Temperature
Puppies are born time for you to relax. Thought you were done taking her
temperature? Not even maybe..
Now you need to monitor the mother temperature. Why? The temperature of her body
is tool to warn us if she has a infection. Your bitch's temperature dropped
right before she went into labor. Now it should rise to 101 to 103. Slightly
elevated temperature is normal just after having puppies. What is not normal is
a temperature reading above 103. This indicates an infection somewhere in her
body. Many of the infections can be deadly to your dog...
Discharge
Monitor her discharge. Bleeding a few days after whelping is normal. If it is a
brownish red this is ok. If it is pus streaked or foul smelling it can indicate
a vaginal infection like Meteritis to Pyometra.
Retained Placenta
In the past I worried about a retained placenta much more then I do now.
Sometimes it needs to be monitored When you take your dog in for her physical
after she has whelped her litter. Make sure you have important information the
Vet may need, such as a chance of a retained placenta and the temperature of the
dam.
Your Vet may give her a injection of Oxytocin to help her expel the placenta.
Oxytocin also helps stimulate milk production. ( I use a teaspoon of dark beer
to stimulate milk production )
Eclampsia ( Milk Fever )
Eclampsia can occur before delivery or up to 6 weeks after delivery. Often it
appears in the first 3 weeks after delivery.
It is caused from a deficiency in her body own natural calcium supply or from
receiving to high a dose of supplemented calcium.
Symptoms, are glassy eyes, restlessness, nervousness, whining, muscle twitching,
rapid heat beat, shivering and teeth chattering. If nursing is what is causing
her calcium supply to become depleted, puppies must be removed and hand feed. If
you are giving her a supplement of calcium at to high of a dose, you may have
caused eclampsia. Severe cases are treated with serum calcium injections by your
Vet. Careful medical supervision of the treatment is important as an overdose or
to rapid administration can cause her heart to stop.
This condition often recurs with each litter. Bitches who have had eclampsia in
the past may be given calcium injections prior to and after whelping.
My dog Hoghead had eclampsia. I was laying on the floor late one night, I was
watching TV and eating potato chips with my dogs. A little later, I heard a
loud, roaring noise, I couldn't tell what the noise was but I thought it must be
a plane getting ready to dive bomb my house. Then I figured it was the furnace
getting ready to blow. I ran to the furnace ( not thinking just what I planned
to do if it was my furnace getting ready to blow ) I stopped and found Hoghead
laying on her side stiff, with her teeth chattering so loud it scared the _____
out of me. First I thought she was having a convulsion from a potato chip lodged
in her throat, then it hit me....Eclampsia. I picked her up and flew to the Vet.
Thank god he saved her in time. He gave her calcium intravenously and when I
brought her home, she wasn't allowed to nurse her pups anymore.
Hoghead had 5 litters since, but with calcium added to her diet ( at just under
the recommended dose ). I usually took her pups away at birth or a after a few
days. Some I gave to other mothers, and help them with the additional load by
periodically hand feeding. Hoggy never had Eclampsia again.
Hoghead is retired now and spoiled rotten with love.
Mastitis
Mastitis can occurs when a mother has a small litter or inverted nipples. Milk
is not drained out of the breast and they become engorged. Breast will appear
lumpy and hard or may be inflamed and red. The dam may have a high fever,
refused to eat and depressed. The infected breast may be filled with bloody pus.
Do not allow pups to nurse on these infected breasts cover them or wean the
pups.
Antibiotics should be given to the Dam and the puppies.
To prevent mastitis make sure the pups nurse on all teats or milk them yourself.
Engorged Nipple Photo is provided by Matthew Gomen age 14 who someday hopes to be a Vet.
Good luck to you Matthew Gomen . We need special people like you to help our cherished dogs
Acute Metritis
Vaginal infection acquired during whelping or from retaining a Placenta or
Fetus. Signs are high fever, above 103, diarrhea, depression, refusal eating,
vomiting, excessive thirst. Thick. bloody and foul smelly discharge. The bitch
needs to be treated with antibiotics. Mastitis if left untreated will lead to
spaying or death.
The pups need to be watched. Puppies may be affected and may have diarrhea and
cramps, they will need antibiotics and to be hand fed. ( I give my pups yogurt
and it relieves stomach cramps.)
Check for Mastitis , they can go hand and hand.
Pyometra
Is a Uterine infection classified as open or closed. It can occur anytime in the
heat cycle. Female who developed Pyometra during pregnancy will abort.
Open Cervix Pyometra is just as it sounds, the cervix
is open allowing the uterus to drain, sticky, reddish pus which may be fowl
smelling. Closed-cervix Pyometra- pus cannot drain causing
excessive thirst and urination, a high fever and a tender abdomen. Vomiting may
also occur.
All Pyometra in the past led to spaying or death. Today's treatments
for Pyometra constists of flushing the uterus and administering prostaglandin
injections.
Bitches can be bred after treatment.
