Breeding Dogs

Basic Guidelines

Our vets would love to assist you in the breeding of soundly conformed dogs with good temperaments.  These guidelines may assist you in what can be a daunting task! Please feel welcome to make an appointment to discuss the breeding process at length.  A long appointment may be preferred.

To decrease the chance of breeding puppies which are predisposed to developing Canine Hip Dysplasia, dogs can be Penn-Hip Scored from 4 months of age.

1. The female should be in excellent body condition (See body_condition_score_chart). Worming and flea treatments must be up to date.

2. From 10-15 months of age, the bitch will come on heat every 6 months. Heat, or oestrus, lasts for up to three weeks in total. It is essential that mating is timed correctly for conception to occur. Timing can be confirmed with smears or blood tests.

The stages of oestrus are:

1) Pro-oestrus: 0-7 days; characterised by bleeding and swelling of the vulva. The bitch is attractive to other dogs.

2) Oestrus: (The danger period!) 7-12 days; Bleeding may still be present. On stimulation of the pernieal area, the tail is held tightly to the side. This is called 'flagging' and indicates that the bitch is ready to be mated. She will now normally accept the male. If the 2 animals 'tie' together, do not pull them apart. This can last for 30 minutes or longer.

3) Late Oestrus: 15-21 days. The vulva is still swollen, though the bitch no longer accepts the male.

*Note: A bitch on heat can be very disobedient and must not be allowed off her leash at any time. She will have special urine scent which will attract males, so it is unsuitable for her to be walked publicly. The enclosure must be 7-8 feet high and unable to be tunnelled under. Otherwise, the bitch should be kept indoors for the duration of the heat.

*The above days of oestrus are averages only and different bitches may have shorter or longer times in each oestrus period.

3. Your calendar should be marked with:

• Day 1 of oestrus
• Day 10 of oestrus
• Date of matings
• From day 10, mark day 42 of pregnancy for worming
• From day 10, mark 59-65 days as puppies' due date. Average gestation is 63 days.

4. At 4 weeks from first day of mating, she should be pregnancy tested at the clinic.

5. Worm bitch at 6 weeks pregnancy with Drontal, Popantel or Milbemax.

6. Prior to whelping, nesting behaviour and milk production should be observed.

7. The bitch's temperature should be taken 2-3 times per day (at the same times in relation to food and exercise etc.), starting 1 week prior to whelping. A thermometer can be purchased from Springfield District Vets. A dog's normal body temperature is 38.5 degrees.  Approximately 24 hours prior to whelping, this will drop to 37 degrees. If more than 24 hours has passed since the temperature has dropped and labour has not progressed, please seek veterinary advice.

8. A bitch will usually refuse a meal within 12 hours of whelping. At this stage, please notify the clinic on 3288 1574 or leave a message.

Indications to call the Veterinarian

1. The bitch may pant for several hours prior to whelping. This is normal, but if it becomes prolonged it is best to have a check over as it may indicate low blood calcium levels. If panting, restlessness and refusing meals lasts for more than 12 hours without progressing to contractions and delivery of a pup, immediate action should be taken.

2. Whelping to be observed. Two hours of weak or intermittent contractions without a resulting puppy indicates that immediate action should be taken. Syntocin or a caesarian may be required. It can be normal for a bitch to rest for some hours between puppies.

3. If more than two hours has passed since the last puppy, no contractions are seen and the litter is not yet completely delivered when the number of puppies is known, a vet must be called.

4. Constant, unrelenting straining for more than 20-30 minutes without a resulting puppy indicates immediate action should be taken.

5. Abnormal vulval discharge such as yellow, reddish-brown, or green can indicate foetal stress, or placental separation, and the bitch needs to be seen immediately.

6. A partially delivered puppy which has not passed all of the way out after 10-15 minutes needs immediate action.

7. If a puppy is born and the sac has not been ruptured, and the bitch has not opened it, rupture the sac yourself by gently tearing it open, and rub the pup with a towel to encourage the pup to breath. Show the pup to the bitch to encourage interest in the pup.

General Information

1. If the bitch hasn't chewed the umbilical cord and the placenta is still attached, you can tie the cord off yourself with a clean piece of dental floss, approximately 0.5-1cm from the belly, and then cut off the placenta.

2. The bitch may not start feeding the puppies until she is settled after the whole litter is born, or when she is having resting breaks. It is important to keep the puppies warm in clean towels and to ensure they don't get smothered by the bitch.

3. A vet check and Oxytocin injection should be given within 24 hours of whelping.

4. In large breeds, a whelping box, lined with newspapers, is essential to prevent overlaying and suffocation of the puppies. Artificial heat and blankets may be necessary, but are to be used with extreme caution to avoid burns and asphyxiation. A heat lamp may be an option in the winter.

5. When the bitch is feeding puppies, she will have enormous energy requirements. Feed her as much as she wants, three times a day to maintain her body condition. Eukanuba Premium diet is ideal.

6. Puppies are to be wormed every 2 weeks with Drontal Puppy Suspension and nails trimmed every 2 weeks to avoid scratching of the bitch's nipples.

7. At 2 or 3 weeks after whelping, small breed bitches are prone to eclampsia, also known as milk fever. This is caused by a drop in blood calcium, causing trembling, muscle spasms and fitting. Immediate veterinary attention is necessary.

8. Feeding of solids to puppies commences at 2-3 weeks depending on the breed. Use Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy for dogs over 25kg adult weight or Eukanuba Puppy for smaller breeds. It is essential that large breed puppies are not overfed in terms of volume and protein/energy. A trim pup is more likely to have better long term joint development.

9. Pups are to be vet checked and vaccinated at 6 weeks.

10. Pups can be sold between 6 and 8 weeks of age. There should be up to a week between first and last puppies leaving, to avoid mastitis in the bitch. To reduce milk supply it may help to restrict the bitch's water supply for 24 hours.

11. Each puppy should be washed, groomed, nails trimmed, wormed, vaccinated and completely flea free before going to a new home.

Checklist:

• Phone Springfield District Vets for pre-whelping and post-whelping appointments

• Hot water bottles covered with towels
• Whelping box
• Thermometer
• Newspaper
• Old towels
• Worming tablets for the bitch
• Drontal suspension for pups
• Flea control
• Eukanuba or other Premium dog food
• Shampoo
• Nail Clippers
• Flea treatment eg Frontline Spray for pups, Advantage for bitch.