"Hi, Doc, I think Casey has a bun in the oven," said Mrs. Specta. "To be more precise, I think she has several buns in the oven. I want you to check her out." "When did she breed?" I asked. "She mated twice. The first time was 35 days ago, about a month after you did the Brucellosis test. The second time was 37 days ago. I hope she took. This is the second time I have tried to breed her. I did not have any luck before. The male that I bred her with is beautiful, and so is she. She is going to have the most wonderful puppies." "Come here, Casey," I said to the 3-year-old Akita. She willingly came to stand beside me. I palpated her abdomen to see if I could feel any puppies. "I do feel some balls in here that feel like fetal heads. I think you are going to be a grandma. Let me check the rest of her out." The rest of the physical checked out fine. "Everything looks good. We should start her on some vitamin supplements. For the last three weeks of her pregnancy, you should start feeding her puppy food, to give her extra calories. I do not anticipate that she will have any problems, but if anything seems unusual, give me a call. I would like to see her and the puppies within 24 hours after they are born." "What about calcium supplements? Should I start her on dried milk or something?" "No. If you start giving calcium supplements before the puppies are born, Casey's body may reduce the amount of calcium it would normally produce. That could interfere with her milk production. It is better to wait until after the puppies are born to start calcium supplements. It will help her milk production at that point." "Doc, should I stop taking her on her walks?" "No. You want to keep giving her regular exercise. Just try not to take her around a lot of other dogs. The better shape she is in, the less likely she will have problems delivering. It is also better if she does not become overweight, which is why I want you to wait until the last three weeks of her pregnancy before starting the puppy food. Also, during the last three weeks, the puppies will be growing fast, and the uterus will do most of its enlarging then. It will take up a lot of room in the abdomen, and the stomach will not be able to expand as much. You might have to feed her multiple smaller meals instead of two regular-sized meals. "About a week before her expected delivery, you want to introduce her to her whelping area. Line it with a washable rug or blanket. They are easy to clean. They will also give the puppies a good footing for nursing and for when they start to walk." "Can you say when she will deliver?" "The normal gestation period is nine weeks. You can calculate when that would be from when she was bred. The last week of her pregnancy, you should take her temperature twice a day. The temperature will usually drop below 99° F at least 24 hours before whelping. The temperature drops because one of the hormones, progesterone, drops. The progesterone level can be monitored as well to help determine when whelping will occur. Once the progesterone drops below a certain level, whelping should start within 48 hours. If it doesn't, it could indicate a problem." "How else would I know if she is having problems?" "If she is pushing hard for more than an hour without producing a puppy, she could be having problems, and she should be seen. There are three basic stages of whelping. The first stage is when the progesterone level drops and the cervix starts dilating. Casey may seem restless during this stage. She may start pacing and panting. This can last from two to 12 hours. "The second stage is when she starts contracting. The amount of time between hard pushing and delivering will vary with each individual dog, but, as I said, it should occur within an hour of hard pushing. The interval between puppies averages between 30 and 60 minutes, but, again, it varies. If she is comfortable between puppies I would not get concerned if it goes beyond 60 minutes. "The third stage is passing the placenta. If you can, try to keep track of the number of placentas that are passed. Each puppy has a placenta. Casey may try to eat them. That is normal. It is nature's way of giving the mom extra nutrients during the first couple of days after birth. If she does not pass a placenta, she may need to be given an injection to help her uterus push it out. Placentas that are retained could make her sick. "When she comes in for her exam after all the puppies are born, I will check to make sure that she is producing milk. The puppies also need to be checked for congenital problems such as cleft palates. You will have to make sure that all the puppies are eating well and gaining weight. You could weigh them daily to make sure they are eating okay. They should gain five to 10 percent of their birth weight daily. If they are not gaining weight or they lose weight, they might need to have their feeding supplemented with a milk replacement formula. If you do have to supplement their feeding, you will need to stimulate them to go to the bathroom by rubbing their bottoms with a warm washcloth. "Puppies do not regulate their temperature well, so it is imperative that they be kept warm. Keep them away from drafts. If they become hypothermic, they can die. Being close to Casey is the best warmth. You can also direct a lamp onto the nesting area to warm it. Make sure the puppies can get away from the external heat source so that they do not become overheated. As they get older they will be able to control their body temperature better and, before you know it, they will be eight weeks old and you will be sending them to their new homes. So enjoy them while you can." -Dr. Reggie R. Cox, is a graduate of the University of Missouri, Columbia and co-owns and practices at Prime Care Animal Hospital, a small-animal practice located at 750 Route 3 South, Suite 12, Gambrills, MD 21054. She can be contacted at 410-923-7387 or faxed at 410-923-3630.

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