Puppies Soon - any advice to help ease birth?

[Tippy]

Okay, Molly is due in 6 days and my daughter is supposed to be back here the day before to help with the birth - but I am very nervous. 

This will be her third litter and the first was small, only two pups and went okay - but the last one, six pups and one died because the sack around it broke before it was born. 

I have been caring for Molly for the last few weeks since my daughter had to go on an assignment, and I'm scared something might happen before she gets back.  She's the dog-vet around here.  Our regular vet is leaving on vacation, but it wouldn't really matter because if Molly got into trouble I couldn't carry all 130 lbs of her to the car to take her to a vet anyway.

Maybe I'm just borrowing trouble - but last time before she delivered the dead pup (the last one) she seemed pretty shaky.  The vet was on the phone with my daughter the whole time through that one - and he didn't seem too worried. 

I don't want another puppy to die and I don't want Molly to have any trouble.

Is there any diet advice that would help prepare her for the delivery?  Does anyone know of anything at all that might help if she started having trouble? 

I appreciate any and all advice from anyone who can help me.  If she has them early - I'm going to be in waaaaaaay over my head.

Help!

[sarnewfie]

it might be wise to try to find an assistant to help you, that is experienced.
i would try to get a hold of your daughter and see if she can suggest an experienced person to help you out.
it is kinda late to start her on rasperry leaves and things that help strengthen the uturus.
what i would do is take her temp three times a day, and also see if you can find a book on whelping, my favorite is The book of the Bitch.
go to the library if you have to and check this one out, it will help you a lot.
good luck.

[taijinrr]

how old is molly??
how many times has she been breed? did you skip a heat? inbetween litters?

we give ester c as a suppliment
also  you have to stay calm,,,,,the bitch knows how you feel.pet her, tell her she is doing great etc.
her temp will drop 3 days before whelp.  are you using the same stud??
he might have a low sperm count, ie; small litter
also we put them on  bayatrill , a pregnant safe antibiotic before breeding and into the 1st trimester, if any kind of infection is around it will kill the infection that might pass to the puppies.

good luck, stay calm,,,,,,,molly will know what to do, just stay with her and have a vet on call, just in case.

[Moni]

I don't know if this applies, but it sounds like she had low blood sugar when she was shakey.  Tenchi has Grand Mal seizures and my vets and other epi owners told me to give him vanilla ice cream to help cool down and get his blood sugar back to normal when he starts coming out of it. 

Do any breeders do this for their mommas?

[Tippy]

Molly is almost five years old.  The first litter was when she was barely two - and a dog jumped the fence and raped her.  The second was last spring.  But there have been no cycles between her last birth and this breeding.  We decided this was it - the last time when we took her to be bred and it traumatized her so badly.  She was just petrified and it isn't worth it. 

I didn't assist at the last birth - but my daughter was worried and now, if Molly goes even one day early - I'm scared.

I bought her one of those big round hard plastic child's swimming pools for a whelping box.  And I have a private place that is nice and quiet.  And I bought a bunch of old towels from yard sales.  But, I'm not good at this.  My daughter asked me on the phone if she was swollen 'down there'.  I didn't know since I never looked before and didn't know what to compare it to.  But she did dig a hole and I heard that might be a sign of nesting. 

I am really nervous here.  I hate to ask this question -but how do I take her temperature? 

Darnit, I wish I had known about raspberry leaves earlier. 

Low blood sugar - I never considered that.  Can they eat food when they are in labor?  Maybe I could give her some sugar to lick off my hand? 

One time she had a seizure - but I don't think it was related.  She had knocked the neighbor's bread machine onto the floor when she was barely a year old and ate the entire batch of yeast dough.  The vet said that probably caused it. 

Maybe I should still try raspberry leaves even at this late date. 

Thanks for all the comments.  It means a lot to me and Molly.  She lays on her back, feet in the air with her big tummy bared and I can see little wiggles here and there. 

I'm taking her on short walks now and slower ones, hoping to keep her muscles in shape.

[Nicole]

OH! You need Red's help! Redrye Rottweilers. She knows everything. She'll tell you step by step. I'm going to bump this topic up so maybe she'll see it. If not, maybe you can PM her? She really really really knows EXACTLY what she's doing!

So, *BUMP!* Helloooooo? Red?

[Tippy]

Oh I do so hope Red sees this then.  I hope, I hope.

I am so nervous.  Right now I'm trying to keep Molly inside most of the time - although she likes to go out.  But I'm not letting her get upset. 

I gave her a bath yesterday - I hope that was okay.  She likes her baths.  And it was just a stand up bath with a sprayer and a brush.  She knows when she is clean.  She tries really hard not to get dirty for a couple of days.  I used ProClean shampoo - because I thought that would be okay. 

She is taking dog vitamins and I mix the "Missing Link" in her food.  I hope that will help.

I really hope someone will be on here if she goes early and I run into trouble. 

Are you here, Red?

[GYPSY JAZMINE]

Oh I do so hope Red sees this then.  I hope, I hope.

I am so nervous.  Right now I'm trying to keep Molly inside most of the time - although she likes to go out.  But I'm not letting her get upset. 

I gave her a bath yesterday - I hope that was okay.  She likes her baths.  And it was just a stand up bath with a sprayer and a brush.  She knows when she is clean.  She tries really hard not to get dirty for a couple of days.  I used ProClean shampoo - because I thought that would be okay. 

She is taking dog vitamins and I mix the "Missing Link" in her food.  I hope that will help.

I really hope someone will be on here if she goes early and I run into trouble. 

Are you here, Red?

Good luck with mama & pups!...I'll p.m. Red & ask her to chime in.

[RedyreRottweilers]

Go read the Doberman/Pitbull thread.

It's all on there.

If you have questions after you read that, let me know.

[GYPSY JAZMINE]

Go read the Doberman/Pitbull thread.

It's all on there.

If you have questions after you read that, let me know.

aaahhhhh..there you are!...I just p.m.'d you about this thread...Ty!

[RedyreRottweilers]

and I will tell you while I'm here, that there is no way you can prevent certain puppy deaths.

This bitch has already had difficulty in whelping, and you should not think that this time coming up will be any better than the last one.

The best thing you can do is read up fast.

I'm sorry, but if you have to ask how you take a dog's temp, you are going to have a hard time.

When I have a bitch who is due, I arrange to have help nearby and a stretcher in case I need to get her to the vet. You can use a beach towel as a make shift stretcher if you have to. The last bitch had to have a C section, however, she was able to move about on her own both before and after it. (by the way, that was an extra $900.00)

Is this your dog or your daughter's? There are not many things that would take me away from one of my bitches about to whelp.

[Tippy]

Thank you, Red.  I am reading through the thread now - on pg 6, and I'm reading each and every post.  Already I am picking up things. 

I wanted to come back and thank you - and I will come back and keep everyone updated, too.

Molly belongs to me and my daughter - but before now - I just provided the financial support and tickles, baths, feeding,  poo scooping, etc.  My daughter has bred before (Saints) and I do my solemn duty loving every baby.   Not a pup leaves this home that isn't well adjusted and adorable.

She was supposed to be here.  She wanted to be.  But she is youth leader for a teen group that was cleared to go to South America on an assignment last month.  The team had trained for over a year, and they were supposed to go in May - but it got pushed back.  She will be back on the 3rd - Molly is due on the 4th, but I worry she will be early.  No special reason - I'm just worrrying.

I promised to care for Molly, and all the other animals.  She has a lot.    And I'm really trying, but I'm so scared for her - and me.

I'm going back now to read all 27 pages. 

I will do this if it kills me.  Molly is the best - and I'm not kidding.  I felt her tummy after reading about how to do it - and I think I might feel 5 babies.  But I'm not sure. 

Thanks again.  This means so much to me - and to Molly.

[Tippy]

Okay, now I'm on page 8 of the dob/pit thread and I am printing out the spay contract.  That will come in very handy.

[RedyreRottweilers]

once you get through it, if you have more questions, let me know.

Excellent you like the spay/neuter agreement.

[Nicole]

YAY RED!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOH!

We're so lucky to have you! ;D;D;D;D;D