DOG PANTING

Question
My bichon frise had three puppies and delivered the last one at 3:30 this morning.  I noticed that she keeps panting but she is able to nurse her babies very well.  She passed all of the placentas and I do not know what could be wrong with her.  This is her very first litter and she has proven to be an excellent mother so far.  She will not allow my male dog to come near her and so far we have kept the two of them separated.  She seems somewhat over protective of her puppies and only allow my mom and I to see about them.

Is there anything I can do about her panting?  She doesn't seem to be in any pain and she just started eating late in the day and will not eat the food out of her bowl but will eat the food only if you put the food in your hand.  Right now she is on Science Diet and I also wanted to know if I should change her dog food?

Thanks in advance for your response

Answer
Hi. I would take her to the vet to see about the panting. It could mean that something is still inside of her. If left in there, it can lead to serious infection and even death. Within 24 hours of whelping, I take my girls in for the clean out shot just to be safe. It's very important that you do this. As for the dog food, if she does well on it, then it's up to you if you want to keep her on it or not. Science Diet is not my favorite food, but every dog is different, and if they are doing well on that type of food, then it's whatever works.:-)