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Potrzebie !fIwJdRoLYs
hi /an/

Looking for some advice, if possible. Our doggie is expecting, and I've never had to deal with a pregnant pooch before. Is there any advice that you can give to help out? She's expecting sometime before Thanksgiving, and any advice from those with experience would be appreciated. Thanks, /an/

Pic related, as that's the mother.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
I won't lecture you on how you should have researched this before letting her get knocked up. I won't lecture you on how you should have gotten your dog spayed. I won't lecture you on how many thousands of dogs die each day because there simply aren't homes for them.

I will lecture you on that godawful pillow, because seriously, I hope you inherited that piece of shit and did not pay money for it.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
Also, if I see that fucking clock one more time..
>> Potrzebie !fIwJdRoLYs
>>179271
Not entirely my fault. The dog belongs to my mom (and so does that retarded pillow), and I insisted that she get at least one of her dogs fixed so shit like this wouldn't happen. I don't want to put up with having to deal with puppies, but at this point, I don't have much of a choice, because for whatever reason, this chore was foisted on me.

We're already finding people who will give the puppies a good home when they're born. I'm just looking for some advice to get us through the birthing process, because it's not something I've gone through before. I've already done a bit of reading and research behind it, but I'd also like to get some advice from people who've already gone through it.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>179274
How far along is she? Are you aware that you can get a doggie abortion and a spay at the same time. I wouldn't abort them if she's already lactating or they have begun moving around, but if she isn't even showing..

As for what to do about the birthing.. have at least 1000$ handy. You may need to visit an e-vet, she may need a c-section if there are complications. Give her a big box in a warm place and line it with old towels (NOT towels with tons of strings and fuzzies, but something soft and absorbent). Don't use shredded paper or paper towels or anything that sticks when wet.

It will be gross. There will be blood and horrible smells. Its nasty. Have a bucket of water handy. You'll know what its for when the time comes.
>> Potrzebie !fIwJdRoLYs
>>179277

Not really sure. Like I said before, it's my mom's dog, so she's been handling all the care and feeding and vet trips. She got a trip to the vet about a month ago, where the vet told her that she 'has all the symptoms'. I haven't been given a yes or no answer, but we're working off the assumption that she is, indeed, pregnant, and we figure the time of birth will be in the next week or two.

She also the idea that if the dog is pregnant, she can't get spayed at the same time, and I have no clue where she got that BS idea from, which shows you just how much thought she put into getting these dogs (the father is our other dog).

I didn't figure it would be a clean process. I've read that you need to isolate the dog three days before labor and of course keep a very close eye on her, double her food and water and all that, but I don't know what I should actually do outside of that and keeping her clean and the pups isolated during and after...
>> Anonymous
HAVE HER X-RAYED SO YOU DON'T END UP LOSING MOM AND PUPS!!!

Seriously, if you care about the dog or if you care about her pups you will shell out the $75 to have her x-rayed so you know just how many and the relative "size" of the pups she will be expecting. I can not stress enough how many cases of dystocia, fetal death, and ultimate tragedy could have been prevented because this one little "picture" was ignored.

It's good to know the relative size of the stud, because if mom's smaller than the dad I might consider preparing for a c-section. Puppies don't "keep to scale" when they develop, they will be an average between the parents.

When she goes into labor, if she strains for an excessive period of time... meaning 30+ minutes and absolutely NOTHING is being produced (like heads or feet) GET HER TO THE VET ASAP. If you know how many pups she's going to have, and she's not had the last one or two and it has been over an hour since the last puppy has been delivered CALL THE VET AND GET IN ASAP. These are critical periods where medical intervention is necessary. Do not hesitate. If it's a false alarm and she delivers on the way over, then at least you were being pro-active.

Puppy birthing is a messy, gross experience. Make sure wherever you plan on housing your dog during her estimated delivery date to be "disposable" and easily cleaned. Think newspaper, towels, and linoleum. If you have a plastic kiddie swimming pool, that makes for a fine "pen." Make sure wherever you chose, that it's quiet, doesn't get a lot of traffic in your house, and is free of drafts. Make sure she has plenty of water available. More than likely she won't be hungry during delivery, but she may take a break and feel snackish... just be aware she may get nauseated so keep things light.
>> Anonymous
>>>> but I don't know what I should actually do outside of that and keeping her clean and the pups isolated during and after...

Most of it she will take care of on her own. Placentas will need to be cleared away from the pup's mouth and eyes, as well as wiped with a dry cloth to sop up any amniotic fluid to prevent breathing difficulties. Most experienced moms will know to start licking their pups dry once they are expelled, but as I sense this is probably going to be her first litter, she may need a bit of guidance.

You may need to tie off an umbilical cord or two. Dental floss (unscented, no dyes) and a small pair of sewing scissors (for better control) are something you might want to know where they are for future reference. Most times they will break on their own, but if one is extremely long or still stuck to the placenta, you'll need to make two knots (think of it like tying your shoes to a clothes line, one shoes' strings tied to itself with a space of line in between it and its mate) before you can cut off the excess. You will want two individual knots to keep blood from being lost by the puppy and keeping the blood that's in the placenta from oozing all over. If you don't feel confident with that, talk to your vet.

Also, be aware that since this is a new experience for her, she may be cranky or outright mean and defensive (a common response when something is going on that they don't understand.)

Dogs can also be funny and eat their own young. It could be because they know something is wrong with that one specifically or something else... science doesn't really know for certain. So don't freak out (too much) should you see it, but if it does happen have her looked over by the vet (nutritional deficiencies, neurological issues, etc.) and keep a close eye on the babies in the meanwhile.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
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>>179290
Excellent advice all over, Anon.

Birth is something that is incredibly instinct driven, despite humanity's attempt to make it more complicated than it is. If you feel something is wrong, then something is wrong. Sure, there is the occasional bad mother who doesnt know what the fuck to do, but most of the time, it works out or you kinda naturally know what to do.

Pic is of Snailcat giving birth. It was the nastiest thing I have ever seen, and I know I fucked up at some points (I lack maternal instinct, sue me), but it worked out fine in the end. Cept for escargot, of course.
>> Anonymous
As an owner and breeder of Champion Golden Ret. i would allow her to have the litter, but i would have them all c-sectioned just to be safe and raise them, find good homes and then i would have her spayed
>> Anonymous
>>179296
post more snailcat + kitties.
>> Potrzebie !fIwJdRoLYs
>>179296
Naaaaaaaaasty. But indeed, thank you all for the help. It's much appreciated and I'll keep it in mind when she finally does give birth.

Given the vague nature of what I've been told surrounding these events, I'm really inclined to think that she's just a fat dog, since she's nearly double the weight of the father and one of her sisters (she weighs 17 pounds!).

I'll be sure to keep /an/ updated, you've been very helpful. Bonus internets to Bitter Anon, thanks to all.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
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>>179323
I had written another post which explained the bucket of water, but "someone" felt it was in bad taste and made me remove it. Summary: The bucket is for treatment of birth defects, as mentioned in>>179284

If she's due in two weeks and she doesn't look like she is going to explode any moment, then she isn't going to have puppies, she's just sick/fat. By now you should be able to feel them wiggling around inside. Go to a different vet. Also, your mom is stupid, she can be spayed right up until she gives birth. Though, they may charge you to euthanise the pups if you were to wait that late, and "aborting" at that point is kinda sick even to me.
>> Potrzebie !fIwJdRoLYs
>>179363
See, I figured that was the case, because she eats quite a bit, but she's still very active (jumping on furniture, running around, etc), and about the only thing that really leads me to believe she would be pregnant is her teats are beginning to swell. But I'd figure that's just normal maturity, anyway.