older dog 1st pregnancy

Question
QUESTION: bad first- 1st litter for the mom, she's about 10yrs old [found her as stray in Philadelphia very] Philamenia is a Big rottie shepard mix.
good points - we love both mom and dad.  Dad is about 10 mos old aussy kelpie, 1/2 her size.  Mating was only a minute before i broke them up. I assume she would carry and could handle 2 or maybe 3 small pups.

I need advise on how to treat/comfort/get support wagon for my good mommy while she goes tru this. she has good instincts, and always in wonderful shape.  Up till 3 yrs ago, until I had knee surgery, she ran 2-3 miles a day, 4-5 days/week with me.  She was always in excellent shape, very muscler. Unfortunately -we both seemed to grow old with out running.  I walk her 4 timess a week..but its not the same exercise

ANSWER: Hi. The first thing you need to do is to find a good vet, and have her checked out. Talk to your vet, and make sure he knows of your concerns. Make sure he will be available if something should go wrong. Treat her like you normally do, don't change her diet. Make sure she gets plenty of exercise, don't want her to get too fat. And have an x-ray done at day 40 into her pregnancy if you can. That will tell you about how many there are, and if there are any really big ones in there. She is of a big breed, and they tend to age faster anyway. Keep a really good eye out for anything that looks off to you. The faster you get it taken care of, because of her age, the better. That's really all you can do for now. You may need to be prepared to feed the puppies just in case she isn't able to produce enough milk. If I can be of anymore help, let me know!

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QUESTION: Thank you for responding. yes.I did type this twice because my laptop died before I finished editing my first draft to you.  i did not know if it was actually sent.

I will follow your advice as you suggest..  Morevover, i would like to prepare myself for feeding the pups JUST IN CASE.  What is the recommended formula for newborn pups? is it warmed-up, like a human baby? And how long would this be----about 6 weeks?    Baby bottles - do i need to order special nipples?  And can you recommend a book that I can order.  I have been searching the book stores, but to no avail can i find this topic.

I realize that I may never need to feed the pups, but I do want to be prepared, and avoid a frantic search after the fact.  I don't mind spending the money because it would give me peace of mind, and I could always donate to a shelter if not needed.  thank.....judi

ANSWER: hi Judi. That's ok. I just hit the 'I've already answered this question' button. It happens sometimes.:-) No problem!!

I personally love the premade formula that you can buy. I am so bad with ingredients, my husband is the cook in the house. Some people do use goat's milk. There are a few formulas, I'll have to find them for you if you want them. Yeah, you have to warm it up, just not too hot! You usually only have to bottle feed until the pups are 3-4 weeks. Or until they're able to eat soaked puppy food. Your girl is a big girl. You can use regular baby bottles and nipples. Just make sure that the milk doesn't flow too fast. I use the regular ones with my Boxers, and I'd say your girl is bigger than mine. as for books, you may want to search Amazon.com. To be honest, I don't believe that there are any really good puppy rearing books. There are so many conflicting data out there. However, I can search for you if you'd like, and can also give you some really good web sites that deal with newborns. Just let me know!

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QUESTION: Renee..Once again-you have helped.  i went on Amazon.com and did indeed order a book on whelping, and from what I can tell,it included difficult births, and what to expect and ways to help the mommy.  Only showing one page of the table of contents, i did a 'key word' search for "puppy formula", and it led me to pages past the table of contents.  This could be a good book.  I will let you know once I get it.  Amazon had many suggested, but not at all comprehensive to my situation.  I will let you know if I still am in need of some web data information.

However, i see 4 prodiminate teets on her now. I hope that these are enough.  As with the puppy fomula - recommened by book or by my vet, I will also keep you posted.  However, I know of a place in Bucks county that sells goat's milk, so I have a couple of options.  I, too, am not the cook in the family.  I make vegetarian, a lot of tofu and fondu's, or after a hard day's work,  i make reservations.

The mom, Philly is her name, should be delivering the 1st week in january.  They [2] dogs were stuck only for a minute, so I can imagine only 2-4 puppies. Dad's a small kelpie [30-40 lbs], she's a 70-90 lb rotty shepard mix with the loving disposition .  I beleive that if i get my ducks in a row, I  can get through this.  I love both dogs, and am willing to keep the family together.  Lord know, I have had 6 dogs, and then adopted a dog that was-un-be-knownst- to- me
pregnant with 4 pups.  Then my neighbor used my nursing mom,to feed her newborns that were starving as THAT mother was young, and not making milk. Heck - 13 dogs in my house at any given sunday.  it was fun

I made an appointment this Sat for a vet appointment, and I will need to feel him out, and let him know my intentions.  The receptionist on the phone, his wife, assumed that I wanted to give mom a hysterectomy and kill the pups!!!  If I can't get the poper support from him, then I will find a new vet - more pro-life.  My concerns are for the health of mommy and her babies. Money and time arre not issues.  And then my son will be back from college during Dec-jan, {Ohio], I work days, my boyfriend works nights, and my folks are 1/2 mile away.  I definately have baby bottle support line if needed.

Renee...I'll let you know about the book I ordered- and what it includes....and if it is one you could recommend.  Web information sites might also be helpful.

Thanks again...judi

Answer
Hi Judi. First of all, thank you very much for your wonderful comments! I'm just glad that I was able to help. I always tell people that if you're not comfortable with a vet, keep looking until you find one that you like. It's your dog, and your money. And the truth is, most vets really don't know a whole lot about breeding dogs. I'm glad that you have plenty of support. Trust me, you'll need it. :-) And yes please, let me know how you like that book. I'm always on the look out for a good dog book. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to write!