6 WEEK PREGNANT BOXER

Question
Hi there,can i firstly say what a fantastic job you are doing on here,a great help to all within the boxer breed. I have a female boxer who is 6 weeks pregnant with her first litter and have been giving her egg with cottage cheese for breakfast, dry puppy for and cooked liver/hearts for extra protein. She has had diarhhea today and wondered if this could affect the puppies. Should i change her diet... Also could you let me know how many puppies the boxers tend to have on average with their first litter... She is quite a small boxer but the stud was very large... Any help you can give would be appreciated. I have her whelping box and all the necessary things ready for her. Thanks... Tracey

Answer
Thank you, Tracey!

"Diarrhea" means different things to different people - is she having bouts of uncontrollable (or barely controllable) watery or explosive stool, or is she having her normal 'schedule' (well, probably more frequent given her pregnancy) but just loose or runny stool?  

The first is a larger concern because she can become dehydrated.  If it continues, you can give her an electrolyte replacement product like Pedialyte, and of course be sure she has access to clean fresh water.  You can feed her cooked white rice with boiled chicken for a few days; this is a bland food and generally helps settle any digestive issues fairly quickly.  I would keep in touch with the vet just to be on the safe side, and in case she needs to have fluids given.

The second is not entirely unusual in a pregnant bitch - and probably easier for her at this point than a firm stool would be to pass.  The extras you're giving might be contributing as well - the dairy in the cottage cheese, or the richness of the eggs, liver, and hearts, can sometimes cause loose stool in excess.  They've got good nutrients, but you may try backing off the amounts of those for a bit to see if it helps.  You could added cooked white rice, as well, and if you can get it canned pumpkin (a couple of tablespoons per meal) can help firm up the stool.  

I would say on average expect 4-6 puppies - but don't be surprised by a range of 1-10! ;)  

Good luck with the puppies!