nursing problems

Question
we have a king charles spanel and she had an issue yesterday that she cramped up from lack of calcium, what should the plan be going forward, as far as feeding and her nursing the three pups?

Answer
Mike, did you have a vet treat her? Usually, this problem occurs when the bitch has been given too much calcium during pregnancy (which is why you are not supposed to supplement a pregnant bitch with calcium). It is known as eclampsia, hypocalcemia, or 'milk fever.' It also can occur if the bitch is producing a LOT of milk, and tends to happen more often in first-time mothers.

Hypocalcemia CAN be a life-threatening issue. The only 'cure' is to give the bitch calcium, and the best way to administer calcium to a hypocalcemic bitch is through an IV, which the vet will have to do. Monitor your dog carefully, and when you see her muscles twitching (all over), or if she becomes restless and begins to pant and/or pace stiffly around the room, or suddenly become disinterested in the pups, you may want to put a call in to your vet to let him/her know you are on your way. Within a short period of time, your dog may develop strong muscle tremors, muscle stiffness, and convulsions, and she may also develop a fever due to all the muscle movement. At this stage, she is to be considered critical.

Since your dog has already whelped her puppies, it is now safe to supplement her diet with calcium to help prevent eclampsia from happening again, so that you don't end up having to rush her to the vet.