The puppie's 1st day

The puppie's 1st day

Today is extremely critical for the new puppy as are the next several days. The pup will be nursing almost constantly but the pup is not getting milk from the bitch. The pup is getting "Colostrum"- a sort of thin yellowish-milky fluid. Colostrum is the fluid that contains all the antibodies against the many viruses that could make the puppy sick and it is extremely important that the pup gets all the pup can over the next 48hrs, before the bitch begins producing real milk. When the pup not nursing, the pup is sleeping.

It is normal for all the puppiesto make a 'mewling noise' almost constantly. There is nothing wrong with them, if they feel full and are warm. Their little legs and bodies will twitch from time to time. This is normal too.

He can not piddle or poop on his own, so the bitch will lick the pup to stimulate his bladder and bowel, and she will clean up and swallow whatever he excretes. she will continue to clean up he 'nest' completely until solid food is introduced.

She will also 'worry' the cord that is not yet dried and fallen off. It usually falls off in 48 hrs, but the bitch wants it off immediately. If she pulls on it, an umbilical hernia may develop, and while you can't cover the cord, you can sit with her to try and stop the licking and pulling behaviour.

The pup's eyes are sealed closed and so are the ears. The eyes and ears continue to develop outside the womb. Eyes open anywhere from 10-18 days after birth. Ears begin to hear approximately the same time. At birth, the ears have no visible opening, but you see the ear canal beginning to develop after 10 days or so.

The bitch will be reluctant to go out to do her own bathroom duties because she does not want to leave her babies, so you may have to put a leash and collae on her and manually pull her away from the pups and take her outside. Keep a box of tissues at the door to wipe her vulva with, because she will contnue to have a bloody discharge for several days. After each bathroon trip outside, wipe her nipples and then the vulva last with a wet warm cloth from a supply of old clean cloths to wash away the discharge and fluids that have accumulated.

Give her lots of water in days after the whelping to assist in making milk, and to regulate her temperature. Take her temperature for a least 2 days after birthing, and if it's higher than 102.0F call your Vet.

She will eat large amounts of dog food, just as she did before the whelping, in order to make sufficient milk for the puppies.

It is very important that she does not have visitors at this time. Her own family can go in for short visits, but the pups should be handled only by the main person in her life. Animal mothers who feel threatened often will kill their own young, so that a predator does not kill them. This is important that she feels safe and secure in her quiet place. The neighborhood kids can come over when the pups are weaned. The pups are more fun at that time, anyway.

Use a baby monitor to listen to the sounds when you have to leave the room. You should also sleep besides the whelping box for the next 10 nights. Pups can get behind the bitch and then squeal because they can't get back to her teats. The bitch seems to be totally concerned about them being lost, so we put them back, for our own peace of mind and quiet.

When you wash her teats today, examine then for any scratches or redness. Puppy nails are very sharp, and can scratch her breasts. Feel then with your hand. They should be full, but soft, and warm but not hot. You should examine the breasts every day, the same way.

The pups umbilical cords should be quite dry and may be falling off today.