puppy food and water into her regular food to maintain her weight and health while feeding the puppies

b

Tabitharose

FranknFurter wrote:

Mix a high-quality puppy food and water into her regular food to maintain her weight and health while feeding the puppies

see - told you someone else'd be more clued up than I was I don't do that with the mammy cats (by the way I foster for a cat rescue that's why I have mammy cats sometimes)

nando

FranknFurter wrote:

Why is it no one seems to be aware, your local VET can give the "morning after pill" when this happens, its cheap (a lot cheaper than taking care of a preggers mammy & pups), and its safe, and it does your dog NO harm, (unlike pregnancy!).
b

This is not necessarily correct. The canine "morning after pill" as such is not completely safe for use in bitches and are linked to serious illness if used repeatedly. There are, however, other drugs used to terminate pregnancy after conception has occured which are thought to be safer, but are not as widely available in Ireland. These drugs are used typically slightly later on in the pregnancy.

The important point is that these drugs should never be relied on as a "fall-back plan " as repeated use can have adverse effects on the bitch. Although, obviously sometimes accidents do happen and if they do your vet can advise you what is best for your bitch if puppies are not desired! But spaying is the most reliable!

OP there are commercial diets available for lactating bitches but a good high quality food, puppy food for example, mixed with her own food will usually do her just fine. I would recommend bringing all new pups and mammy to the vet for a full check up and some advice though!

Also, FranknFurter, just curious why labradors particularly would be of concern regarding eclampsia?

FranknFurter

nando wrote:

This is not necessarily correct. The canine "morning after pill" as such is not completely safe for use in bitches and are linked to serious illness if used repeatedly. There are, however, other drugs used to terminate pregnancy after conception has occured which are thought to be safer, but are not as widely available in Ireland. These drugs are used typically slightly later on in the pregnancy.
The important point is that these drugs should never be relied on as a "fall-back plan " as repeated use can have adverse effects on the bitch. Although, obviously sometimes accidents do happen and if they do your vet can advise you what is best for your bitch if puppies are not desired! But spaying is the most reliable!

Oh I agree totally, nothing is 100% safe, I assumed that was obvious though, shouldnt have really.
And god yes, only used responsibly, you cannot not just let her go an be shagged relying on anything as a safety net. Even aside from the risk of the "pill" there are issues of STD's and phsical safety. (again, I assumed their vet wouldnt allow such a thing to happen). Using pretty much any drug too much will only harm any animal including humans.

nando wrote:

Also, FranknFurter, just curious why labradors particularly would be of concern regarding eclampsia?

Some people (I've met quite a few, I was researching getting an "assist dog" as I am a wheelchair user with very limited mobility) who own golden labs etc, worry particularly about hip and general bone disorders as there have been many stories and studies about hip and bone problems (as there are with a lot of large boned "bulkier" dogs like german sheps, alsations, )...

Imho, people often over supplement their dog with calcium and certain vitamins like Vit.D thinking this will help with these breed problems, but it can actually cause a lot of other problems which most dont think of or know of.
However the right amount of a calcium supplement can also be beneficial to mothers and pups of these dogs as their bones develop. Finding the right calcium balance is rather important imho. Which is where the vet comes in, so it can be monitored properly.

I mentioned eclampsia specifically as Its a condition often found in labrador size dogs who are still feeding pups or have recently finished. Brought on (iirc) by low levels of calcium in the bloodstream of the mother.
Some studies have suggested that excessive calcium before the actual birth can cause a decrease in calcium once the pups start suckling.
It can be fatal if not treated properly.

Hope that clears it up

b

nando

Oh I agree totally, nothing is 100% safe, I assumed that was obvious though, shouldnt have really.
And god yes, only used responsibly, you cannot not just let her go an be shagged relying on anything as a safety net. Even aside from the risk of the "pill" there are issues of STD's and phsical safety. (again, I assumed their vet wouldnt allow such a thing to happen). Using pretty much any drug too much will only harm any animal including humans.


I didn't mean to come across so overly serious but you can't be too careful! I'm a vet myself and people do actually believe this treatment will be doled out every time their dog gets loose. Even if they were told the last time it wouldn't be... gets a bit frustrating. I assume their own vet wouldn't let such a thing happen either but just in case anybody reading decided to let their poor bitch out to roam free with all the the local horny dogs! The treatment can sometimes cause problems the first time it's used and is sometimes a contributing factor to developing pyometra (an infection of the uterus).

Aside from that there are actually some doggie STDs out there, but they're thankfully not that common!;)

Only asked about the eclampsia and labrador thing in case there was some specific link I wasn't aware of... owners often come across info on the web and can astonish you with the depth of knowledge they have learned on their own pet's breed.

Good luck with your research about assist dogs and hope you get a new loyal friend out of it if it's right for your situation!

FranknFurter

nando wrote:

Good luck with your research about assist dogs and hope you get a new loyal friend out of it if it's right for your situation!

Oh its by no means anything solid. Its just as my abilities lesson (one of my disabilities is MS), I notice myself relying more and more on my partner for simple everyday things. So I'm looking into every single option.
The assist dogs scheme does seem amazing, but there are some pretty big problems that would need addressing before I even thought about it. Mainly about the fact that my partner would be switching looking after me, to looking after a dog, I think the dog would be easier but thats not my decision to make.
All I can do is try to make sure I am as independant as is realistically possible.

As for the doggie STD's, I read a paper somwhere online recently about brucellosis, aparently its becoming amazingly common place and often mis-diagnosed. And Herpes is apparently on the rise too, probably because of such overcrowding in kennels and strays. Hardly surprising. Do you get many cases? Be interesting to know how often, I myself never heard of it till last year.

b

b