# fostering pregnant female - need advice fast



## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

Husband and I have never fostered before. The shelter we volunteer for recently received numerous small dogs from a hoarding situation. One is due to have puppies, probably any day. We decided to foster her and the puppies for a few weeks. It has been many, many years since we have had experience with birth or very young puppies. We are picking the girl up this afternoon and I am certain the shelter will give us much advice, but any suggestions anyone has would be most appreciated. Help! Husband is at home building a whelping box as I type this. What else does the mother need both before and after the birth? I am starting to panic, hope this works out ok!


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

These links may be helpful...

*Whelping*
Whelping Puppies, Woodhaven Style

Breeding Dogs

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/breeding-general/153488-whelping-box-plans.html

Newborn Puppies....Care of the Newborn puppy

*Raising puppies*

Developmental Stages

Raising a Litter of Puppies: Stimulation, Sensitization, and Socialization | Suite101.com

Properly Socialized by Pat Schaap. Socializing by the rule of 7's


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Thanks for helping. 

I have not read all the links above but probably a lot of good info. 

If possible, get her into a vet and do and ultrasound, x-ray is cheaper but only safe in the last week- ten days. That could help you know how many pups you are dealing with, and possibly how far along by how developed they are. 

I use a regular digital thermometer from drug mart and take the temperature rectally twice a day. Her temperature will start at approximately 102 degrees, but go down over a couple of days, and bottom out below 99 degrees -- she should welp within 24 hours from this point. The temp WILL go back up thought, and often they will be higher at one time of the day and lower at another time, so take it about the same time, and in the absence of exertion/stress out of the ordinary. 

Once she starts to whelp -- lots of fluid. Use newspapers--lots of them. They will soak up the water/blood and provide a pretty sterile area to whelp. She will tear these up, let her. Keep other dogs, and kids away. Reduce the stress, but try to have as much of your own presence so she gets used to you and will let you handle the puppies. 

If possible, get a cheap kitchen scale from walmart or some such place -- about ten dollars. You will want to weigh the pups twice a day. They will lose weight the first day, but should not lose weight for more than two days in a row. Having goats milk or puppy milk replacer on hand can help. Cows milk will likely cause serious problems. I use different color rick rack to identify puppies and write down the weights with date, morning and evening. 

Stay with the bitch when she has the puppies at least until the umbilical cords fall off. There are so many little things to say, I do not want to overwhelm. It would be good for you to have a whelping book on hand that can tell you when your girl is in trouble, when to call for a vet (hope she does not need this).

I usually have white ice cream for whelping day for the girl -- it can help. You have to ensure that each pup has a placenta come out. Ick! She will likely eat this. Let her eat at least some of them, it causes the natural hormones to kick in, bring the milk down, and cause the womb to contract and facilitates in the whelping of the rest of them. She may not eat well the first day -- eating placenta. Have available for her fresh meat, high quality kibble, and plain yogurt, or cottage cheese. 

Feed her leftovers if she will eat them. It is important that she gets FOOD in her. She has a huge job in front of her, and for the first three weeks, she will most likely do it all -- no stress, no children running around her, not other dogs. 

I highly suggest you hang on to the litter for eight weeks. Get first vaccinations at seven weeks. A shelter is no place for a young puppy. They can get sick and die there really fast. If possible foster until families are found for the puppies.

Big job. I congratulate you for taking this on. Ask questions here, and we will try to help. Good luck.


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

I have absolutely no advice. I just wanted to say THANK YOU- a really HUGE THANK YOU- for taking on this girl and her babies!!! She needs you now and that is so awesome that you and your hubby are willing to step up for her and the puppies. You guys are incredible!!


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

Thanks. I am happy to get lots of advice. It seems she may have the puppies today. I forgot to mention that the mother is completely deaf. I hope the puppies are not deaf, but I figure they might be, since I think deafness is often a hereditary problem.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

Do you or the shelter know any breeders close by that may be able to help you or you could call for advice...even at 4am? Will be thinking good thoughts for a problem free whelp.


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

I asked the shelter director what we should do if she has any problems, and she said "call me' and gave me her cell phone number. Presumably either she knows what she's doing or will call their vet. This little dog is as sweet as can be. She wants to be on our laps all the time. This morning she began to trust us enough to venture out into the yard; last night I think she was afraid we would be gone if she took her eyes off of us. I am calling her Ashley. I planned to give her a bath tonight and trim her nails, which are way overgrown. But it seems she has other ideas about her plans for tonight!


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

I don't know how to describe this politely, but yesterday my husband said something was hanging from her, kind of a "sac." By the time I got home from work, it wasn't there anymore (??) He read somewhere on the Internet that she should have the puppies soon after that appears. But she hasn't. Last night, she seemed normal and fairly lively. This morning, she was asleep when I checked on her. 

On the subject of her deafness, it is so weird to enter a room and have the dog not wake up. I talk to her and she seems to like it, even though she can't hear me. I struggle to keep from calling out to her.


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

P.S. Husband did not think what was hanging was a puppy.


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## vomlittlehaus (Aug 24, 2010)

Bridget, I have had my bitch discharge that as well. I believe it is a mucus plug. That means her cervex is opening. Have you been taking her temp??? That is the first clue that delivery is within hours not days. Dont stress about giving her a bath. You can use baby wipes on her belly to clean her up, but dont stress her out with a bath. If she is deaf, you will need to be dilligent in making sure she doesnt lay on a pup. She will not know when they are screaming. What are you feeding her? A high quality puppy diet is better. I am thinking the shelter may have milk replacement, if needed. If you can get a bulb syrange from the store (the ones for human babies) to have on hand if needed. This is used to clear the fluid from the mouth. The internet can be your friend, lots of reputable breeders have great information about whelping and raising pups, just google it.


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

I have not taken her temperature. I don't really know how to do it properly and am afraid I might hurt her. It's one of the things about not being prepared for this. If it was my dog, I would have learned how to do it early on. We are feeding her Iams puppy food. She also gets peanutbutter with her antibiotic for her skin in it. I really need to bathe her, as I was told to do it a lot for her skin problem. I haven't done it, as we keep thinking she is going into labor, but then she isn't. I think tonight, if she is lively and not in labor, I will go ahead with that. Also, I need to work on her nails again.


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## WVGSD (Nov 28, 2006)

If possible, give her a quiet place to settle down and you can give her some towels or pieces of cloth to nest with. If she is ready to whelp very soon, she should move them around and dig in them. This will be a clue that the birth is coming very soon.


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

No puppies yet For the first time, Ashley is alone today, as both my husband and I have to work. I hope she doesn't have them today, but I wonder if she has just been waiting till she's alone. I will be home to check on her at lunch time. 

Will she know to go in her whelping box whens he goes into labor? She got in it a few times when it first appeared, but is usually in her crate to sleep and settle down. If she starts having the puppies in the crate, should we move her to the box?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

No, she will not. Given the opportunity, she will have them behind the couch, on the couch, on your bed, outside, etc. I would leave her with the whelping box only as a reasonable place to have puppies. 

Normally they wait until 1 or 2AM when everything is quiet and then they wake you up by pacing in your room, nosing your hand, etc., often losing some water, and then I take the girl to her whelping box. 

this is kind of a different situation because she may not have bonded as well with you yet, and she may want to do it by herself. Hard to say, but you do need to be there.


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## prophecy (May 29, 2008)

Bridget said:


> Thanks. I am happy to get lots of advice. It seems she may have the puppies today. I forgot to mention that the mother is completely deaf. I hope the puppies are not deaf, but I figure they might be, since I think deafness is often a hereditary problem.


First I would like to THANK YOU for taking in this momma to be.

Now for my advice......

Make sure mom is on a good quality puppy food.I give human prenatal vitamins to my pregnant bitches starting at 3-4 weeks from breeding. You may want to try that or at least get mom on a good puppy vitamin.

I don't know what this girl's physical/emotional condition is in. I would set her whelping area up in a quiet area in the home,away from other pets.(plastic kiddie pool with newspaper is great) If she is not stressed by human handling,I would clean her up if she is still dirty(from being in the mill). I would bathe her,get her cleaned up and if you can, trim any overgrown toenails.Don't stress her out though.If she freaks,do not continue,

Be careful with flea and tick preventatives.I wouldn't use anything without talking to a vet first.

as far as labor,it should be normal signs like dropped temp, nesting, panting ,restlessness,dialated pupils, contractions,pushing,etc

Abnormal signs include, heavy bleeding,infection/odorous discharge,fever, retained placenta/pup or straining with no pup produced.

on deaf momma/pups?,I have owned a deaf dog before.They have NO IDEA they are abnormal,so don't treat them that way.Treat them as any normal pup,teach them,love them and please don't ''feel sorry'' for them.They will react to that and it will effect their confedance as adults.Use hand signals and ''touch'' instead of verbal commands to teach them.Love them,train them and enjoy them.You just need to change how you train them to accomodate the hearing loss.There is NOTHING wrong with a deaf dog!


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

Thank you. Still no puppies yet. Ashley was at the vet yesterday and they said she is fine. They xrayed and saw at least eight puppies, maybe ten! I thought small dogs had small litters??


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## vomlittlehaus (Aug 24, 2010)

Do we know what breed/breeds she is? Just wondering how small she is. Did you have the vet show you how to take her temp? Then you will know when she will have them. Since it was a hording situation, she was exposed to the male/males at her most fertile time during her heat and was probably bred repeatedly. That would account for a larger litter.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Often times small dogs have small litters of large puppies. But sometimes they have larger litters. I almost think a larger litter is a little easier on the bitch as the pups are smaller in size when born. But there are more of them so it is tough either way. 

Once she has them, you will have to be careful. If they all live, she may have trouble with calcium. Do not supplement with calcium now, because then her body might reduce the amount of calcium it extracts from her kibble. After the puppies are born and throughout the weaning process, give her two or three meals with cottage cheese or yogurt in them. I usually give them American Cheese as well. It is often after the pups are a little older and sucking good, that her level of calcium bottoms -- that is potentially fatal, and if you dog recongnize the symptoms, staggering, rigid, etc, and get her to the vet in time, the pups will have to be raised by hand after that -- not something you want to do. 

On the other hand, you can over do calcium if you give it in tablet form, I do not think you can overdo it giving yogurt or cottage cheese. Not sure. Ask your vet. Jenna is a big GSD bitch, 24.5 inches, and 67 pounds. She had ten puppies, and I did not give her calcium in a vitamin, but I gave her quality kibble, and with it, cooked chicken, cottage cheese, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, American Cheese, and one meal with whatever I had for dinner mixed in -- beef stew, potato soup, meat loaf and potatoes -- yeah I am nuts, but she had a huge job to do, and needed fuel.


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

Ashley had 9 puppies this morning! I was at work, but my husband was there for her. LOL, she kept barking at him and driving him out of the room though. The puppies seem healthy and are very loud. We are excited. More later.


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

Congratulations!! Can't wait for pics!!


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

Unfortunately we lost 5 of the 9 puppies yesterday. Two were gone when we woke up and 3 more died at the vet's. The rest are with another volunteer, as they have to be tube fed every hour and we both have to work. Ashley is still with us, as she wouldn't be feeding the puppies right now anyway and it seemed better for her to be somewhere familiar. It was stressing her out so much to have the puppies taken out all the time to be fed and she was barking constantly, walking on the other puppies, etc. But now I am second guessing that decision because she keeps looking all over the house for them and gets upset when we have to confine her, which we must do at times because of our dogs. Hopefully, her remaining puppies will be back tonight or tomorrow.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

I'm so sorry to hear about the puppies that died. I hope the rest make it. Post if you have more information.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

I am so sorry. How sad. Please keep us posted.


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