After the dog has given birth, how to take care of the lactating mother dog and puppies has become the key, because there are many things that have not been experienced before, especially for novices who are raising dogs for the first time. The dog has become a mother and does not know how to take care of the dog. After giving birth, if you don’t pay attention, it will cause harm to the dog’s body.

How to take care of lactating female dogs and puppies:

1. The first is prenatal preparation:

1. Before the dog gives birth, the hair around the dog’s mother’s buttocks should be cut off to ensure the smooth delivery and postpartum hygiene of the dog, otherwise the hair on the dog’s buttocks will be stained with blood after delivery. Don't be lazy! Give the mother dog a bath and wash it early, and get rid of the hair on her butt and tail, otherwise it will be even dirtier if you leave it for later.

2. It is best not to be alone at home during the due date, otherwise you may not be able to withstand such a scene for the first time, and you can handle the midwifery matters calmly.

3. Make a special wooden birthing bed for your dog, which will keep you warm without making your home look like a murder scene.

When a dog becomes a mother for the first time, it will be calm in the face of danger. It will help the puppies eat the fetal cells one by one, bite off the umbilical cord, clean the fluid in the mouth and nose, and let them breathe smoothly. The baby's vitality is actually not as fragile as you think. Newborn babies should not touch here and there just because they are afraid of their death. This will not do them any good at all. Let them stay quietly by their mother's side. However, you should pay attention to whether the mother dog has crushed her cubs.

2. Serve the dog during confinement:

After giving birth, there is a milk pull. Generally, the cubs will try hard to find their mother's nipples. But sometimes there are too many pups, crawling in a mess, and some pups won't suck. At this time, the owner needs to help start breastfeeding. You must know that sufficient first breast milk is crucial to the health of the little cub. Put them under the mother's breasts, open her mouth, put a nipple in and they will spit it out. They will just cry and cry there! First, squeeze out some milk from the mother dog, and then open the baby's mouth and put it in so that they can feel it. However, babies have different learning abilities. Some will learn it right away, while others will cause you pain for a week. If you have no choice, just use a bottle, but most babies will automatically feed.

​Warm reminder:

1. Calcium supplementation is very important during pregnancy and lactation. This is good for both mother and baby. Calcium tablets are not as well absorbed as calcium powder, and calcium powder is not as well absorbed as natural products. But don’t give them bones! Postpartum side dishes should have a reasonable structure and balanced nutrition. It is not recommended to feed lactating dogs meat and other greasy things as they may cause diarrhea. Dogs shed a lot during pregnancy and lactation, especially long-haired dogs. So we need to give prenatal care to the dog motherTake a bath! Otherwise, after the opportunity has passed, the dog will be dirty and difficult to take a bath during the confinement period, and the hair loss will be more serious! Parents who raise long-haired dogs should understand this problem.

2. Personal hygiene issues. Since the mother dog will continue to bleed for about a month after giving birth, it is best not to let it wander around the room too much, but to control its activities in a fixed place. Or donate your unwanted skirts and pants! It’s best to do this when your dog is in heat. Dress it in unwanted skirts and pants, and the waist should be just right! The body measurements of large dogs and humans are similar.

​Warm reminder:

You are not allowed to bathe your dog during confinement. If it is too uncomfortable to bear, then wipe it with a warm and wet towel! Dry cleaning powder for large dogs is too wasteful, except for those who can afford it. In order to maintain household hygiene, it is better to sacrifice the space for the big dog to move! Or you can wear your small skirt pants for her.

As the amount of milk produced by the dog mother increases, the breasts will gradually swell, the skin of the breasts will become thinner, and the blood vessels will become more obvious. At this time, you should pay attention to cutting the puppy's toenails to avoid scratching the female dog's breasts. If you dare not cut, wear small gloves for them. In addition, you should pay attention to the cleaning of your breasts and don't get contaminated by bacteria in the grass because you go out to poop. Dog mothers have a natural tendency to like to lick their babies’ butts. That’s because babies don’t have the ability to control their bowel movements in the first two weeks after birth, so they have to be licked out by their mother dogs. But if this happens, there will be poop on the floor at home, which will be very disgusting. So don't let the dog mother do this. After the babies have finished eating, you can take them away from the mother one by one, pick them up and massage their perineal area to promote defecation. This way the poop will fall into the trash can instead of getting all over the floor. Since the mother dog is lying on her side when feeding, she needs to feed half and half. After eating half of the food, let the mother dog turn around and eat the other half, so that all the resources of the mother dog can be fully utilized.

​Warm reminder:

Protect the mother dog’s breasts, be careful of scratches, and wipe them with alcohol before the dog breastfeeds. When breastfeeding, you should control the mother dog's head and don't let it get up and lick the baby's butt, otherwise it will be everywhere. Of course, if you think cleaning is easier than massaging, that's okay.

Female dogs born in summer don’t like to cuddle in the nest, and they don’t like their babies to nurse for too long. The main reason is that the weather is too hot. Moreover, due to the hot weather, the dog who cannot walk does not like to lie down in the den (not even the newspaper), but only likes to lie on the cool floor tiles. But this is bad: since the puppy can’t walk yet and can only lie down, there is no tissue paper or newspaper to absorb after urinating. Coupled with the hot weather, it is especially easy to cause eczema on the lower belly, which increases the difficulty of care. Moreover, dogs born in summer are more sensitive to cold in winter. But never give itDogs can't stand the air conditioner and fan blowing on, so you need to find a cool and ventilated place for them.

3. Dietary problems. After the female dog gives birth, she should be given some glucose water, milk and light salt water. Adequate drinking water and a small amount of meat should be provided 1-2 days after delivery, and the amount of meat should be gradually increased after 3-4 days. In addition to increasing meat intake in 5-6 days, the number of meals per day can be increased to 3-4 times per day, and clean drinking water should be maintained at all times. Pay attention to the supplement of vitamins and trace elements, and exercise appropriately. Some dogs eat very little within 1-3 days after delivery, which is normal, but it must be distinguished from the disease at this time. It is also common to eat less within 1-3 days.

Puppies are born with their eyes closed. It takes about 10 days to open their eyes. At 21 days, they can be very active and active. At 3 weeks old, they can eat liquid food. At 5-6 weeks old, they can be weaned on a trial basis. Then it is the time when the dog is weaned and the mother dog can take a bath.

Start eating at the right time and check the "feeding check". Normal bitch lactation usually reaches its peak around 21 days after delivery, and then gradually decreases. However, the puppies grow and develop very quickly, and breast milk cannot meet the growing needs of the puppies. Starting from the 10th day of growth, supplementary feeding measures should be taken. Hydration: Start from 10 days old. Feeding: Choose high-quality feed that has high nutritional value and is easy to digest and absorb, such as millet porridge, milk, rib soup, etc. After about 15 days, you can pour the rice soup into a small plate for the puppies to lick. In about 20 days, porridge can be used.

Separate nests on time and ensure the "weaning check". Normally raised puppies are generally weaned at about 45 days. After weaning, the puppies are completely separated from the mother's milk and enter an independent life stage. Often just after weaning, the puppies show restlessness, poor appetite, slow weight gain, morbidity and death, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the weaning of puppies For nutrition and management, they must have sufficient sunlight and maintain a good ventilation environment. It is best to wean them without leaving the original nest and continue to live in groups.

Strengthen management and ensure "disease prevention and control". Strengthening daily feeding and management, improving environmental and drinking water hygiene, and feeding high-quality feed are important measures to improve the survival of puppies. Before the female dog gives birth, the litter den should be thoroughly disinfected. The litter den should be covered with soft and clean bedding. Pay special attention to environmental hygiene when the puppies are fed and weaned. Timely deworming and vaccination are performed. Generally, the first deworming is performed on puppies when they are 20 to 25 days old, and the second deworming is performed on 40 to 45 days of age. The first injection of vaccine is given at 2 months of age, and again every two weeks, preferably 2 to 3 times.

Finally, it is recommended that parents do not let their dogs give birth too many times, if you are not a dog dealer, if you do not want to make a fortune from dogs, and if you love your dogs. After it has given birth once, neuter it. After more births, the dog's fur will be darker in color, shed more frequently, and its bones will change greatly.