Pregnancy & Birth
Whether your dog or cat is expecting a liter, or you are planning to breed, there are a number of things of which you need to be aware. You need to understand the stages your pet is going through and how to recognize possible problems.
Dietary Considerations: Prior to breeding, your pet should be eating a high quality adult maintenance food. It is best to avoid table scraps and supplements as these can both upset the nutritional balance; nutrient excesses are as bad for your pet as are nutrient deficiencies. Science Diet Maintenance is a good choice. During early stages of pregnancy, continue feeding the same quantity of food as you have been to avoid obesity. About four weeks into the pregnancy, it is a good idea to switch your pet to a puppy or kitten growth formula, such as Science Diet Growth, which will supply additional needed nutrients. You can also begin gradually increasing the amount you feed; by whelping time your pet may be eating 25 - 50% more than the amount she consumed prior to breeding. Feed two to three smaller meals during the day rather than one large meal. If you desire, you can feed free choice during the last five weeks of pregnancy.
After the puppies or kittens are born and begin to nurse, the energy demands on the mother's system will continue to be high. Feed her as much as she wants two to three times daily, using the same diet she was on in late pregnancy. With dogs, also begin feeding a calcium/phosphorus supplement daily; you can get this from a veterinarian. This is especially important for small dogs with multiple pups. Much of the mother's calcium store is going into her milk, and if she is not supplemented she may experience sever muscle tremors, fever, and possibly death. This is a true emergency and veterinary help should be sought immediately.
Gestation is the period during which young are developing in the uterus. This generally is sixty-three days from conception although litters can be born a week early to a week late and be normal. A veterinarian can usually feel the fetuses in the abdomen at about three to four weeks after breeding. We also offer ultrasound identification at three weeks. At forty-five to fifty days, x-rays can be taken to determine the number of young present. This information becomes very useful during birth, so we know how many puppies or kittens to expect. A puppy or kitten left in the uterus, having difficulty being born, can make the mother very sick and may result in the death of the fetus and any other still present in the uterus.
The term parturition and whelping refer to the actual birth process. About one to two weeks prior to your pet's due date, you should prepare a "whelping box". Wood is best but cardboard will do; it should be large enough for the mother to stretch out comfortably. The sides should be low enough so she can get in and out but the young cannot. It should be placed in a warm draft-free location and as secluded as possible. Newspapers make good bedding because the mother can move them around to form a 'nest", and they can be changed easily after the litter is born.
Twenty-four hours prior to parturition, your pet will often show signs of restlessness and nest-building behavior. If you begin taking her temperature one to two weeks prior to her due date, you will also notice a slight dip in temperature. She may refuse to eat. Milk will often appear in her nipples if you squeeze them gently.
If you have gotten your dog familiar with her whelping box, she will probably use it to start rearranging the papers into a nest. A cat, however, behaves quite differently. She will usually go off to hide to have her kittens; often a nice, secluded, soft place such as on top of a pile of clothes in a closet, or on a bed. Cats will often have their young at night when they can be alone, so do not be surprised to find her one morning nursing a new litter of kittens!
Most normal, healthy dogs and cats have no problem giving birth. Each newborn is contained in a placental membrane, which must be removed before the newborn can begin to breath. The mother usually does this by eating these membranes, then promptly cleans the puppy or kitten, keeps it warm, allows it to suckle, and stimulates it to urinate or defecate by licking its abdomen. There should be a placenta expressed with each newborn; a retained placenta may cause a uterine infection. It is normal for the mothers to eat the placentas, although this can sometimes cause an upset stomach. After she eats one or two, you can remove the rest; if she insists on keeping them, leave her alone.
You should watch for signs of dystocia, which is difficulty during labor. There are a number of reasons this can occur. These include a large puppy or kitten which cannot pass through the birth canal, a dead puppy or kitten, or a large litter which takes a long time to be born and exhausts the mother, causing her to give up. Other reasons are malpositioning of the fetuses, and uterine inertia, which occurs when the mother does not go into labor at the appropriate time.
Some of the problem signs you should watch for include excessive straining for two hours with no young being born; the presence of a puppy or kitten partially out of the birth canal where you can see it but the mother cannot push it out any further; and exhaustion with cessation of contractions. A foul odor and discharge is also abnormal. If you see any problems or you are not sure, call us and we can tell you what you need to do. If it is nighttime or the weekend, call our number and we will give you the phone numbers of the emergency clinics.
If the mother is unwilling or unable to care for a newborn for any reason, you will have to help. First, you must remove the placental sac from the face area and then from the rest of the body. Tie off the umbilical cord with dental floss about one inch from the body, being careful not to pull on the abdomen. Cut the cord below the tie and dab the end with some betadine or iodine. You then need to dry the puppy or kitten briskly with a towel, which will also stimulate it to breath. To dislodge mucus from the nose and lungs, hold the newborn's entire body securely in both hands, then swing it up and back down; be sure the head is pointing down. Wipe its face clean and continue to rub with a towel in between. If it is not breathing, you can try to breathe gently into the nose and mouth. Remember not to breathe too hard - their lungs are tiny. You may need to do this for several minutes to stimulate breathing; if you get no response after fifteen minutes, you probably will be unable to save the newborn.
Place the newborns on a heating pad set on low and covered with a towel. Until the mother is ready for them, keep the litter warm or they will get weak and will not eat. Sometimes young mothers or those with first-time litters will not take care of the newborns until all of them have been born. It is critical that you keep the newborns together on the heating pad; do not let any of them become isolated. A puppy or kitten that gets cold will not eat.
If you discover that the puppies or kittens have been born outside, realize that they are vulnerable to special hazards. Other animals may attack and kill them, even members of their own species. For example, it is not unusual for a male tom cat to attack and kill a litter of kittens. If it is cold and rainy, the litter needs to be brought in water and covered with a towel. Place these next to the newborns. Even if the weather is warm outside, the young may be exposed to drafts. Remember, newborns cannot regulate their body temperature and rely on each other, their mother and their environment to keep them warm and cozy.
Once the mother is finished giving birth, put the litter on her nipples to try to get them to nurse. It is important for them to get the colostrum produced by the mother during the first twenty-four hours of their life. Colostrum contains substances called immunoglobins which will give the young a temporary immunity to all the infectious diseased to which the mother is immune. If the mother rejects the litter, you will have to feed them yourself. Give us a call and we will help you.
By about four weeks of age, you can begin encouraging the litter to start eating out of a dish. At this time you should also bring the litter into a veterinarian for an exam and deworming. To feed, either use a canned or dry puppy or kitten chow soaked in warm water to become soft. Whichever you use, do not leave it out for more than thirty minutes at a time or the food will sour; this can lead to yeast infections in the bowel and diarrhea. If the litter is large or the mother does not seem to have enough milk (the newborns will do a lot of crying and be very restless if they do not have enough food) it is a good idea to begin supplementing. Use a milk replacer, such as Nuterall for puppies or kittens. Baby formula without iron (iron can cause constipation) can be used temporarily, but it is not as good. Avoid adding egg yolks, karo syrup and cow's milk to the diet unless specified by your veterinarian; these can cause diarrhea. By six weeks of age the young are old enough to do well on puppy or kitten chow only. Please avoid supplementing. To wean, take the litter away from the mother so they cannot nurse from her. If the mother has been producing a lot of milk, it is a good idea to take the young away gradually, one or two each day, to prevent the mother from accumulating a large buildup of mil in her mammary glands. Also, on the day you begin weaning, cut the mother's food down to one-quarter of normal to decrease her milk production. The next day feed one-half, then tree quarters, then back to normal pre-breeding diet. If this is not done, she will produce too much milk, feel very sore, and possibly be predisposed to mammary gland infections.
By six weeks of age, the puppies and kittens are old enough to go to new homes. At this age, they need to be examined by a veterinarian, dewormed, and have their first vaccines. GOOD LUCK!
© 2010 Bonnie Brae Veternary Hospital. All Rights Reserved.
