BREEDING FROM YOUR BITCH Breeding from your bitch can be very rewarding but can also be very costly and 7me consuming. These notes will help show you what is involved. Firstly you need to ask yourself the following quescons: Can you afford to do it? Can you get homes for all of the puppies? Have you got room to keep all of the puppies if you can t find homes for them? Have you got the 7me to look aber a pregnant bitch? Have you got the 7me to look aber the mother and puppies once they ve been born? Once you have answered these ques7ons, there are many things for you to consider. Age. Age of your bitch should be taken into considera7on when having a liger of puppies. It is not wise to mate you bitch at her first season (if under 12 months of age) as she is basically s7ll a puppy herself. Most people tend to have their bitch mated around her 3 rd season. She will probably be at least 18mths old. The average ideal age is about 2 and a half years of age. If you decide to do it all again it is helpful to the bitch to let her have a rest and a normal season in between. Page 1
Things to know about a bitch s season. Signs of (oestrus) being in season: Pro- oestrus The period leading up to oestrus or heat is known as pro- oestrus and normally lasts about nine or ten days. The vulva will normally swell and you will no7ce a bloodstained discharge. Your bitch may be agrac7ve to male dogs but will not allow ma7ng to take place. Oestrus Pro- oestrus is followed by oestrus which lasts nine days on average. The vulva is very swollen and the discharge is straw- coloured rather than blood stained. Your bitch should accept the dog and ovula7on will normally occur about two days aber the start of oestrus. Most breeders suggest two ma7ngs, 48 hours apart at this 7me, to ensure that the eggs become fer7lised. Met- oestrus Following oestrus there is a period las7ng on average 90 days known as met- oestrus. Hormone levels are similar to those seen in pregnancy and it is during this phase your bitch may show symptoms associated with false pregnancy. Anoestrus The final part of the cycle is referred to as anoestrus, which varies considerably in dura7on. Las7ng on average 75 days, this is a period of sexual inac7vity between oestrus cycles. Finding a suitable father for your liler : Once you have decided that you are going to mate your bitch, you will need to find her a suitable stud dog. If your bitch is a pedigree dog, you will probably want to find another dog of the same breed. This can be done by contac7ng the breeder of your own dog or adver7sing for one. There are various sites on the internet. You may also have to travel some distance and pay quite and expensive stud fee. If you are not looking for a dog of the same breed, you may be able to adver7se in the local shops/vets or various internet sites. When is the right Cme to mate your dog? When to work out when to mate your bitch isn t an exact science if going by dates. This is usually day 11 14 of her season. However, not every bitch will fall into those dates for a successful ma7ng, resul7ng in a liger of pups. You may wish to have a blood test done to tell when she is ready. This can be very helpful but costly if mul7ple samples are needed. Some7mes you need to have more than just one blood sample taken over a few days to get the exact, best 7me for ma7ng. Page 2
Feeding your bitch during pregnancy A basic adult- formula dog food won't provide the extra nutri7on your dog requires, par7cularly if she has a large liger of puppies. The ideal solu7on is to switch her onto a high- quality, commercially manufactured puppy formula, which can be from immediately before ma7ng un7l some weeks aber birth, depending on her body condi7on and any medical problems. Puppy foods are richer in key nutrients, have a higher energy value and are more easily digested; suppor7ng her through all stages of the breeding cycle. Select a puppy food, wet or dry, appropriate to your dog s breed and size. If your dog prefers wet food, it may be advisable to mix some dry food into her meals to reduce the volume of food required, as dry food contains more calories per gram than wet food. Always ensure a fresh bowl of drinking water is available and consult your vet to discuss feeding op7ons during this important 7me. From about week 5 onwards an expectant mother s requirements to nourish herself and the developing liger will gradually increase. For a dog with a typical liger of up to 4 puppies, food intake should be increased by up to 5% per week so that by 9 weeks her ra7ons will be 20-30 % above pre- ma7ng requirements. Her weight will then be about 25% higher than before ma7ng (more for larger ligers). How much and how oqen: The amount of food that your dog will need while nursing depends on her individual metabolism and the number of puppies she is suckling. Calculate based roughly on an extra 25% for the basic maternal ac7vi7es of nursing, plus an extra 25% per puppy. This may vary with breed and ac7vity levels. For energe7c breeds feeding requirements will be more than double pre- ma7ng needs. Typically, while maintaining the quan7ty of food offered at each meal, increase the number of meals served during the day to three, and then four at peak lacta7on. If your bitch is nursing a large liger, it may be necessary to give her free access to food on a con7nuous basis. If she has only one or two puppies, meal feeding may be preferable, with a close eye kept on her body condi7on to ensure she neither gains excess weight, nor loses body condi7on during this important 7me. If you have any concerns about your nursing bitch, then ask us for advice. Page 3
Timeline of pregnancy: 0 7 days Fer7lisa7on takes place. The bitch may experience a form of morning sickness or behavioural changes. Her diet and exercise can be kept the same. 7 14 days Cell division of the embryos takes place. Care for the bitch is the same as week 1. 14 21 days By about day 19 implanta7on of the embryos into the uterus takes place. Care of the bitch is the same again. 21 28 days, 28 35 days Care of the bitch should be pregy much the same. There will be con7nuing development of the puppies. Ie; organs, limbs etc. 42 49 days Reduce strenuous exercise with the bitch. Try to stop her jumping and playing roughly. Start to increase her meals to 3-4 7mes daily with a good quality puppy food. 49 56 days Movement of the puppies may be seen when the bitch is at rest. The bitch may now be quite large and milk can be squeezed from her nipples. 56 63 days Further growth and development of the puppies occur. The bitch may start to be a bit fed up or restless. You need to keep an eye on her and possibly take her temperature daily, looking out for signs of impending labour. Page 4
The signs of going into labour Labour has 3 stages. 1 st stage labour consists of a drop in rectal temperature from around 38.5 degrees cen7grade to around 37 degrees cen7grade. Going off her food. Restlessness, uncomfortable, digging, possible nest building behaviour. 2 nd stage labour consists of seeing actual contrac7ons. Progressively gehng stronger and finally the passing of the pups. 3 rd stage labour consist of the passing of the placentas. ComplicaCons and when to contact your vet: There is a greenish vulval discharge indica7ng placental separa7on but no puppy is born within 2 to 4 hours Foetal fluid was passed more than 2 to 3 hours ago, but nothing has happened since 20 to 30 minutes of strong, regular straining occurs with no puppy being produced Greater than 2 to 4 hours pass between pups and you know there are more inside There is weak, irregular straining for more than 2 to 4 hours Your bitch has been in second stage labour for more than 12 hours If a puppy appears to be stuck in the birth canal and is par7ally visible Your bitch is in obvious extreme pain If you have any concerns it is beger to contact us for advice sooner rather than later Timeline for puppy development: The puppies are born blind, deaf and unable to regulate their temperature. They need to be kept at a nice steady temp. Not too hot or too cold. It is worth keeping a record of each pup s weight daily, to check that they are growing at a steady rate. Eyes will open at around days 10 14 Ears will open at around days 13 17 Teeth begin to erupt between days 15 21 Pups begin to try and eat food, begin to bark, wag tails, bite, paw, bare teeth, growl and chase one another from around day 22 28 Page 5
When to home the puppies: Most people will send the pups to their new homes by the 7me they are fully weaned. This age can vary from breed to breed. Larger breeds it is usually between 6 and 8 weeks of age, while smaller breeds between 10 and 12 weeks old. VaccinaCons: Most puppies will have their 1 st vaccina7on between 6 and 8 weeks old. They will complete their course at 10 weeks of age although some vaccine types will impact upon this. We can arrange to give puppis their first vaccina7on before they are homed. Microchipping: This can be done at the same 7me as the vaccina7ons although not usually at their first visit. Socialising the puppies : It is advisable to get the pups used to lots of sights and sounds as soon as it is safe to do so. Further reading: The book of the bitch by J. M. Evans and Kay White Page 6