Real fast -- don't worry about borrowing a birthing crate -- I'll give you directions on how to make one out of heavy cardboard boxes. Warming can be achieved by using hot water bottles (careful here) under several layers of towels.

Also, you'll should see if your vet will give you a syringe filled with pertosin (spelling wrong) in case labor stalls longer than 20 minutes. This will start labor again. Or, you can simply coax mom into walking around the room. Labor should start again.

You do need that thermometer - mom's temp will be the most important clue that labor will be starting soon.

Don't be nervous -- watching and helping Krissy and It's A Belle deliver was one of the most moving and spiritual time in my and my husband's lives. Really. We thought we'd faint and considered hiring a vet tech to welp the pups, but we were fine. (Okay. we were in constant phone contact with a vet tech and a breeder during both births -- just in case.)

You need to purchase inexpensive white wash clothes which should be laundered several times and rinsed throughly prior to the birth. These are used to rub each baby as soon as mom has torn the sac open - you may have to do this for the first pups until Mom starts doing this herself.

You need a baby's nasal suction thingy to suction out any mucus out of newborn nostrils. Then rub rub rub with those white wash clothes to warm baby up.

Will explain more if you want me too. We're veteran puppy midwives and midhusbands.

This is so exciting!!

Emily

You bet it's exciting emjay, I can't wait to hear the happy news. It must be any day now. You certainly have some great tips from your own personal experience.

Di... are they here yet?
Love that photo!

The "nest" I'm referring to is called a "whelping" box.

As I said earlier today, we borrowed one from a local breeder when Krissy delivered (whelped)her pups. These have built in heaters designed to turn off if the set temperature is too high and to turn on if the temperature is too low. Heat comes from beneath, which is the preferred method of warming newborns.

Also, the heating elements are enclosed in a water proof, plastic device.

For Itsy, we decided to build our own whelping box. My husband searched for two heavy cardboard boxes. He fashioned the box to resemble a "cave," with a very low entrance and a removable top. He wedged the two boxes together, then used duct tape to seal any cracks. Drafts can be deadly to a newborn pup.

Then, he covered the "cave" with clean, old blankets to provide insulation.

We used old-fashioned hot water bottles for warmth for the first 24 hours. Those were placed under several layers of clean towels.

Don't use micowaveable hot pads -- provides too much heat too quickly. Don't use heat lamps - too hard to control heat and I know of one very sad situation that was attributed to heat lamps on newborn pups.

cont. below
Emily

(I should have been a doggie mid-wife.)

Whelping box needs to be in place a few weeks prior to whelping. Mom needs to get familiar with her temporary cave.

But, when the time comes, she'll choose when and where she will deliver, which is often on your most expensive piece of upholstered furniture!

So, have vinyl shower curtains and clean blankets ready!

If this is the case, and the puppies come fast, the human mom and dad will have to use those wash clothes to carefully but briskly rub newborns. This is why the heat is so important. If newborns are not near mom and are exposed to a draft, their core temperature will drop quickly. Put newborns close together (touching) on top of the warm whelping box.

When mom is finished, she'll get in the box and rearrange the towels. She'll lie down and the newborns will be struggling to find a nipple. It's amazing.

If someone gets pushed away from mom, put him on a nipple. You can use your little finger to open babies mouth. You'll feel suction. Just guide baby to the nipple.

cont.

Prior to whelping, it's a very good idea to get X-rays and an ultra-sound of mom. You need to know how many puppies to expect. If the vet says mom has eight pups - but only seven are born - mom and the babies in the box need to get to the vet as soon as possible and not later than 24 hours after birth. At the vet, they'll x-ray or ultra-sound again. If they see another pup in the uterus, they'll try to start contractions again with drugs. It's critical that they get that last pup (will be deceased) out. If infection sets in because of a retained pup, Mom's life will be in danger and the health of the living pups will be in danger.

This happened with Krissy. Eight were expected, seven delivered and one was deceased in her uterus. She had an emergency removal of the uterus. We kept the pups warm in the box until she came out of the anesthesa. She immediately started nursing again and we and staff carried the box to our van and we went home. No problems for Krissy or her litter.

Itsy was supposed to have seven pups, but delivered eight.
Everyone was healthy!

Still, it's a good idea for a vet to check mom and the litter within 24 hours of birth. Especially, if mom is a beloved member of the family.

I don't know if I should continue or stop.

Actually, if a vet tech isn't going to be present, it would be a good idea to get a copy of The Complete Book Of Dog Breeding by Dan Rice, D.V.M.

This box shows you how to give CPR to a newborn who isn't breathing. John used this technique on Itsy, when she was born. So, of course, we had to keep her since John brought her back to life!

I have a few more tips -- things we've learned from breeders and personal experience.

Let me know if you want to share what we've learned. I may have written too much.

But it was fun reliving doggie birthing!

Best of luch and congratulations!

Emily in Maryland

(Sorry about spelling errors - if I take time to edit, I "time out."

I'm so excited for you and the fur-mommy-to-be!

Emily

Opps. Mom's temp will drop from a normal of l00.5 degrees F to 98 degrees F. (not 95 -sorry)

Labor will begin -- should begin -- from 12 to 24 hours after this drop.

Also, Chatty is soooo right -- no strangers.

And, mom will start scratching, pawing at towels or blankets and then she will circle. She'll start panting and you should see a white-ish or purple-ish "bubble" appear. If mom doesn't tear the sack away from baby's face, you'll have to do it. Then, just watch. Baby will come out and she'll start tearing at the sack. She'll start licking puppy vigorously. She'll also chew the umbilical cord. (We have never had to cut a cord.) When the placenta comes out, she'll eat it. This is good. Good for her because of the nutrients it contains and something in there stimulates more milk production.

The only time humans need to help is if a first time mom fails to tear the sack away from babies face. Or, if a pup isn't moving or breathing. Or, if the babies are in danger of falling of of the birthing area (like a couch) That's when you need to move babies to the whelping box. But, between births, she'll check out those babies!

Thought I'd just clarify the temp thing and then I just couldn't help but write more.

I'm really getting off of here now. But, I suddenly have the urge to smell puppy breath!

Emily

We just took Munchie's temp today..twice. It remains at 100.5...so she is not ready yet. She is not officially due until Wed. So, we have time.

Munchie will deliver outside...she has a lovely cinderblocked area right under the front living room window...where we can watch the puppies etc. We have floor to ceiling windows.

The puppies are moving in her belly. We do not have a vet in town, so DH is the mid-husband. He's bred many a dog (both Aussies and Germans) so he knows what to do.

Me? Never been a Mommy myself, so I am clueless. But I will assist DH!!!

Will let ya'll know as soon as we have puppy breath and squirmy little tikes!!

Also, I have towels and syringes ready per you advice!

So you do have a professional mid-husband on stand-by!

That's great! You can just soak it all in and take the pics.

We were first-time puppy parents, so we had to follow the gyn-vet's advice. (We were referred to his practice by our regular vet, because the regular vet just doesn't provide ob/gyn services unless you are a walk-in emergency case.)

Well, I may have written much more than you wanted or needed to hear since there is absolutely no better birthing help than someone who has witnessed the number of births that your husband has seen!

A miracle or six or seven is about to occur somewhere in the southwest . . .

Blessings,

Emily in Maryland (who is wishing she was also somewhere in the southwest at Di's house!)






If the babies are still moving, Munchie is not ready to deliver. Babies will be still, when labor starts.

You have time. That thermometer is your best babies-are-coming-soon gauge.

Yes, the thermometer will tell. My friend, who wanted to be a vet but did not ,knows a lot. So she is guiding us.

She, after having bred many as well, says she always had a bitch deliver on the day she was due. Never earlier or late. So, Wed is the "day"....and Munchie is still going around catching birds!!