Mother Dog After Giving Birth

I was going to finish off this year with something comical. Something laughable and funny. But then I decided to finish off the year on a more serious note. Why? Because the whole point of this website is to not only help people but to help the ANIMALS. The website has grown by leaps and bounds in 2002. And by the hundreds of Thank yous received has helped many, many people and their animals in 2002. Here are a couple of animals and their owners that may very well have NOT agreed with our advice and comments. BUT the advice was given for the animal’s sake, more than the owners.

MOTHER DOG AFTER GIVING BIRTH

QUESTION: I have a 2 year old mixed large breed female dog. She got pregnant somehow by some neighborhood dog. Don't know which one as a half a dozen males were over here bugging her. She had nine puppies. She has an odorless, slight discharge that seems to have some red like blood in it. She is eating what I give her and happy. Is this normal? The puppies were born 3 days ago.

ANSWER: If the discharge after giving birth is blackish or greenish (first day and onwards), then she has retained an afterbirth (placenta) or a dead pup even. She would be extremely ill by now. If the discharge following birth (day one and onwards) is thick and looks almost like tomato soup then she has a serious uterine infection. She would not be doing very well at all. Obviously starting to act sick in several ways. Both require immediate Veterinary Help.

What you are describing is normal. This can go on for some time. As long as it is not so much that it is literally pouring out of her, staining her rear-end and the bedding and she continues to eat, drink (normally, not excessively) and is going outside regularly to urinate and pass stool, then don't worry. Of course any change in behavior (acting listless, not eating, acting as in distress) then WORRY. Please remember a large litter such as hers requires all the food she can possibly eat at all times. Especially in a week or two when the pups are literally nursing down every single calorie she consumes. And please consider spaying her 6 weeks after the puppies are weaned at 7 or so weeks old. Approx. 4 months (give or take a couple of weeks after giving birth) she will come back into heat. You will find spaying her a lot cheaper and better for her than feeding 9 puppies next time and finding GOOD, APPROVED, TRULY LOVING homes for an unknown, mixed, large breed type of dog. Also, if more than one male bred her, she could have puppies Sired by each of them making it impossible to judge even remotely what the puppies are for breed type, size at maturity or temperament. Puppies like these are often called "Throw Away" puppies. Even if you find homes for them while young, the majority will end up unwanted and disposed of when they grow up. BECAUSE they aren't quite what the people expected or wanted. Please spay her.