OK breeders - pregnant foster basset; need advice!

Since she is having a litter of mongrel pups every one will probably live,the only concern I would voice is if the sire was a very large breed it could complicate the delivery.Also the odds are she will have the litter at 3o am in the morning or while your at work.I would take a deep breath and pray for a small litter.
If their is anyone with breeding experience around, you have them drop by and check her out.Watch her for nesting behaviour,is she tearing up her bed or digging in the earth making a spot to give birth.Restless behaviour can be expected,not wanting to move or lying in one spot for extended periods of time is a red flag.When Appleton Acre Joy(I allways called her Sally)had to have a C-section my dad made it a point to take me and observe the hound.She began not responding to our voice and acting too tired our weak to want to move.Right to the vet she went.
Hope you have a small litter and all goes well,several years ago a pregnant stray would be put down immediately.Your a kind soul to take on the task of a hound with a mongrel litter.

Does checking her temp really work, as far as 24-hour notice of labor?

Almost always! She will also usually get restless, pant and nest.


How do I know if a pup is stuck, or she otherwise needs vet help while in labor?

Since I live 45 minutes from the vet, if strong contractions didn't produce a puppy within 5-10 minutes I'd be paging the vet that I was on my way. If you're fairly close you can call to see what your vet wants to do. Fortunately, the only time I've had a stuck puppy I was already at the vets (I got nervous about how long the first puppy was taking...she was born all right (Ginger) but the second one got stuck fast and we had to c-section)


How do I know if she has mastistis, or a uterine infection (afer birth)?

For mastitis, the breasts will be cakey and you can see pus in the milk. For a uterine infection, she will usually have a foul smelling, tomato soup like discharge (regular discharge is normal) and a fever.

Anything special I should: do/give the pups/look for to make sure they get a good head start, and stay healthy? Can I /should I give them Nutrical or something else during those first days?

I give the bitch the best possible nutrition, she will give them the best possible milk. The main thing is for them to get the colostrum (earliest milk) which gives them protection from disease.

My other concern: Noel and I both work during the day - there's no help for it, almost all of our foster parents do. So that mom and pups will be alone for at LEAST 6-7 hours per day. Should I separate them, so the mom doesn't crush the pups accidentally? Or leave them together, so the pups can nurse? what's best?

Ack! can you take at least the first day off after delivery? (You'll probably be too wrecked to work anyways ) Try to get a feel for how careful she is around the pups?

If you want to save ALL the pups, I guess I would separate them, maybe see if someone can come an lunch to let the pups nurse? (Looking at my book here....) "If the room is kept warm, and the pups are gaining weight, the dam does not need to be with them constantly". On those occasions when I MUST leave the dam and pups, I do separate them but that isn't an all day, every day thing.


I picked her up today. She is producing milk in all nipples, except one which looks inverted almost? It's got some cheese-looking gunk in the hole in the middle of it, too.... what should i do about that nipple, if anything?

A few of my girls have inverted nipples, I occasionally turn them out and wash them to get the gunk out.

And how close is she, if she has milk?

Probably pretty close, depends on the individual bitch.

Good luck!

Well, no puppie syet! I can't imagine if she ould possibly get ANY bigge,r though...

She had to go to the vet this morning. Two of her"breasts" were kind of hard and sore, so we went in. Sure enough, she has mastitis. So she's on Clavamox, which the vet said if safe to give with puppies. Also, it's safe to let the puppies nurse on the affected nipples, she said; it will in fact help to strip them.

I'm learning so much, and they aren't even born yet!

Oh, and this vet also said "Any day" - she's been having some on and off discharge from her vagina since Monday - it's been clear, but this morning it was slightly yellowish, and there's more of it....temp is still in normal range, though my sister just took it and called me and said it was 99.8 - it's been 100.1 to 100.5 for days now...

She got hiccups at the vet this morning; you talk about a pathetic sight; a petite, ground-draggingly-pregannt, miserable little basset girl... with hiccups. :roll:

[ August 28, 2003, 12:19 PM: Message edited by: Menzie ]

We have 8 puppies! All boys!!!

4 are golden colored.... kinda lab-colored... two are black and white, and two are mahogany brown and white...

Here is the first official pic!



[ August 30, 2003, 12:24 PM: Message edited by: Menzie ]