First Time Puppies: Questions we wished we had known to ask about puppy birth!
Your first time doing anything you don’t know what you don’t know. That is the problem! Having just recently delivered our first litter of puppies, here are the things we wish we had known to ask about the birthing/whelping process and the answers that we came to.
Question: How much does my dam know to do by herself with the puppies?
Answer: Likely not much! We like to think that any animal will simply do what they do. But, due to sin and the Fall or whatever you personally believe, animals do not act as they ought often, and birthing their progeny is no different. Here are several examples.
The dam doesn’t necessarily know how to help with the process of birth well. Normally, a dam should birth the puppy, tear open the amniotic sack, lick the puppy to stimulate them to breath, chew off their umbilical cord, and likely eat the placenta. Our dam was able to do none of those on the first puppies. As she watched us she started to participate, especially in trying to tear off the sack and licking them. However, she only ever chewed through one umbilical cord on her own and only at one placenta. Perhaps her second time will be different, but you will need to be prepared to do all of these things yourself as you help your dam give birth.
The dam doesn’t likely know how to feed her puppies correctly. This includes how to lay down so the puppies have access to all her teats, when to get in the whelping box to feed them, and when to leave and take a break while they sleep. We found that we had to help our dam with all of these. Once she got used to the position she could get into it by herself. She began to learn how to leave when they slept so she could sleep and how to get back in periodically when they made noise or her milk came in and prompted her to feed.
The dam doesn’t likely know when and how to stimulate and clean them. The dam should lick the puppies genitalia to stimulate them to urinate and their anus to stimulate defecation. She should also drink the pee and eat the poo. They may not do this at first, and it is especially critical when they are first born that their digestive tract starts moving properly. Try holding the puppy under her nose with their rear at her nose. She will likely learn to stimulate them quickly. You can also hold them in front of her and stimulate them yourself with a damp rag and show her how to do it.
Question: What can newborn puppies do?
Answer: Not much! They cannot see. They cannot hear. They cannot pee and poop on their own. They basically only move based on their sense of smell and warmth. They are much more fragile than human babies, which is why they need so much more constant supervision for the first 72 hours and then the next two weeks in general. You may need to help them root for the teat at first. This is fine, especially at the beginning. You will want to let them work this out for themselves as they get older and need to learn to fend for themselves. But in the beginning survival is the main goal. You may also need to supplement for puppies who cannot figure out the eating process when young.
Question: Will we have problems during the birth process?
Answer: Likely. Sadly, complications are normal. See our article about mortality rates in puppies. Without human help, it is about 65%. With help, you can still expect about 1 puppy death per litter (in larger breeds), and even higher if you have a stillbirth present. It is a good thing to consider if you are going to breed your bitch, as you will likely need to have a plan to deal with a dead puppy.
Question: Is it “yucky”?
Answer: YEP! With all mammals there is a lot of blood, liquid, and smells associated with birth. You will need to be ready to get dirty yourself, be in the whelping box with the dam and help her, and be ready to assist the puppies as well. It is a good idea to use disposable items for the birth/labor process, and have yourself in an easy to clean location.
We are sure there are more, but these are the immediate things we wish we had known about the birth process. Let us know if you have others we should include!
