pomerians

Question
I have a one year old pomerian and this is her first litter and I was wondering if she can give labour herself or does she need help?Also how long do they need to stay with there mother?

Answer
Poms are not the easiest dogs to whelp-they are small dogs bred down from big ones so the amount of C sections can be high depending on the size of your bitch, the size of the sire, the size of each of their parents and the ability of the bitches behind her to free whelp.  Be with her at all times during delivery.  Some girls do it all themsleves but many need help.  Make sure to break out each pup from the sack as this is her first litter, they could suffocate before she gets it done.  Make sure the cords aren't too short so they don't bleed out.  Keep everything sterile and clean so they don't get infections.  Keep mama hydrated and nurished so she doesn't go into hypoglycemic shock.

Here are some links that may be helpful

http://www.dogplay.com/GettingDog/checklist.html

http://www.dogplay.com/Breeding/ethics.html

http://www.welshcorgi.com/lists/archive16.html

http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medical/whelping.html

Best of luck.

-Trish