Female Chihuahua first litter

Question
Unfortunately my 10 month old little girl and my 2 year old Chihuahuas' got together "one time," by my accident and stupidity. I did want her to have one litter on her 3rd heat NOT her first.  Anyway, Q: Where should I put her whelping retreat/bed, how often should I change it out?  I want her to have EVERYTHING as easy as possible.  She should be due in 2 weeks but is already acting more picky about her food and the size of her treats (I have to cut them up very tiny), do you think her mouth is sore from the pregnancy?  Is that possible?  Should I bathe her during her whelping time and the babies too?  How soon afterwards can I get her fixed?  You say the room temp 74 or 75 it's summertime should I still worry about a heater or heating pad for them?  How many babies do you think is typical of her breed? Many thanks! Catherine

Answer
Hi Catherine

Darn dogs LOL...they always manage to outsmart us.

I would keep her whelping box3 in your room.  Keep old sheets, and towels inside the box so she can nest.  The reason you want it in your room, is you will be better able to hear her and once the pups have whelped, them.  You don't want to be moving the whelping box all over the house.  

With regards to treats, she's getting spoilt.  Why not acted on it?  Chihuahua's are notoriously "sneaky" and if you are willing to go the extra mile for her, she'll let you.

No need to bathe the pups or the mom after whelp.  She should keep the pups clean. However pups need to be stimulated to defecate. So if she's not keeping up her end of the bargain, a warm wash cloth to wipe them will help keep them regular.  

Keep them out of a draft for the first few weeks and the only concern I have with a heating pad is the first degree burns that can occur if the pups are movers.  Newborns can't regulate their temperatures so room temperature is fine, to hot and they can dehydrate.

And finally, the number of pups depend on the number of eggs fertilized, day of breeding,etc, etc. But being a smaller dog, I would say no more than 3 or 4.

Good luck.