pomeranian pregnant.

Question
QUESTION: Hi Renee,

This is my first litter with my purebred pomeranian. I do know that they tend to have small litters, 4 at the most. I have calculated, and today is her day 54 from the first mating.  However, her belly is still very small though you can feel puppies moving around slightly when I place my hand gently on her tummy. I have seen pictures of pregnant dogs with HUGE stomachs, but hers is still quite small though her nipples and vulva have been enlarged..what do you think?"

Also, I am feeding her all ages dog food canned and dry. I have to use the blender to make the dry dog food into small bits to mix into her canned. Both her dog foods are good, meat as first ingredient and no byproducts. is all ages dog food o.k.?

I read somewhere that little dogs tend to whelp before day 63..is this correct?

Also what is a mucus plug?

Thanks very much.
Jessica


ANSWER: Hi. It sounds like she definitely is pregnant, maybe with just a small litter. After day 50, you can have x-rays done to know for sure, and about how many to expect. If she's doing good on the dog food, and has nice bowel movements, then it's a good food. Well, I have also been told that small dogs tend to whelp earlier. I honestly can't say for sure on this one as I have always had large dogs. The mucus plug is a clear, gunky, stringie discharge that a dog loses about 24-48 hours before whelping. Women have it as well. It protects the uterus, and is in the cervix. When a dog loses this, that means her body is getting ready to whelp.

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QUESTION: Thanks for the quick reply.

Do you think it would be good to supplement extra?
protein, veggies, etc. I know to not give calcium until the labor because it helps with contractions.  

Also, do you let the mothers do the whelping themselves, or do you help them so they don't chew the umbilical cord too short...etc.
Are newspapers o.k. for the bedding for whelping? I will change to towels and blankets once the puppies are all born.


Thanks again.

ANSWER: Hi. My own personal opinion about supplaments is if there is no reason for it, don't do it. I would suggest talking to your vet to see if he thinks that she has a medical need for it. Usually, a really good adult dog food is all that she needs. if she gets picky about her food later on, then you can add things to get her to eat, like cottage cheese, plain yogurt, ect. You are dead on about the calcium. :-) Since you have a small dog, watch her closely after whelping. If she starts to shake or has tremors, then get her to the vet ASAP. I am always present when one of my girls whelps. I do cut the cord myself, as early on, we had a Boxer girl that actually ripped the cord from a newborn. Now, I do it myself before she even gets a chance to. Rooky mistake on my part. :-) Newspapers are fine while she's whelping, but you'll want something like an old blanket or fake lamb's wool for afterwards. Oh, you can also use chucks during whelping. You can buy them at Wal-Mart in the adult diaper section. They're cheap and you get quite a few of them in a bag. They look like a flat diaper with blue backing, and they are even better than newspapers. Easier to clean up as well. I'm going to give you a really good web site to have a look at. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

www.debbiejensen.com

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QUESTION: Thanks again.

Do you recommend feeding her the placentas? I know they have a lot of nutrients, but they can also cause diarrea.

When the puppies are born, how often do I have to change a towel? Once a day?

Do you keep a heater in the room at 85 degrees all the time for the puppies or do you think it's okay as long as the room is warm enough?

How much do puppies grown in the last week? I read somewhere that some preemie puppies born a week early has a bad chance at survival and were 2/3 their normal weight.

Answer
I let them eat one or two, it helps with contractions and milk supply. She'll most likely get diarrhea anyway, it's nature's way of cleaning them out.

Have plenty of towels and blankets on hand, you'll be changing it quite often during the day.

If pups are born during the summer, I don't use a heater. As long as the room is kept warm, and you have some type of heat source for them, it should be ok. I use empty two liter bottles filled with really warm water wrapped in a towel. Then, I put them around the whelping box so the pups can cuddle up to them if they need to, or move away if they get too hot.


Ya know, I'm not sure how much they grow during the last week. If a puppy is born before the 58 day, it's chance of making it is really low. Most do not survive if born before that day.