Puppies on the way!

[Myah]

My sheltie is a week away from her due date. We didn't find out that she was expecting until her little tummy started to swell up. It seems that a rather ingenious dog found his way under our fence. So we're expecting half sheltie/
half? puppies. Anyone have advice as to how to help her out during labor? The poor dear is waddling and looks like a fuzzy watermelon....

 

[Periann]

Oh...sorry I dont know how to answer ur question because I only had a dog for 5 months....but please post pics of your puppies!

 

[ShetlandRose]

Oooooooooooh...puppies! Sheltie puppies (well, half anyway). Oh, they will be soooooooooooo cute.

Not sure what you mean by help during labor. She will likely do it all herself very well. A quiet, secluded place is necessary, preferably with a top. My Shelties like a cave-like, den-like haven. Don't know if you have children, but she may want only you with her.

Have you been witness to deliveries before? I've been a midwife for dogs, horses, a hundred goats, llamas, cats, etc. Your mama Sheltie should do fine (but keep the emergency vet's phone number close by just in case).

Do you have any specific questions, Myah?

 

[Myah]

Oooooooooooh...puppies! Sheltie puppies (well, half anyway). Oh, they will be soooooooooooo cute.

Not sure what you mean by help during labor. She will likely do it all herself very well. A quiet, secluded place is necessary, preferably with a top. My Shelties like a cave-like, den-like haven. Don't know if you have children, but she may want only you with her.

Have you been witness to deliveries before? I've been a midwife for dogs, horses, a hundred goats, llamas, cats, etc. Your mama Sheltie should do fine (but keep the emergency vet's phone number close by just in case).

Do you have any specific questions, Myah?

I'll be sure to post pictures of them when they are born. Bits already has a place picked out, I think. My desk is rather large and I took out the bottom right drawer a while ago to clean it out. She claimed the space rather quickly and I didn't have the heart to put the drawer back. She has her own pillow and blanket in there now.
I've witnesses puppies being born before, but they were with dogs so much larger that I guess I'm just a little worried. I guess my question would be what do I watch out for? And how long should she be in labor, and what's the usual interval between puppies actually being born?

Thanks you guys
Myah

 

[Faithful83]

Start taking her rectal temp twice a day from now on. The temperature should be roughly around 101*F. Before delivery, you may see the temp rise a bit, then drop below 99. When it goes below 99 puppies are usually around 12 hours away, although we've had a German Shepherd play tricks on us with her temp before.

Also, I wouldn't recommend a pillow/blanket. That could possibly suffocate the puppies. Instead, put a piece of carpet down and maybe some plain shredded printer paper. I don't know the size of your desk, but I might recommend seeing if you can get your hands on a box (preferably wood) with ledges around them about half a foot off the floor so she can't smoosh a pup against the wall. You may not be able to do this or understand what I'm describing, but we have built a couple of boxes that are big enough for a litter of GSD pups plus their mother, with a little wiggle room, that have ledges so that if she leans against something, the puppies are pushed underneath the ledge (where they'll likely cry for her) instead of suffocating on the wall.

Hopefully I'll be back shortly with a link for you.

 

[Faithful83]

Do you know approx. how many pups she's expecting (this can be determined approximately by ultrasound or X-ray)? That should help you know about how long labor should be.

 

[Myah]

The desk is rather large, and I tried putting paper in there for her, only to have it promptly kicked out. She's a bit particular. I've already tried putting her in a birthing box and she won't have anything to do with it, even with her favorite blanket in there with her. She just goes back to her "Bittie-cave" I think I'll just have to keep a pretty close eye on her as this is will be her first litter.
The vet says it looks like she has five, but isn't completely certain that there's not more hiding in there.

Thanks for your suggestions!

 

[Tsaxgurl317]

also, with telling how many pups, if she's close to due date, which she is, you can feel for heads and count them. BE CAREFUL if you do this. I wouldn't really recommend it. I've done it a few times. But that is a way to do it....

 

[Faithful83]

Tried to find a link but couldn't find one suitable.

Ah, don't you just love it when dogs won't have them where you want them to? It's easier for us to have them go in a box, because we have whelping rooms down in the basement and it's either the box or the hard, cement floor. And of course a box with carpet is preferred to that.

As for trying to count heads, you can lay your hand on her when she's real relaxed if you want to feel them moving, but I'm not sure I'd attempt palpation without hands-on instructions from a vet or experienced breeder.

Five maybe more huh? She'll be busy.

 

[AustinBrister]

When are the puppies due? I am looking for a puppy! I live in Northern Colorado. If you are interested in selling these puppies, I will be looking to get on in the middle of July! I have raised puppies since I was little, and I finally live in a place where I can have one again, so I'm pretty excited.

Thanks!

 

[Myah]

The puppies are due in a week, but they aren't purebred. Also, I'm in Arkansas, and that's a bit of drive. *smiles* If they are even sold, which I doubt, they'll most likely go to friends of the family.

 

[Myah]

This is Bits, the expecting mommy...

 

[ShetlandRose]

Well, now, surely you know what ShetlandRose thinks about your adorable Sheltie Bits! (kiss kiss)

 

[Didymus]

are you going to get her spayed after this ? where we live there are a lot of unwanted animals so i am big on spay and neuter.

 

[Myah]

Bits will most definately be spayed after this. She's miserable enough at the moment, poor waddling little girl.

 

[Myah]

Three boys, four girls, three black and white and four sables! Mommy is doing fine, but is tired.

 

[ShetlandRose]

Wow! Congratulations!

Mom does look weary in the picture...but just look at those adorable little pink feet and toes. Were you there when she delivered?

 

[Myah]

Wow! Congratulations!

Mom does look weary in the picture...but just look at those adorable little pink feet and toes. Were you there when she delivered?

Actually, not thirty minutes after I sent the last message, Bits delivered a 8th little black and white boy, suprising everyone, as we thought she was finished. He's a tiny little thing, but Bits is taking extra care of him, so he doing fine. I had stayed up all night with her and my dad was here, watching her while I slept. He went to his bedroom and heard little squeeks. Bits had began labor on his bed and then left the puppy to go to her bittie cave in the desk. He woke me up and I helped with the rest. Bits wasn't sure what was coming out, looked really confused for a while, then instinct kicked in. She's doing wonderful now and is turning out to be a great little mom.

 

[ShetlandRose]

Eight puppies is quite a few for a Sheltie, but not unheard of. My first Sheltie, years ago, had a last little straggler too. He was hours behind the others. He was small and his ears looked too big for his tiny body. The cute fella' needed some extra help with special formula feedings from a bottle in addition to Mom's good milk. The others pushed him away a lot, but he soon held his own. He was the first puppy to learn his name (smart lil' tyke).

 

[Myah]

Eight puppies is quite a few for a Sheltie, but not unheard of. My first Sheltie, years ago, had a last little straggler too. He was hours behind the others. He was small and his ears looked too big for his tiny body. The cute fella' needed some extra help with special formula feedings from a bottle in addition to Mom's good milk. The others pushed him away a lot, but he soon held his own. He was the first puppy to learn his name (smart lil' tyke).

This little guy is small, but he's fiesty already. Mom's making sure tht he's getting fed. He's almost half the size of the others. She's pretty protective of them too. The other two dogs, are so curious as to what those squeaky things are, but Bit's won't let them any where near. They're nearly going nuts with curiousity.