NWR: Puppies

InferiorToKaos

I find myself in the unique situation that I am helping my MIL raise a litter of 10 week old pitbull puppies.

Has anyone ever whelped puppies?

And yes, I am back for now for anyone that didn't know.

nda_roxybabe

Yikes. I have not.

InferiorToKaos

I should say that I am taking care of 10 One-Week-Old puppies, and the mother.

temerityjane

Gracious. I would have no idea what to do. We've just gotten a single 8 month old puppy and I'm half up the wall with him.

nda_roxybabe

oh that makes more sense. Only 1 week, aww

InferiorToKaos

I've raised puppies from 6 weeks old before.  But I am a rescue advocate and I've gotten all of my pets as rescues.  I am raising my own 5 month old puppy right now and she's the best.  And I have my 17 month old puppy as well.  I've had them both since they were 6 weeks old.  But I've never had to deal with puppies that can't see, or hear...or...anything.  I am enjoying it so far though.  If anyone wants to see pictures, let me know.

sucrets4

I have no idea, but hi!  I'm so glad everything worked out for you guys!  Glad to see you back. 

aprovencher21

I breed miniature dachshunds and have raised them from one day old when necessary.  You have ten of them?? What type of advice/help do you need?  Are you using powder formula or the soy based already canned form?? 

Here are a few pointers (and yes some will sound insane)
-Make sure to help them go to the bathroom.  Until pups are about 2-3 weeks old they cannot urinate or poop by themselves.  You need to wipe them with a baby wipe to encourage excretion.
- If you are bottle feeding then they need to be burped.  Naturally nursing they don't get air into them but with bottles they do and the gas can really hurt.  Put them stomach facing on your palm and gently pat their back.  You can also slowly roll them between your hands.
- Do not bottle feed them on their backs.  This can cause liquid to go into their lungs.  Feed them on their bellies with their necks/heads arched slightly up.
- You should weigh them now and then weigh them every day to judge weight is actually being gained.  A rough estimate is that they should double in weight in a week. 
- All ten need to be equally touched regularly.  They need reassurance that their "mother" figure or figures is somewhat present and near them.  Let them also get used to your smell. 
- If any don't want to take the bottle you can try an eye dropper or worse comes to worse go to the vet and have them show you have to tube feed. 
- They will need to be somewhat "stroked" and wiped with baby wipes to have the feeling of being licked. 
-I suggest bottle feeding every 3 hours at the one week time and the good news is by 4 weeks you can start to have them lick formula from a bowl.

Let me know if I can help with any other questions. 

aprovencher21

Oh!! They are still with the mother?? 

Is there a specific aspect of raising the litter that you are having an issue with??

InferiorToKaos

Right now my main issue is actually the finding homes and responsible portions.  I want to get all of them fixed and their shots and make applications for possible homes....I've only adopted puppies, never been the person adopted from.  I took in the pregnant mother when the owner went into rehab....I'm just the good samaritan in this instance.

aprovencher21

Ok are you selling them or just placing them in homes??

InferiorToKaos

I don't care about making a profit...obviously I'll need to sell them to cover the cost of the general healthcare requirements.  And I will be giving discounts/rebates to anyone that puts their puppy in training courses.  But I don't know how to screen for good homes.

aprovencher21

I have a basic application that asks for an overall description of the home environment.  I always include these questions
Has the interested party ever owned the breed before?
  Why are they interested in the breed? 
Do they currently own any other pets? If so are they spayed/neutered?
Do they have any specific training regimes that they like or are considering?
Are there young children in the household?  (I would especially ask this question. I think pitbulls can be awesome with young children but it takes the right parents with the right kids to make this an ok situation)

I also ask for two personal recommendations either in person or over the phone (never via email) and on top of that I always need a vet recommendation.  The vet must be from their current location (not a vet they used say 10 years ago).  Anyone purchasing a puppy should provide you with their home address (references addresses), home phone number and email.

I'd look at petfinder, facebook or your local paper and take out an ad.  Most of my business now is word of mouth or via my website.

Glad you aren't looking to turn a profit.  Once you do everything right for the puppies and mom there is rarely any money left over and if there is I'm a sucker and buy my dogs more toys.

thesuninherhead

Given that I don't know what the word 'whelped' means, I don't think I'll be any help to you!

InferiorToKaos

Whelping is just the stage of raising the puppies when they are still dependant on their mother.

thesuninherhead

Ahhh ok. But if their mum is still with you, you shouldn't have to do too much, right?

 

And sorry, I ran off last night and didn't reply to your question! All is well with me. I got married- I guess you weren't here to see that?- and Nick and I have been busy with holidays, renovation plans and work.

InferiorToKaos

I'm not worried too much about the puppies.  I am going to be taking pictures every couple of days....right now I'm trying to get set up with some rescues and some vets that I might be able to get some discounted rates on some stuff.  Neuters and Shots cost ALOT, especially for 10. LOL

CarmenGrace11

You can actually give shots yourself.  You can buy them from Tractor Supply.  Follow the instructions on the packages of when to give them and how.  It is actually pretty simple.  And for them to be fixed they need to be much older.  Most vets recommend that you allow the females to go through at least one cycle so she is fully developed.
And instead of an application you can charge a small rehoming fee, that will cover cost of you taking care of them and it will bring in actual interrested people.

InferiorToKaos

For rescued pups vets neuter them 6-12 weeks.  And that is a myth that vets recommend that dogs go through a cycle.

CarmenGrace11

I have never heard of vets doing it that young but if they will then get it done.  I know my vet suggest getting it done after the first cycle because it is fully developed and easier for the female after that. It is almost like in humans, doing it at a young age will mess up growth normally.

klw304

I don't know if it's way different for dogs than cats, but I couldn't have my kitten spayed til she was 6 months old.

munkeybutz04

I work at a vet's office and as far as spaying goes...only one of our doctors recommends spaying after a heat cycle (im sure there is a medical reason for it, but i find it coincindental that spaying a mature femal dog is WAY more expensive), and even then ive only seen her recommend that a couple times since ive started here..over a year ago now.  Almost all of the time, though, we wont spay or neuter until close to 6 months...but the shelters will do it as early as 8 weeks, so someone will more than likely be able to do that for you.  I totally agree with pp on vaxing those pups yourself...way cheaper.  not too complicated either.  I would also request a home visit before homing them just to see what kind of living arrangements the dog will have...outdoors only, a comfy bed, shady backyard, etc.  and if someone wont even let you do a house visit, they probably wont be a very good pet owner.  good luck! youre doing a great thing!

jasmineh7777

TK just ate my response. You may want to check and see if your state has any laws regarding pit bull ownership. My best friend lives in Idaho and her pit bull had to go through several tests to get licensed and adopted. A basic stress test would likely include tests for food aggression, toy gaurding, dog aggression, and pain tolerance.
I would also ask your applicants how they plan to socialize the puppy- do they have another dog, will they take it to dog parks, training classes, etc. Socialization is very important for this breed.

jayjoe

Aprovencher is right!!! If you google animal adoption forms, you will find them. I just placed my first dog. I interviewed all of them, asked a ton of questions, sought out referrals, etc. After 2 weeks i finally found an awesome family.

One of the last things i told the family was this: i dont care if its 2 weeks from now or 5 years from now, if for any reason you cannot keep this dog, RETURN HIM TO ME! You said you work with rescues so you know first hand what garbage people can be. It kills me to no end that someone gets a dog without ever thinking of the long term, decides they dont want the dog anymore but dont want to go to the trouble of looking for a home so they either toss em in the street or toss em in a shelter where they usually wind up getting euthanized. So interview them well and trust your gut!!!!!

aprovencher21

Actually fixing a dog after the first heat cycle makes it more painful and a longer recovery because the uterus is more developed.  Fixing a female after cycles or having had puppies is more intensive and sometimes dangerous.  Any puppies I sell are required by contract to be spayed/neutered prior to 6 months.  I think the ideal time frame is at 4-5 months.

aprovencher21

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_nwr-puppies?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:93230e91-225e-4004-b1cd-d8ed4c0b2e63Post:80cfcce4-6e1f-4ed0-83ef-08523af24208">Re: NWR: Puppies</a>:
[QUOTE]Aprovencher is right!!! If you google animal adoption forms, you will find them. I just placed my first dog. I interviewed all of them, asked a ton of questions, sought out referrals, etc. After 2 weeks i finally found an awesome family. One of the last things i told the family was this: i dont care if its 2 weeks from now or 5 years from now, if for any reason you cannot keep this dog, RETURN HIM TO ME! You said you work with rescues so you know first hand what garbage people can be. It kills me to no end that someone gets a dog without ever thinking of the long term, decides they dont want the dog anymore but dont want to go to the trouble of looking for a home so they either toss em in the street or toss em in a shelter where they usually wind up getting euthanized. So interview them well and trust your gut!!!!!
Posted by jayjoe[/QUOTE]

=) Exactly.  If something seems off with someone don't let them have a puppy.  The last time I didn't trust myself one of my babies ended up in a puppy mill situation and I was only able to get her back after a prolonged legal battle.  Any breeder worth their salt will have a clause in the general contract stating they have first right of refusal.  This means that if for any reason at any point in time someone cannot keep one of my dogs they have to contact me first before trying to place it with another family and I always have first option on taking the puppy back.  I'll take back any of my dogs for any reason.

aggiebug

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_nwr-puppies?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:93230e91-225e-4004-b1cd-d8ed4c0b2e63Post:b76f19f1-77c4-4798-8338-7637e0c5eb90">Re: NWR: Puppies</a>:
[QUOTE]You can actually give shots yourself.  You can buy them from Tractor Supply.  Follow the instructions on the packages of when to give them and how.  It is actually pretty simple.  And for them to be fixed they need to be much older.  Most vets recommend that you allow the females to go through at least one cycle so she is fully developed. And instead of an application you can charge a small rehoming fee, that will cover cost of you taking care of them and it will bring in actual interrested people.
Posted by CarmenGrace11[/QUOTE]

All of this is bad bad advice! seriously I cringe.

Vaccinations are meant to be given by a vet.  We understand how they work and how they are handled.  Companies will not gaurantee their efficacy if not given through a veterinarian.  Rabies vaccinations are required to be given by a vet to be legal.  Your dog can be euthanized if it does not have a rabies vaccination from a vet and it bites someone.

As far as spaying it is HIGHLY reccomended to spay BEFORE the first heat cycle.  If you wait until after their first heat cycle females are 25% more likely to get mammary cancer and the statistics only get worse the longer you wait.   6 months is typically reccomended but earlier is just fine.  We spayed and neutered two 6 week old pups in shellter situations today.  I would not do it that early but 2-3mo just fine.  There are special issues.

Oh and Carmen, just to clarify, but there have been numberous studies on spaying very young and there is very little difference between spaying at 6wks and 6mos.  Most differences are at the time of surgery (6wk old need more attention pre,during and post surgery)