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| Whelping Puppies Gracie's Story . . . |
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| Grace Kelly (Gracie) AKC Registered Whelped 4 Healthy Puppies March 2004. |
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| This is a photo of Gracie 2 days before before her pups are due. We mark the due date by counting 9 weeks from the date of the first successful tie (mating). Even though more matings can occur, you count from this first tie in order to get the best estimated due date. Her due date was scheduled for March 16th. |
| One way to tell that she is getting close to delivery is that milk drops can be found by gently pressing on the teet. This usually occurs a few days before delivery in preparation of the need to nurse her pups. |
| Another thing to look for is her need to nest - create an area for her impending delivery of the pups. I usually take my expecting moms and place them in their own private areas with a soft bed, extra blanket and plenty of food and water. I give them only puppy food to help with the extra nurishment that they will need. They will spend quite a bit of time arranging that blanket and bed and walking around. They also have access to go outdoors so that they can do their business without making any mess in their whelping area. note: They should not be kept with other dogs as this makes them very nervous and they can injur themselves and the other dogs while trying to protect their pups and whelping area. |
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| On the morning of March 14th , I find Gracie is resting on her side. She is breathing evenly, but I see ripples of movement along her belly. This tells me that she is starting to have contractions. I gently speak with her and reassure her that all will be fine. Her breathing over the next 2 hours becomes heavier. She gets up - circles - and lays back down several times and rearranges the blanket. The first pups should be born soon. |
| I prepare my items in case she needs assistance. A small pair of scissors to cut the cord at least 1 inch from the body of the puppy and string to tie the end of the cord. |
| When possible, we prefer to cut the umbilical cord instead of allowing the mom to tear it away. It helps to prevent umbilical hernias especially with some of our moms who can sometimes be rough. The mom will eat the whole placenta very quickly. This is a very good supplement for her so allow her to do so. If there are more than 3 puppies in the litter, you can remove the extra placentas so that she does not ingest too much. This can upset her stomach. |
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| Some females welcome your presence at a birth - others do not. Stay close to mom if she becomes distressed, but let her do most of the work. Believe me, nature has allowed her to know just what to do. Gracie begins to push out the first puppy. You can see the sac - a dark bubble that begins to protrude from the vagina. That is the puppy in the amniotic sac. It can take some time for her to push the sac out. She may even take a break and begin to push again after several minutes. |
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| If you look at the sac, you can see the face of the puppy. This is the way the pup should be born, head first. However, breeched puppies can be born safely. |
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