Whelping A Litter Of Hunting Dog Puppies
Whelping is a term used to refer to the birth process of canines, when the female bird dog gives birth to a litter of puppies. Most female hunting dogs (bitches) will go through this process naturally, with little help needed from you or a veterinarian. Occasionally, though, some help is needed and if you understand the process and what is expected at each stage of whelping, you’ll be prepared to give aid when it is needed.When you have a pregnant bird dog and she is about to give birth, this process is called “whelping”. In most cases, the mother dog will know how to do this alone, but in some cases help may be needed by you or a vet. If you are thinking about breeding dogs, and having the mother deliver them at home, then you should really become familiar with whelping and all that goes into to it.
A bitch will be pregnant for about 58 to 68 days. Towards the end of this gestation period, at about the fifty-eighth day, you’ll want to start watching for signs of labor. Take the dog’s temperature regularly and watch for a sudden drop to about 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit as this is an indication that she will begin whelping within the next 24 hours. You can rent or buy a thermometer meant especially for this task from a veterinarian. Use a little lubricant, such as petroleum jelly, to help the process.Once the gestation period for your dog is beginning to near the end, around fifty-eight days, you should begin looking for signs that labor could be beginning. One of the major signs of labor beginning is that the dog’s temperature will drop to 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit; normal temperature for a dog is 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit. There are specific thermometers meant for this, and can usually be purchased from a vet’s office. Once the temperature has dropped you can usually expect the whelping process to begin within 24 hours or so.
Make available a whelping box (any box large enough for her to comfortably stretch in). It can be cardboard, plastic, or wooden. She will naturally begin nesting in that box shortly before the whelping process is to begin. Her instincts are telling her to prepare for the puppies.In order for you dog to feel “prepared” for the whelping process, it is necessary for you to provide some version of a “whelping box” for her. This can be a professionally made one, or something as simple as a cardboard box, which ever she feels more comfortable in. Once the whelping process has begun the mother dog will begin a process called “nesting” which means the dog will take anything available whether it be newspaper, blankets, or towels to prepare a comfortable place for her to give birth.
Don’t hold that 24-hour rule for temperature drop to whelping too fast, however. Often, this temperature drop happens only a few minutes or hours before the event. Nesting and temperature change together are sure indications no matter what, though. Be prepared anytime after her 58th day of pregnancy for her to go into labor at any time. When she does go into labor, she will begin contractions, which will be clearly visible as her muscles from shoulder to tail will contract and release rhythmically and she will likely lie down and find a comfortable place in her whelping box. She will whimper slightly and begin licking herself to prepare for birth.It is always to keep in mind though that when your dog’s temperature drops, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have 24 hours until the puppies are born. It can often happen within only a few hours before labor begins. If your dog begins whelping, and her temperature drops, that is a sure sign that labor will begin very soon. Labor is very easy to spot, she will begin having contractions which will be easily spotted. The muscles from her shoulder to her tail will contract and release over and over again. At this time she will most likely be very restless and try to find a comfortable position.
It’s likely that from here on in, you will only be an observer, watching as the pups emerge one after another. It can take several minutes or even hours. A bitch that has not had puppies before will likely take longer than one who hasn’t, but there is no hard-and-fast rule. If the process takes more than two or three hours, call a veterinarian for advice.Puppies should begin coming out one right after another. This can happen very quickly, or sometimes in a first time mother can take a few hours. If your dog has been in labor for more that two to three hours, you should consider calling your vet, so you know what to look for in case of an emergency.
If more than an hour goes by with her in labor but producing no puppies, help her up and take her for a brief walk around the area or (if the weather is good) in the yard. Do not go further than you can carry her, however, so that if she collapses into birth, you can quickly take her back to her whelping box. Feathering is another technique that can help stimulate birth. Put on a latex glove and lubricate with KY jelly or another non-toxic lubricant and gently insert your finger into her vulva up to the top of her vagina.There are some tips to help your dog along into labor, and should be considered only if she has been in labor for more than one hour and no puppies have come out. One of the suggestions is to get your dog up and allow her to walk around. Just make sure she doesn’t venture too far from the whelping box, so if she begins to go into labor you can easily get her back to the box. The other tips is a technique called feathering. This is when you put on a latex glove and apply some non-toxic lubrication and gently insert your finger into your dog’s vulva and gently rub the top of the vagina, this will help stimulate involuntary uterine contractions.
When the puppies finally do come, they will be preceded by a gush of fluid as her water breaks. After her water has broken, expect a puppy within twenty minutes and more to follow shortly after, one after another. They are usually born head first and the mother will naturally know when to stop. You can “feel” her gut by gently pressing with your fingers to see if more puppies are due to arrive.When a puppy is being born it is accompanied by the water sac, which can either be with in tactic, or ruptured prior to the puppy being fully delivered. The puppy is usually delivered head first.
Once they are born, the mother will likely do all the work caring for the puppies. Make sure that warm, damp rags are ready for wiping down the pups and for gently massaging them to stimulate breathing. Most likely, mother will do this with her tongue as the pups are born, so again, you will likely just watch. Do not pick up or handle the puppies any more than medically necessary during the first few hours so that they can have mom’s full attention. Gentle, shortly-timed handling for the first week or so is recommended while the puppies acclimate and grow.Most of your puppies will be delivered with a placenta and in an amniotic birthing sack. Care should be taken not to make sure the puppy is removed from the sack, cleaned and dried as quickly as possible. The mother should naturally do most of this for you, however, there will be times when you need to step in and help. During the first few hours after birth you should try to keep your handling of the puppies to a minimum and let the mother naturally accept and begin caring for these puppies on her own.
