Found out whats wrong with Tia today. :(

[bullmastiff 610]

I'd been concerned with Tia that she seemed a lot quieter than normal and her nipples had started to swell so took her to the vets for a MOT.

After a check over, I'm informed she's probably having a Phantom pregnancy? although theres a slight chance it might be an infection in the Cervix? she had a feel about and said she can feel something but thinks it's just a small amount of poo as it's too high up and far back to be a pup. checked her temp which was normal, so her bodies not trying to fight off an infection, so nothing to worry about, if she's still like it in two weeks bring her back in and we'll do some blood tests or a scan. Feeling a bit better about it I just put it down to this phantom pregnancy thing so we packed for Cornwall. In less than a week, she lost her condition and started wasting away down her spine, shoulders and ribs. So first thing Monday morning the wife gets her to the vets, straight in for a scan and Lo and Behold... they found a single large pup

How the vet couldn't feel it I don't know? as it must of been pretty big a week before???

It must of been Roo as she's not let off the extending lead on walks round here when in season but as far as we know he hadn't mounted her??? Got them in separate crates in the kitchen and let out separately for walks, feeding, lounging around the house etc. so god knows?

 

The poor old girl (she's 7yrs, which is getting on a bit for a Mastiff) has been feeding it from her own bodies reserves for the past week, hence the reason she's wasted away.

We've now got her on decent puppy food, 250grams, four times a day and she seems happier already. Just desperately trying to get weight on her before the pup comes.

We've got the vets on standby because of her age and the size of the pup and it could come anytime this week. I don't mind admitting I'm scared shitless about it! at least when my wife gave birth, there were docters and nurses everywhere!

 

So hear comes all the Questions!

 

Will her crate be OK for her to give birth in as it's just one pup? (it's one of the large Argos crates)

 

What bedding should I be using? (we just use old blankets and Duvet covers at the moment)

 

More importantly how will I know she's going in labour?... Do I help, watch or just give her some privacy and check up on her?

 

Anything I should look out for as it's a big pup?

 

Any info/help would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Quick pic of the big girl... She's HUGE! and getting a lot bigger by the day!!!

 

All the best

 

Luke

Edited August 11, 2009 by bullmastiff

[oggy808 24]

hi with knowing its only 1 pup i would cut food down so as not to get the pup to big , but you do not want her to lose wight so it a very fine line to walk ,keep us up to date , hope all goes well oggy

[longbow 14]

Hi, I am no vet but I would definatly not over feed the bitch at this stage. I have never bred puppies but my bit of experience with livestock suggests you could end up with an overweight, out of condition female trying to give birth to an oversize offspring, it`s a recipe for an expensive "C" section at the vets. Nature has equipped them to cope with less food at when heavily pregnant, better to feed sensible and keep mobile. Just my opinion speak to your vet. All the best.

[shell 42]

It is a hard line to find the right balance when getting feed into a pregnant bitch. You'll know (as you already did) when she starts losing condition, starts looking boney etc etc that she's not getting enough.

 

We whelp terriers in a big crate, but they have more free space than Tia looks to have in that picture. You don't want her lying on the pup and squashing it or the pup getting lost in bedding when she decides to rearrange it all (which she will!!!). Also is there enough room in the crate for you to get your hands/arms in should you need to help pull the pup out?

 

It might be a thought to knock up a pen for her. We use the plastic sheeting used for conservatory roofs (B&Q sell it quite cheap), cut it down to the size you need/have room for, and tie together with cable ties, all you need is the 4 sides and then a piece to go over the bed part to stop any drafts. Really easy to keep clean and light enough to move about when you need to clean it.

 

Have you got a room you could put her in so she's quite and out of the way when labour starts? If so, put the pen up in there so it's all ready.

 

Bedding - we use vet bed - not the proper official stuff, but you can get cheaper versions on ebay. Soaks any moisture / urine up into the bottom layer so mum and pups aren't laying in it. It's great for when the pups are at that 2 week stage and starting to pee everywhere! But if you can't get any old blankets etc are fine, you'll need to change the bedding a few times a day probably, especially when the pup gets a bit older.

 

Labour - keep an eye out for her going off her food, panting, making beds and digging, also needing to wee lots. Also watch for her pushing/straining. I'd definately stop with her. Either myself or hubby always stop with ours when whelping. You're there then should anything go wrong.

 

When the pup is born you might need to break the bag it is in. Gently break into it with your nails to get the pup out, get a towel and rub the pup to dry it out a bit and get it's airways stimulated. Cut the cord a few inches away from the pup. Give it to mum to clean up and bond with. You might want to show it where the teat is and see if it latches on.

 

With it being a single pup if she seems to go off the boil at any point I'd get her to the vets. We had a single pup litter once and the mother struggled. Apparantly it is the pups moving about in the womb that produces the oxytocin (I think its that) that helps bring on the labour and start the contractions. Single pups sometimes can't produce enough of this stuff to get labour going properly.

 

Hope this is of some use to you - and good luck! If at any point you are worried - VETS!

shell

[Guest chook]

The bitch's temperature should be monitored twice a day as she pproaches whelping, if her temperature rises ,above 103'F/ 39'C, the vet should be consulted. If it drops to 99'F/37'C or below it is time to prepare for the exciting event. If her temperature drops a full degree and remains constant until the next reading, she is likely to start whelping within the next twenty-four hours, so the vet should be notified and put on call to aid in an emergency. Extreme restlessness, nesting in her box, shivering when her temperature drops, wanting human company, rejecting food, tearing her bed, panting, concern with the area of the vulva, clear mucous discharge and ultimately pushing with the abdomen or visible contractions are all signs that whelping time is close.

 

This should help as well, if it is a large pup, i would call the vets as she go's in to welp,

so tey can be ready just in case, as for the crate - no dont let her welp in there, its to dangerous for the pup,

as it could quite easaly get trapped between the bars.

 

http://www.dogtrainingsite.net/whelpingnew...nd_whelping.htm

[shell 42]

as for the crate - no dont let her welp in there, its to dangerous for the pup,

as it could quite easaly get trapped between the bars.

 

http://www.dogtrainingsite.net/whelpingnew...nd_whelping.htm

 

Very good point!

 

I should have said when we whelp terriers in the crates they are always in those plastic bed inside the crate (have them so they fit snuggly inside the cages) with padding all around the edges to fill any gaps so the pups can't get out.

 

Shell

[skycat 6,172]

If there's only one pup in there I'd be very surprised. A scan will only reveal the pups well down in the uterus. Not so long ago a friend of mine had his lurcher bitch scanned at 6 weeks pregnant. They thought there were 5 pups in there: she had 10! No pup, even a single pup, would be so big as to make the bitch look huge like your's does.

 

Best of luck!!

[bullmastiff 610]

Thank you Everyone for your great comments, I've got a lot of work to do then and not a lot of time! I'll Get on with making a Whelping box tonight. Is it just a large open topped box? any plans/ drawings of what it should look like?

 

Thank again

 

Luke.

[samba 534]

If there's only one pup in there I'd be very surprised. A scan will only reveal the pups well down in the uterus. Not so long ago a friend of mine had his lurcher bitch scanned at 6 weeks pregnant. They thought there were 5 pups in there: she had 10! No pup, even a single pup, would be so big as to make the bitch look huge like your's does.

 

Best of luck!!

YES LOOKS LIKE MORE THAN ONE TO ME ALSO

[Guest chook]

You can buy disposable ones now, but if you can get hold of a large box, then one of them will do,

but this is what a welping box looks like, you dont need a lid on it.

 

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...vNMx8CMB9X2yYUL

[bullmastiff 610]

Stunning, thank you, I should be able to knock one of those up in minutes

My wife works at an old peoples home so can get loads of old blankets for the bedding. When the pup/pups are born, do I just break the bag and clear the airway striaght away or leave Tia to try doing it?

I hope it's only one pup! I don't fancy trying to get rid of a litter of Bullmastiff's X Bullcross. Most people that work dogs won't look twice at them and it would be hard to find responsible pet owners?

 

Thank you for your help so far, I'll let you know how were getting on.

 

All the best

 

Luke.

[Cupid Stunt 18]

Theres only one name for the pup, Jesus

[shell 42]

My wife works at an old peoples home so can get loads of old blankets for the bedding. When the pup/pups are born, do I just break the bag and clear the airway striaght away or leave Tia to try doing it?

 

If it were me personally, I would break the bag and if the pup is moving/wriggling give it to Tia. If the pup is alive but looks to be gasping then it needs rubbing with a towel, hold it in a towel at an angle facing down so if there is anything in it's mouth etc it should clear. You've to rub the pup quite firmly. It helps clear any crap that's in the way. You can also try opening it's mouth if you're struggling to feel if there's anything there.

 

If the pup comes out really active and isn't gasping etc then Tia's maternal instinct should kick in and she'll start licking it and cleaning it up etc.

 

Shell

[Scallywag 78]

I just helped a bitch whelp yesterday - 7 nice fat pups. She's an experienced bitch so did most of it herself. I just broke the bag open if I felt she was being a bit slow and she bit through all the umbilical cords. If the pups looked ok I left her to it but two or three times the pup was a bit slow to get going so I gave it a brisk firm rub with a towel, as shell said, to get it going. I looked at tongue colour - when they were born their tongues were pale, but quickly went pink. If they statyed pale I rubbed them! She struggled with the last pup and I just slipped my finger round the pup when it was half out and eased it out firmly. She ate all the placentas. I gave her a bit of honey when she looked a bit knackered to give her energy and all went well. The advice is not to let more than an hour or two lapse between the birth of each pup - I don't think I'd leave it two hours though. There's often, in my limited experience, longer between the first and second pups coming and then they come faster.

Good luck, I hope it goes well, it's a lovely experience!!

[skycat 6,172]

Just a thought: if this is the bitch's first litter: expect problems at her age. Not saying that problems are guaranteed and I don't know if Mastiffs are easy whelpers or not, but don't be surprised if you need that trip to the vet. Big heavy built bitches, especially those who are past the ideal age for whelping sometimes suffer from uterine inertia: where the uterus doesn't contract properly so the pups aren't pushed out.

 

Watch for signs that she is contracting but no pup: if this goes on for more than an hour before the first pup arrives get her to the vet fast. A Caesarian will probably follow, and although it is classed as major surgery the bitch and pups usually do well after a Caesar. Much better than letting her exhaust herself pushing to no avail for hours on end.

 

Good luck.

 

Edited to add: If there are only a few pups in there they will be large, which will make things even more difficult for the bitch. Let your vet know when she is about to go into labour so they can expect a call: always better to forewarn them. I've had bitches whelp at the surgery: the journey in the car has got them started, and I've sat and whelped a whole litter over night at the vets with the vet in attendance in case a Caesar was needed. A good vet will never just rush in and do a Caesar if it can be avoided so don't panic.

 

If you have a friend who is very experienced at whelping bitches then bend their ear and get them round if needed, but beware the people who have only had one litter with no problems and think they know it all! You only learn about the problems by going through them!

Edited August 12, 2009 by skycat