Is panting ok while nursing?

Question
QUESTION: Hello,
      About a week ago (on Mother's day) my Mini-Schnauzer (she's 1 yr and 3 months old) gave birth to 7 Schnoodle puppies . The puppies are doing fine but I'm a little concerned about the fact that mommy is panting when she nurses (not from the beginning but it eventually happens). Is that normal or should I be concerned? Otherwise mommy is eating, drinking and acting fine.

Thanks for your time,

--Katia

ANSWER: Hi Katia:

It's possible your female is simply finding the conditions a bit warm therefore the panting, especially if the whelping box has a heated floor as many do. Due to such a large litter & her young age I would consult with your vet about supplementing her with some additional calcium. Since she's having to produce enough milk for 7 hungry babies it's likely her calcium levels are low & somewhat depleted & she may need some additional support. If she's in an area that's considerably warm you might want to consider providing her with a place to cool off as long as there are no cool drafts or anything similar which might be too cool for the puppies. Since puppies aren't able to regulate their body temperature until they're a minimum of three weeks of age they're unable to even shiver to warm themselves so it's important to keep them warm. Considering while nursing she's being surrounded by 7 very toasty, active puppies plus her body is running at a high metabolism to support lactation that's probably the main cause of the panting. But as I stated earlier, check with your vet about giving her some extra calcium support - one of the most common problems encountered in lactating females, particularly those who have been bred consecutively & those with large litters, is the tendency for them to run out of calcium & they can go into a hypoglycemic episode which can be fatal if not treated immediately. Personally I use a mixture of goat's milk, puppy food & baby cereal for all new moms. But check with your vet to see what he feels would be best for her.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi again and thank you for the prompt reply,

I was recommended to feed her puppy food which she is eagerly eating but I realized that it has made her stool somewhat mushy. I do believe she gets warm but once she's done nursing she usually likes to lay on the floor next to the box because it's cool, the panting goes away a little while after that. So you think I should be giving her some sort of calcium vitamin? Do I need my vet's prescription?

Thanks again,

--Katia

Answer
Hi Katia:

I would only give her actual an calcium supplement IF your vet advises it. If he/she feels it would be in your girl's best interests they will either provide you with an actual calcium supplement or a prescription or instructions on obtaining one from a drugstore or pharmacy. Since pets have very different needs than those made for humans your vet will instruct you on the proper dosage. I'm not saying she absolutely needs one - your vet may feel otherwise & I certainly wouldn't disregard that opinion. My thought was to just give her some additional nutrition higher in calcium since she has a fairly large litter (i.e. goat's milk) to help her to maintain her calcium levels. Personally, I've had two different females have hypoglycemic/calcemic episodes where the symptoms are extreme excessive panting, seizures, shaking, instability, disorientation, etc. The first female had a litter of 8 puppies & they were about a week old. I had to leave the house for about an hour & somehow during that time she had apparently jumped onto the back of the couch to look out the window & fell behind it & got trapped in a corner - it was a semi-circular sofa & she was unable to return to her puppies. Since she'd had a large litter, the stress of being isolated from her puppies led to a hypoglycemic episode - in essence, her calcium levels had become depleted from the gestation & lactating & she simply had little reserves so the unanticipated stress caused the problem. Luckily I returned home in time to find her shaking, unable to stand, panting horribly, etc. I was unsure of the problem as at that time I had very limited experience - this was back in 1986. One of my current females has had two similar episodes with two different litters, one seven puppies & one consisting of five puppies. Although by this time I've begun to feed pregnant & lactating mothers puppy food with a little goat's milk & baby cereal, it still occurred due to an unforeseen stressful event. All dogs have very unique body chemistries & all respond differently to various factors. I just feel if there's a way to possibly prevent a potentially serious situation I'm certainly going to try my darndest to do so.

The soft stool she's having isn't uncommon - the change in diet, etc. will often lead to this. Try feeding her a spoonful or two per day of canned pumpkin (not spiced pumpkin pie filling) - that will usually help firm up stools & will also work well with constipation. It's fibrous nature will help to soak up excessive water/liquid & the high bulk fiber usually relieves constipation as well. In my opinion, it's an amazing cure-all & I give all my dogs a little every few days as a preventative & since they LOVE the taste it's easily given.

I really don't mean to alarm you about the calcium - it could be she'll never have any problem & your vet may determine she doesn't require any. I think I'm just overly-sensitive to that particular scenario since I've had some experiences with it.