Sugar had her puppies! Having puppies was not in our plans. We’ve always adopted or rescued. So how did it happen? Well obviously the birds and the bees played a role and neither of our dogs is fixed.
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Our vet told us to wait until our livestock guardian dog was 2 years old to have them spayed or neutered. This ensures that they are finished growing and reduces the number of musculoskeletal problems later on in life.
Sugar was 22 months old when she went into her second heat. Our plans were to schedule her an appointment as soon as it was over.
I was naive in thinking that Jax wasn’t old enough to be a father, plus he’s so clumsy (only being 9 months old), that I just didn’t think it was possible. Boy was I wrong. 63 days later and we have puppies!
We went to the vet about a week before just to make sure. Sugar’s teats were starting to fill in but she wasn’t huge. I was hoping for a false pregnancy and I was a little relieved when the vet said Jax was awfully young to be a father. But the x-ray confirmed, 7-8 little chicken dogs.
Getting an x-ray prior to whelping is a great idea. This way we knew what to expect and could anticipate any problems.
Next. Herb built a whelping box and placed 2x4s on the inside so Sugar wouldn’t smush a baby up against the wall. If you place the boards horizontally, it gives the puppies a little more room. If we were ever going to do this again, I’d have him place the 2x4s a little higher. They love to sleep under it and as fast as they are growing, they are starting to get stuck.
Herb measured Sugar from head to tail to determine the size. It’s 5’x5′. We wanted her to have plenty of room to stretch out.
What supplies do you need for having puppies?
Prior to the babies being born, I started getting some supplies together.
- Old towels- which is great to aid in cleaning up the babies. I chose white or light color so I’d be able to tell if there was any unusually colored discharge. I really didn’t know what I was looking for but I hoped if something was out of the ordinary I would know.
- Vetricyn spray is my go-to for antibacterial and wound care. I didn’t have to use but glad I had it.
- Iodine to sterilize any tools and put on the baby’s umbilical cords after I cut them.
- Vaseline in case a puppy got stuck in the birth canal.
- Pee pads to help catch the afterbirth.
- Cotton balls to apply iodine to the umbilical cords
- Rubber gloves – I didn’t want to possibly transfer any germs or bacteria to the babies or Sugar
- Vet wrap for Sugar’s tale to try and protect from fluid plus so we could monitor the birthing process.
- Bulb syringe to clear out the puppies airways
- Baby wipes to clean Mom up if necessary.
- Dental floss to tie off the umbilical cord. We looked for a hemostat at the last minute, but couldn’t find one. We used waxed dental floss. A lot of people suggested unwax (I’m not sure why), but the wax worked just fine. Sugar did a great job of chewing the afterbirth and some of the umbilical cord off but it was still long. I tied the dental floss about an inch from the tummy.
- Heating pad to keep the puppies warm. I wrapped it in a pillow sham to keep the puppies safe from any burns.
Luckily, I had most of these items in my chicken first aid kit.
We had the whelping box set up in our master bathroom so we had access to soap and water. Add hand sanitizer to your list if you don’t have easy access.
I also purchased identification collars. I didn’t use these until the puppies were about 2 weeks old. I was worried about injury or them getting stuck or caught on something. They are breakaway but if you’ve followed me for very long, you know I tend to worry.
Labor
Sugar started pacing and panting and became very restless on a Sunday. It had been about 63 days give or take. After taking her temperature, I knew she was in labor. Then she started gathering all her toys and putting them in her dog bed. I guess she was nesting. We took shifts sleeping that night. I know dogs have been having puppies for thousands of years but I was so worried she would get into trouble or not know what to do.
The first one came around 3:30 am and the second about 45 minutes later. Half of them were born with the amniotic sac intact and the other half must have busted on the way out. She would lick the area a lot right before so maybe that’s what happened. Some were born head first and some bottom first but Sugar did great! All were healthy and had no issues.
Helping Sugar with the puppies has been a very rewarding experience. The first few weeks I was getting up with her in the middle of the night to make sure everyone ate. The mom in me worried about failure to thrive. I wanted to make sure everyone had a fighting chance.
We have 5 girls and 3 boys. 3 all white and 5 with badger markings. Even though this has been a great experience and it’s ridiculous how much I love the puppies, I’m not sure I ever want to do it again!