Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

PRENATAL CHECKUPS
The first prenatal visit should be scheduled for two to three weeks after breeding.
Any questions about activity and feeding during pregnancy can be
answered at this time. Your veterinarian might schedule additional tests.
Intestinal parasites, if present, should be treated.
Make an appointment to have the expectant mother seen again two weeks
before her due date. Your veterinarian will want to discuss normal delivery
procedures, alert you to potential problems, and give you instructions on how
to care for the newborn puppies. Be sure to ask where you can get emergency
service after hours, if it’s needed. At that time, you may want to have your
bitch X-rayed to determine how many puppies you can expect.
If, for any reason, you suspect there may be problems with the pregnancy,
you may want to look into a pregnancy monitoring system such as Whelpwise.
These systems measure fetal heart rates and uterine contractions. The data
you collect should always be discussed with your veterinarian before you
attempt any treatment.
CARE AND FEEDING DURING PREGNANCY
PREGNANCY AND WHELPING • 469
A pregnant bitch needs little in the way of special attention. During the first
half of pregnancy it is not necessary to restrict her activity. Moderate exercise
is beneficial, because it helps prevent undue weight gain and maintains muscle
tone. Activities such as climbing fences, roughhousing with other dogs
and children, and leaping up and down stairs should be avoided during the
last three or four weeks of pregnancy. Long walks are an excellent way to keep
the bitch fit.
Raspberry leaves are advocated by many to help a bitch when whelping.
Whether or not to add a pinch of dried raspberry leaves to the bitch’s food
throughout pregnancy is more controversial. Consult your veterinarian before
adding this or any supplement.
Deworming
It is a good practice to deworm expectant mothers during the last two weeks
of gestation and during lactation. This reduces environmental exposure to
roundworm eggs (a human health hazard) and helps control roundworm
infection in puppies.
Panacur (febendazole) is a deworming agent that is effective against roundworms,
hookworms, and whipworms. It is safe to use during pregnancy.
Strongid (pyrantel pamoate) is another safe dewormer but doesn’t have as
broad a spectrum of efficacy as fenbendazole.