- Joined
- Dec 30, 2018
- Messages
- 326
I breed Naturally Reared Bernese Mountain Dogs. Natural Rearing means that we use minimal vaccination, raise the breeding dogs and puppies without toxic chemicals, feed raw, and use homeopathic and herbal medicine whenever possible. We also try to breed by natural service, and free whelp pups as long as it is safe to do so. As a vet with additional training in behaviour, I am dedicated to socialising all pups as well as possible, and matching pups' personalities to their new owners.
Maerzen is a minimally vaccinated, weaned to raw, almost 3 year old Berner girl. She is in excellent physical condition, and her pups were due 12 March. X-rays around day 58 showed 9 or 10 pups, all of a similar size. I didn’t x-ray my first two litters, and I had a bad surprise in the second litter when an oversize pup got stuck. This required an emergency C-section.
By taking x-rays late in pregnancy, we know how many pups are present, and if they are appropriately sized for free whelping, another name for normal vaginal delivery. Smaller litters are more likely to have oversize pups, as pups grow to fill the available space in the uterus. Berners, like many dogs with a small gene pool, tend to have smaller litters, often 4 to 6 pups.
Maerzen’s Birth Day marathon began Monday 11 March. Maerz was restless and tearing up bedding Sunday night. She ate breakfast normally, then vomited all of it, so I was pretty sure she was going to whelp that day. Restlessness for up to 12 hours before delivery is common, as is vomiting before starting whelping.
Obvious contractions started at 11.15, and the first pup arrived at 12.30. Maerzen had six pups between 12.30 and 3.57, nursing the pups that were already born between deliveries. During whelping, I feed yogurt and grilled cheese sandwich bites. These are full of energy, tidy to feed, and easy to clean up if mum were to vomit. My dogs do not get bread otherwise, but whelping is a special case! When we noticed purposeful contractions, we moved the pups to the warming box, so they would be safely out of the way while we helped Maerzen with the new arrival.
Maerz took a break after the first six. When we were approaching the two hour mark between pups with only mild contractions, I gave Caulophyllum 30 C. Caulophyllum works with the body to optimise uterine muscular function. Maerz had a few more contractions, but not effective ones. Some breeders use injectable oxytocin when contractions are ineffective. This is an unsafe practice. The oxytocin stimulates strong, sudden contractions, and if the pup is not in a good position, it could make a correctible problem into a dangerous situation. When a bitch is nursing pups, oxytocin is already being released in physiologic amounts, and a massive influx is not helpful.
The important thing was to figure out what was going on. Could we help Maerzen at home, or would we need surgical intervention like a C-section? I did a vaginal exam. The pup was in a breech presentation, with all legs pointed away from the vagina. The pup is too wide to pass in this position. I had three whelping team helpers, husband John, our eldest son Joe, and daughter in law Jackie. Joe lifted the front of Maerzen’s body up in a wheelbarrow position, and I gently pushed the pup forward several times until it moved into a normal caudal position - backwards SuperDog, with legs pointed out from its body front and back. That pup was born at 6.05, and the last three followed fairly smoothly, finishing at 8.49. I gave Arnica during delivery several times, as well as after whelping was complete, for the bruising of the vaginal tissues associated with multiple deliveries.
All of the pups were pink and wiggly, and none required resuscitation. When first born, they looked like slimy guinea pigs. They all were vigorously licked (by mum) and rubbed (by the team), and some needed a bit of fluid suctioned out of their mouth. They nursed well with minimal encouragement.
Maerzen was fabulous. You could tell this was work for her, but she stayed perky and cooperative. Once whelping started, she kept food down just fine during the birthing process. She went outside to eliminate a few times as well, and was eager to get back in with the babies. She looked tired afterwards, but so did the humans who weren’t pushing out pups!
After whelping, Maerzen developed bad diarrhea. It started in the early morning of the day after whelping, with spluttery liquid stool of normal colour and odour. She was able to hold it until she got outside. Maerzen was somewhat anxious during this time, not wanting to leave her pups: I had to pick her out of the box to get her to go outside. Motherhood is a new experience for her, and ten pups is jumping in at the deep end! Maerz had also eaten some of the placentas, and a lot of the fluid that was on the pups, and those can upset the intestines. I considered Podophyllum, Aloe, and Arsenicum, and chose Arsenicum alb, giving a 30 C dose after each diarrheic stool. The next stool was improved but still soft, and after two doses stools were back to normal.
Maerzen is an attentive mum, and keeps the gang clean and well fed. When the pups were four days old, she started leaving the box of her volition when it was time to eliminate. I feed meals in the whelping box if she doesn’t get out, but she comes out for most meals now. She is currently eating almost 5 lbs a day in five separate meals, up from 2 lbs a day before pregnancy, and 3.25 pounds at the end of pregnancy.
Maerzen is passing normal odorless red – brown lochia, which may continue for up to three weeks. Her eleven (6 left, five right) breasts are enlarged and soft; all good things!
When the pups were five days old Maerzen was willing to resume short sniff walks. We have to be extremely careful that all dogs in the family avoid contact with any other dogs. Herpes infection does not show signs in adult dogs, but if the puppies were to encounter it during the last three weeks of pregnancy (through mum) or before three weeks of age, it is often lethal.
There are six female and four male pups:
Female: Pink, Neon Green (Green), White, Red, Blue, Forest Green (Forest)
Male: Purple, Yellow, Orange, Brown (was Tan, which looked like white)
Birth weights were between 0.88 lb and 1.26 lb; good weights for Berner pups, and especially for a litter this size. We weigh the pups daily, and at one week of age they weigh 1.72 lb to 2.16 lb. All are close to doubling their weight, a desired benchmark by ten days of age.
All of the pups are plump, solid, shiny, sturdy, and active.
I trimmed the front nails of all pups at three days of age, to help prevent injury to Maerzen’s breasts. I trim pups’ nails at least once a week. The first few weeks I just trim the front nails; after that I do all of them.
We removed the pups’ hind dewclaws at four days of age. The pups keep their front dewclaws, as research has shown that front dewclaws help with balance during running, and help dogs hold things.
During the first few weeks, pups mostly eat, sleep, scoot about a bit, and make grunt / chirp / mew / whistle / chuckle noises. When hungry, they sound like a swarm of bees, or a revving motorcycle, and when they are vigorously nursing, it sounds like a distant pump.
We carry the pups around and hold one in our lap for a short time while we are in a room away from mum. They will grab hold of and vigorously suckle face parts. Even though I love to snuzzle them, I have to be careful, as they can bruise your face!
During the second week the eyes and ears will open.
For more about pup rearing, I would suggest that you look at the “97 Ways to Create Great Puppies” free e-book on the Avidog website. I love their ideas and incorporate them in my pup raising.
http://www.Avidog.com
I’ll keep the forum updated when I update the potential pup owners, noting things that might be of particular interest from an holistic viewpoint.
Maerzen is a minimally vaccinated, weaned to raw, almost 3 year old Berner girl. She is in excellent physical condition, and her pups were due 12 March. X-rays around day 58 showed 9 or 10 pups, all of a similar size. I didn’t x-ray my first two litters, and I had a bad surprise in the second litter when an oversize pup got stuck. This required an emergency C-section.
By taking x-rays late in pregnancy, we know how many pups are present, and if they are appropriately sized for free whelping, another name for normal vaginal delivery. Smaller litters are more likely to have oversize pups, as pups grow to fill the available space in the uterus. Berners, like many dogs with a small gene pool, tend to have smaller litters, often 4 to 6 pups.
Maerzen’s Birth Day marathon began Monday 11 March. Maerz was restless and tearing up bedding Sunday night. She ate breakfast normally, then vomited all of it, so I was pretty sure she was going to whelp that day. Restlessness for up to 12 hours before delivery is common, as is vomiting before starting whelping.
Obvious contractions started at 11.15, and the first pup arrived at 12.30. Maerzen had six pups between 12.30 and 3.57, nursing the pups that were already born between deliveries. During whelping, I feed yogurt and grilled cheese sandwich bites. These are full of energy, tidy to feed, and easy to clean up if mum were to vomit. My dogs do not get bread otherwise, but whelping is a special case! When we noticed purposeful contractions, we moved the pups to the warming box, so they would be safely out of the way while we helped Maerzen with the new arrival.
Maerz took a break after the first six. When we were approaching the two hour mark between pups with only mild contractions, I gave Caulophyllum 30 C. Caulophyllum works with the body to optimise uterine muscular function. Maerz had a few more contractions, but not effective ones. Some breeders use injectable oxytocin when contractions are ineffective. This is an unsafe practice. The oxytocin stimulates strong, sudden contractions, and if the pup is not in a good position, it could make a correctible problem into a dangerous situation. When a bitch is nursing pups, oxytocin is already being released in physiologic amounts, and a massive influx is not helpful.
The important thing was to figure out what was going on. Could we help Maerzen at home, or would we need surgical intervention like a C-section? I did a vaginal exam. The pup was in a breech presentation, with all legs pointed away from the vagina. The pup is too wide to pass in this position. I had three whelping team helpers, husband John, our eldest son Joe, and daughter in law Jackie. Joe lifted the front of Maerzen’s body up in a wheelbarrow position, and I gently pushed the pup forward several times until it moved into a normal caudal position - backwards SuperDog, with legs pointed out from its body front and back. That pup was born at 6.05, and the last three followed fairly smoothly, finishing at 8.49. I gave Arnica during delivery several times, as well as after whelping was complete, for the bruising of the vaginal tissues associated with multiple deliveries.
All of the pups were pink and wiggly, and none required resuscitation. When first born, they looked like slimy guinea pigs. They all were vigorously licked (by mum) and rubbed (by the team), and some needed a bit of fluid suctioned out of their mouth. They nursed well with minimal encouragement.
Maerzen was fabulous. You could tell this was work for her, but she stayed perky and cooperative. Once whelping started, she kept food down just fine during the birthing process. She went outside to eliminate a few times as well, and was eager to get back in with the babies. She looked tired afterwards, but so did the humans who weren’t pushing out pups!
After whelping, Maerzen developed bad diarrhea. It started in the early morning of the day after whelping, with spluttery liquid stool of normal colour and odour. She was able to hold it until she got outside. Maerzen was somewhat anxious during this time, not wanting to leave her pups: I had to pick her out of the box to get her to go outside. Motherhood is a new experience for her, and ten pups is jumping in at the deep end! Maerz had also eaten some of the placentas, and a lot of the fluid that was on the pups, and those can upset the intestines. I considered Podophyllum, Aloe, and Arsenicum, and chose Arsenicum alb, giving a 30 C dose after each diarrheic stool. The next stool was improved but still soft, and after two doses stools were back to normal.
Maerzen is an attentive mum, and keeps the gang clean and well fed. When the pups were four days old, she started leaving the box of her volition when it was time to eliminate. I feed meals in the whelping box if she doesn’t get out, but she comes out for most meals now. She is currently eating almost 5 lbs a day in five separate meals, up from 2 lbs a day before pregnancy, and 3.25 pounds at the end of pregnancy.
Maerzen is passing normal odorless red – brown lochia, which may continue for up to three weeks. Her eleven (6 left, five right) breasts are enlarged and soft; all good things!
When the pups were five days old Maerzen was willing to resume short sniff walks. We have to be extremely careful that all dogs in the family avoid contact with any other dogs. Herpes infection does not show signs in adult dogs, but if the puppies were to encounter it during the last three weeks of pregnancy (through mum) or before three weeks of age, it is often lethal.
There are six female and four male pups:
Female: Pink, Neon Green (Green), White, Red, Blue, Forest Green (Forest)
Male: Purple, Yellow, Orange, Brown (was Tan, which looked like white)
Birth weights were between 0.88 lb and 1.26 lb; good weights for Berner pups, and especially for a litter this size. We weigh the pups daily, and at one week of age they weigh 1.72 lb to 2.16 lb. All are close to doubling their weight, a desired benchmark by ten days of age.
All of the pups are plump, solid, shiny, sturdy, and active.
I trimmed the front nails of all pups at three days of age, to help prevent injury to Maerzen’s breasts. I trim pups’ nails at least once a week. The first few weeks I just trim the front nails; after that I do all of them.
We removed the pups’ hind dewclaws at four days of age. The pups keep their front dewclaws, as research has shown that front dewclaws help with balance during running, and help dogs hold things.
During the first few weeks, pups mostly eat, sleep, scoot about a bit, and make grunt / chirp / mew / whistle / chuckle noises. When hungry, they sound like a swarm of bees, or a revving motorcycle, and when they are vigorously nursing, it sounds like a distant pump.
We carry the pups around and hold one in our lap for a short time while we are in a room away from mum. They will grab hold of and vigorously suckle face parts. Even though I love to snuzzle them, I have to be careful, as they can bruise your face!
During the second week the eyes and ears will open.
For more about pup rearing, I would suggest that you look at the “97 Ways to Create Great Puppies” free e-book on the Avidog website. I love their ideas and incorporate them in my pup raising.
http://www.Avidog.com
I’ll keep the forum updated when I update the potential pup owners, noting things that might be of particular interest from an holistic viewpoint.
