Childbirth is truly one of the most anticipated events in people’s lives. In fact, the expectant mothers go through a very difficult phase as they wait for the big day. How about when it comes to the female dog’s time to give birth to her young ones? Does she feel the same excitement and agony at the same time? Is it also very stressful on her part? What kind of planning must be done? As it goes, careful planning often leads to a wonderfully executed action. Without your knowledge on dog child birthing, you may not be able to apply the right kind of aid on your pet.
If this happens, you can expect that both the mother dog and her puppies may get exposed to an utmost danger. If you don’t want to go through a severe case of worrying for your dog’s condition, it will help a lot if you plan ahead of time, arm yourself with tons of information on her giving birth, and prepare the needed tools and supplies. It will also be best to acquire some first aid training under a certified animal expert or veterinarian to be abreast of the useful information and guide.
A Close Look at the Birthing Stage
Within eight or nine weeks, the bitch’s pregnancy is said to reach the terminal stage since it indicates that the time is near. She will be giving birth to her puppies soon. As a part of your preparation, you need to provide her a whelping area that is dry, sanitary, and properly ventilated. That area should also be separated from where the other dogs stay. That is, if you have other pets around. It must be a place dedicated only for her. Keep away the messy and naughty dogs or pets from the area.
Also, you will have to prepare some important materials including blankets, clean towels, hemostat forceps, weaning bottles, sealed trash receptacles, thermometer, dental floss, syringes, lubrication, iodine, and a pair of scissors. You will act as the doctor in this situation but be sure that you know what to do.
During the whelping phase, the most vital material that you will have to utilize is the thermometer. Your dog’s normal temperature is around 101.5 degrees. In as much as around 12 up to 24 hours before the whelping stage, she will experience a decrease of about 1 up to 2 degrees in her temperature. There are cases when the decrease reaches up to 3 degrees. You should know it so that you can prepare her confinement in the whelping room. Other indications that she is about to give birth include her loss of appetite, her restlessness, a pendulous tummy, the enlargement of her mammary glands, and a more relaxed vulva.
Your Role during the Labor Stage
Many of the born puppies come out with their head first but there are times when they firstly pop out their rears. Many a times the female dog will take charge of everything and your task is to observe. In case she delivers a posterior birth, you have to prepare to apply a downward pressure by that of grasping the hips of the puppy.
You should use a towel over your own hands. You have to take note that you should only give a very gentle pressure. If the puppies come out with the rear and the tail while the legs are pressed in their bodies, then a veterinarian should give some help as this is a very serious and delicate situation.
It is also very much necessary that you have a sufficient first aid training in this line because childbirth is also as dangerous among the animals as it is with the humans. Thus, take some time to extend help to your pet!