patterdales

Question
QUESTION: my lovely little patterdale rescue is pregnant i have never had puppies before and its all my fault she got cought on new years day a dog not unlike tilly ran at her from what appeared to be nowhere and i could not get them appart as the other dog was getting angry with me and to be honest iwas a bit scared , but my problem is tilly will she deliver these babies herself or do i have to help or cut the cords how long will her labour last how long will she be pregnant and do patterdales have any problems that i should know about , i adore my little tilly and am so worried about her i just need some advise on what to do to help her, thank you so much for taking the time to read this

ANSWER: Hi Tina

Patterdale's are hardy little dogs, so she should be fine.  However, I'd be concerned with the other dog. You don't know if it had any STD's, shots, what it's genetic make up is.  

If you would have asked me on the 2nd what to do, I would have recommended aborting.  At this stage of the game you have to wait and see.

Gestation is 63 days.  You should have a whelping box for her filled with old towels and sheets so she can nest in them.  Mother Nature has a way of making things work out so there's really not a lot that you will be required to do.

Good luck

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QUESTION: thank you so much for your prompt reply , i feel so much better now knowing what to do for my little tilly , if imight just ask one more question , is it safe to worm and de flee her as normal as at the moment i think she may have worms as she is eating much more than normal and as a rule she only ate a tiny ammount , thank you again for takingthe timeto read and answer my questions yours tina tillys mum

Answer
It's very important NOT to give her any vaccinations or de-wormer until after the pups are whelped.   She should be increasing her food intact so she can sustain herself and her pups.

You can add a little crushed or fresh garlic into her food to help repel fleas. Don't use garlic salt and give it to her every other day, about a teaspoon full.

Joyce