Getting your Bitch Bred and Raising Healthy Puppies

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Getting your Bitch Bred and Raising Healthy
Puppies

• By Alice Stewart

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Case

• 5 year old bitch in heat, interested in male,
  so put the two together.
• 6 year old male
• Stood for male
• Ultrasound examination 3 weeks laterno puppies

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Reasons a Bitch Misses

• Poor semen quality
• Did the bitch ovulate?
• Incorrect timing
• Anatomical obstruction
• Implantation
• Reabsorption

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Poor Semen Quality

• Physical exam and reproductive exam of male
• Complete physical exam
• Check penis
• Testicles texture of firm grapes
• Collecting the male
• Seasoned/nice female, positive experience, same
  breed
• Kit plastic bag with tube
• Give him warning, expose penis behind the bulbs,
  start thrusting and hold on

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Semen

• 3 Fractions
• First fraction is clear
• Second fraction SPERM cloudy
• Thrid fraction prostatic clear
• Spin down the collection
• Sperm will be on bottomthis is what we want!
• Add extender and use as desired

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• Evaluation

• Uses

• 10 million/lb of body weight
• White/cloudy
• 80 or greater motility
• pH 6.2 6.6
• Less then 20 abnormalities
• Bent tails, two heads, etc

• Fresh
• Vaginal AI
• TCI
• Surgical
• Fresh Chilled
• Same uses as above
• Ship semen not the bitch
• Allows breeding when male not available
• Lives 1 week
• Frozen
• As stated above
• Preservation of genetic material not limited by
  health of male.

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The Bitch

• Did the bitch ovulate?
• Incorrect timing
• Anatomical obstruction
• Implantation
• Resorption

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Important Hormones

• Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and
  Luteinizing Hormone (LH) from the pituitary
• Estrogen and Progesterone from the ovary
• Follicle produces an increase in estrogen and
  know as proestrus. We will see physical changes
  and bleeding.
• Cells that line the follicle produce an
  increase in Progesterone (2-3 ng) then there is
  an increase in LH. This is when we see the bitch
  standing, flagging, and acting interested in the
  male.

• Ovulation occurs about 48 hours after the
  increase in LH. Progesterone increases above
  5ng.
• Due date is 63 days from this rise.
• There is another division of the ova 48 hours
  post ovulation.

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• Litter Size

• Breeding Time

• Timing
• Correct breeding time
• Endometrial health
• Cysts, adhesions, etc
• Genetics
• Inbreeding decreases litter size by 25

• Signs
• standing, flagging, color of discharge, etc
• Estrogen influence with vaginal swabs
• REMEMBER this is NOT ovulation
• LH spike
• Daily and expensive
• Progesterone
• Above 5 ng OVULATION
• Test every 2-3 days

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Time to Breed

• Natural
• Vaginal insemination
• Semen deposited in vaginal vault and close to
  cervix
• Feather to stimulate tie
• Transcervical insemination (TCI)
• Surgical

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63 days later
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3 Stages of Labor

• Stage 1
• Cervical dilation
• Minimal external contractions
• Drop in progesterone
• Drop in temperature
• 6 24 hours
• Nesting, shivering, anorexia, panting, hiding

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Labor Continued

• Stage 2
• Total cervical dilation
• Active labor
• 5-30 minutes
• Alternates with stage 3

• Stage 3
• Placenta is passed
• 15 20 minutes
• Ends with last puppy born

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Success and Survival

• Mortality
• Dystocia/ prolonged labor/ decreased oxygen while
  in the birth canal
• Once placenta pulls away, puppy needs oxygen and
  to be delivered.
• Physiologic Issues
• Premature
• Environmental Factors
• Overheating (70-72 F)
• Genetics
• DNA testing

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Mortality Continued

• Infectious Disease
• Parvo and Herpes virus important cause around 7
  to 21 days. If having neonatal mortality, look
  for another cause.
• Behavioral
• As much as we try, puppies get stepped or laid
  on.
• Ensure full term 63 days from OVULATION!

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Fetal Risks

• Elevated temperature after birth of pups and no
  pup within past 3-4 hours
• Weak/Ill bitch
• Ultrasound
• Slow heartrate
• Radiographs
• soft spot on head caved in
• Overdue?

• Bitch has been in labor, delivered puppies but is
  weak with non-productive contractions
• Response to oxytocin
• gt 3 hours without puppy
• 2U/10lbs (0.10mL) pre-bred weight
• Wait 20 min. if no response give another
• If still no response C-section

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Fetal Risks

• Previous history of dystocia
• Consider assisted delivery or C-section
• Bitch straining and pushing
• No Oxytocin at this time
• Palpate with gloved finger
• Grab head or back legs and stabilize through
  contractions
• Rectally palpate with vaginal

• Vaginal Discharge
• Dark red/brown/green is a warning sign
• Placenta is separating and puppies are in danger
• Ultrasound
• Stage 2 gt 60 minutes with no puppies
• Stage 3 gt 180 minutes with no placenta

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Cesarean Section

• Greatest loss is due to prolonged labor with no
  oxygen
• Consider if
• Pelvic problems
• No delivery/oversized pups/malpositioned
• Uterine inertia
• Tired uterus
• Fetal Death
• Color of vaginal discharge
• Convenience
• Timing!!!

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Timing

• Active labor
• Planned
• Questionable breeding date
• Colostrum present with bitch
• Drop in body temperature
• 63 days from rise in Progesterone/ovulation
• Vaginal relaxation
• Serum progesterone lt 2.5ng
• 3-3.5ng not going to last another 24 hours so ok
  to proceed

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Happy Birthday!

• Dont fling the puppies!
• Aspirate the fluid out with bulb syringe
• Heart rate around 200
• Supplement oxygen if needed
• Cut cord tie off
• Mom bites/rips cord ok to leave to heal
• Oxytocin after whelping for uterine involution
• Pain control NO NSAIDS

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C - Section

• Myths

• Truths

• Bitches will not have milk
• Will not care for puppies
• Other problems such as cramping

• Milk is usually present at time of procedure.
  This is due to great timing and planning!
• Have the motherly instinct because most go into
  stage 1 of labor and know they are going to have
  puppies.

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Please Take Good Care of Me

• Weight
• Twice a day for the first week, then daily
• Color
• Pink
• Purple no oxygen
• Cord
• Sex
• Birth Defects
• Cleft Palate is most common
• Temperature
• Overheating is common

• Milk
• Overeating?
• Diarrhea
• Up on feet in 10-14 days. Can lead to flat
  chest.
• Excessive cleaning from mom
• Decreases temp
• Irritation
• Not Breathing
• Needle into base of nose, chicken peck to bone
• Take temperature stimulation

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HELP Mom has no milk

• Let down vs. production
• Give Oxytocin
• Milk present then supplement with injections of
  oxytocin or oxytocin spray
• No milk try Reglan/Metoclopramide
• Stimulate production
• Acupuncture?

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Case

• 3 day old puppy
• Temperature 100.4 F
• Skin tent present
• Depressed
• Thoughts??

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Neonatal Care

• Temperatures less than 94 halt GI motility
• Take temperature before feeding
• Decrease temperature make susceptible to disease
  outbreaks (Herpes)

• Whelping box 72
• If ill puppies or damp incubator
• Check temp and humidity in incubator
• Temperature 85
• Humidity 65

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Neonatal Feeding

• Human baby bottle or tube feed
• Baby bottle
• Take temperature
• Place on stomach
• Get milk started and introduce nipple into
  puppies mouth
• Not interested in the bottle?

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Tube Feeding

• Dont freak!!
• Do not tube feed if nursing (anything)
• Needs
• 100 120 calories/lbs/day
• Supplements about 1 calorie/mL
• Stomach will hold 20mL/lb/feeding

• Puppy weighs 1 pound
• Daily need 110 calories
• 110/15 7 feedings
• 24 hours/day / 7 every 3-4 hours

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Tube Placement

• Measure tube from belly button to tip of nose
• Fill syringe and tube so no air is present
• Insert tube into mouth and pup will start to
  swallow it
• Will slide easily
• Give milk, kink tube, and pull out
• Measure tube often pups grow
• Warm milk

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Dehydration

• Check gums and belly
• Gums pink and wet
• Belly pink
• Pale cold
• Red to hot
• Urination
• Cotton ball on genitals
• Lemonade if color of lemon peel dehydration

• Sub Q fluids are not indicated in a dehydrated
  pup
• Intraosseous or oral
• Glucose
• Normal is 80 120
• Decrease when chilled/stressed/not nursing
• Test with glucometer

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