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Dr. Marlene Siegel Pasco Veterinary Medical Center www.pascovet.com 813-973-2929 Milk let down may occur just before or a er delivery. Prepare a whelping box but don't be disappointed if she refuses to use it and finds her own loca on! Use old towels and sheets for bedding, avoiding newspaper as the print runs when the paper gets wet. Be prepared to assist! Have a bulb syringe (to suc on the puppies mouth and nose), hemostats (to clamp the umbilical cord), scissors (to cut the cord) and plenty of towels. Watch videos and speak with your veterinarian about the birthing process. 3 Stages Of Labor Stage One: The expectant mama becomes restless and anxious. She may go looking for a quiet spot and start "nes ng" or scratching a bed together. She may refuse to eat. Stage Two: Contrac ons begin as her belly ghtens in a somewhat rhythmic pa ern. Once placental separa on begins, a green black vaginal discharge may be seen. A green sac of fluid protruding from the vulva is the placental sac and puppy should be close behind. As long as the sac is intact, the puppy is safe, s ll connected to mom through the umbilical cord. Once the green discharge begins or the placental sac is seen, I like to see a puppy born within 2-6 hours. Normal births can be headfirst or rear first. Natural ins ncts usually kick in and the mother will open the sac, chew the umbilical cord in half, clean the baby and s mulate it to breath. She will also eat the placenta and that is normal, leave her alone! Do count the number of placentas that pass if you are there to par cipate in the birth. Usually there is a placenta following every birth, but some mes we will see 2 puppies followed by the placentas. Stage Three: Once all the puppies have been born, the dog enters this third stage of labor during which me the uterus contracts fully, expelling any remaining placenta, blood and fluid. Having a veterinary evalua on at this stage is recommended. Typically I perform an X-ray to confirm all puppies are delivered, check each nipple (for good milk and conforma on) and give an oxytocin injec on to assist the involu on of the uterus What Can Go Wrong? 1. Puppies not being able to fit through the vaginal canal. 2. Placental separa on (black green discharge) for greater than 2-6 hours without a birth may indicate a problem. 3. Mother becoming exhausted and stops pushing. 4. Too few puppies to s mulate the birthing hormones or a dead fetus. 5. A pregnancy that goes past 65 days. If in doubt, seek professional help quickly! There are mes when a cesarean sec on may be necessary to save the babies and the mother. This is an expense that must be considered when planning to breed pets. It's Over, Or Is It? Now it is me to help mom raise healthy babies. Puppies will start nursing 2-4 hours a er birth. Check mothers milk daily by expressing each nipple. The first 24 hours the milk will be yellow, which is the color of colostrum! A er that, the milk should become very white. Blood or yellow discharge is not normal. Mother will have a green black vaginal discharge for the next few weeks, and then it should clear. Good moms "clean" the puppies by licking their genitals. This ac on s mulates the babies to urinate and defecate. If the need arises for you to assist by bo le-feeding, you need to s mulate the genitals with a warm so towel. Cats Are Not Small Dogs! Cats are induced ovulaters which means they only ovulate when s mulated, such as when they are bred. This is natures way of making sure in the wild they have the greatest possibility of ge ng pregnant when a male happens to come by! Cats may stay in "heat" from April through September. Over the years I have seen many a cat owner bring their un- spayed ki en in on emergency, convinced there was some terrible painful disease going on, only to discover their ki en came into estrus! Female cats in "season" are hussies, they cry loudly, roll around, keep their rears in the air and sound like they are in distress! This behavior will wax and wane un l they go out of season. Abby's Magazine - Volume 5 Issue 5 | Page 13