bjazld Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Thought this would be the best place to post some questions. after all the reading and advice ive been given im still a little confused... Worming: Do you worm your pregnant bitch whilst she is pregnant (vet said no, friends have said yes) and if so what week and safest all-wormer. (bitch was given sentinel on day of mating which is why my vet said she should be ok till after whelp) (i know pups are wormed at 2,4,6,8 weeks) And when is it safe to re-commence the sentinel after whelping for the mum? what is the best all wormer for puppies? calcium: other breeders reccomended to give calcium sandoz 1 day before due, then give 10mls between puppies. my vet said no....only give the calcium after all pup's are whelped? we are on day 41 today, bitch is looking really well, eating everything, and still happy running around the garden with our other dogs (although i am very cautious with not letting her play too rough) I know these are very basic questions, Im just a very nervous first time'r with a maiden bitch and i think i am doing too much reading!! I am also a specialist RN with a midwifery qualification (i dont practice as a midwife though anymore) so I think i am probably worse! thankyou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 You'll get good ideas here - however, have you contacted the breeder of your bitch? They are the ones who know their dogs, and will be full of info Starting off- it's great to have a mentor - someone who personally knows your breed, and ..it's even better if they know your lines ... it's really nice to know you can phone someone "ho's been there, done that" a lot ..and has good practices to fall back on ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Personally I don't worm at all unless there is evidence through a fecal count that it's necessary and no, I don't as a general rule worm an in whelp bitch because I've never found evidence it's necessary. I don't supplement calcium prior to labour, but you really do need to base your decision on the breed, her family history and the advice of her breeder who (I hope!) knows the ins and outs of the history of her family. As for worming after birth, again unless you have some sort of evidence it's necessary, there really is no rush that I can understand. Worm the pups at 2 weeks, worm the bitch the following day has been the way I've always done it. I only use pills, never pour ons for any of mine - Endoguard, Drontal, just rotate them IMO. With pups usually the things you want to worm for are round worms rather than anything "complicated" like hydatids tapeworm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymoo Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Welcome Exciting! What breed?! I dont give calcium unless she look slike she needs it. I do however keep nutrigel on hand and give her a small bit between pups for energy I worm my bitch just before mating and then again at 2 weeks post whelp with the pups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 I wormed my greyhound bitch just before I judged she was due to come into season, then wormed her again with the puppies first time. I did give her calcium between each pup but still needed a c-section after pup 3. As she was due for her heartworm meds 2 weeks before she was due I just waited till the day after she whelped, plus it was the middle of winter so was pretty confident there were no mozzie's around. with her first litter is was mid summer so she got her heartworm meds then but I only use a product that does just heartworm, nothing else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjazld Posted October 5, 2011 Author Share Posted October 5, 2011 thanks everyone for your input :) i have staf's. yes i am in Qld and heartworm is a problem, but our dogs are always inside after dark. our dogs have been treated with monthly sentinal for about 2 years now that covers heartworm and all worms, and flea's ,never had an issue, but obviously didnt want to give it to a pregnant bitch with all 3 ingredients in. I have the glucose syrup and a gel that diabetics use for hypoglycemia. I also have so many other supplies (and more on their way). our vet we are using is also a 24/hr emergency vet and they know when due date is (even tho I will call them a few days prior) and if anything appears to be going wrong I will be going up there as I dont want to muck around....I am definately hoping for a uncomplicated whelp but I want to be prepared. as far as I know my bitch's sisters have whelped without any major problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 a lot will depend on your breed of dog. Some will argue the are all the same and most vets will treat all bitches the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjazld Posted October 5, 2011 Author Share Posted October 5, 2011 a lot will depend on your breed of dog. Some will argue the are all the same and most vets will treat all bitches the same. very true, same as the medical profession!!...meaning most doctors treat all patients the same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 You need to speak with those who are experienced with whelping your breed. General advice is just that, but depending on your breed, there may be some things that are more specific to your breed and even more specific to certain lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 You need to speak with those who are experienced with whelping your breed. General advice is just that, but depending on your breed, there may be some things that are more specific to your breed and even more specific to certain lines. Your breeder, or another with whom you are friends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpoint GSP Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Good Luck!! I had my first litter in July this year and I had many of the same questions. I have my fingers crossed for you that you have a lovely trouble free whelping and healthy pups. I'm still kicking myself over how well my girl did and I hope so badly that it goes as well again next time - I almost feel like maybe I had all my luck this time around! I really hope that isn't the case! I have my guys on Sentinel and I wormed the day she was due and I did worm her normally in her pregnancy (on advice from both my vet and my mentor breeder) I used the drontol liquid wormer for my pups (once again on advice from my mentor breeder) until they became too heavy to do them all on syrup and then we used a worming tablet from the vet (forget the name actually...) I didn't give calcium at all and although I had nutrigel on hand my bitch didn't seem to need any. Totally problem free whelping, all 9 pups born in 7 hours, mum very restful throughout the labour and although tired at the end she had a good feed and sleep and was fine. About the calcium there is a thread kicking around in here that I read and there are many valid points of view in there, If anyone knows where it is can you point it out? i'm going to have a look too and will re post if I can find it. Best thing is to have a look and see which point of view you agree with, for me, I can't see the point unless it's a breed specific thing. My mentor doesn't use it and my vet doesn't recommend it so that's where I stand but EVERYONE is different! I too am an RN (ED mainly) and I read EVERYTHING!!! I was so damn prepred it wasn't funny and things still cropped up that I had little freak outs about but really in the end all was well and I ended up with a lovely healthy bundle of pups. This however, does not mean that next time I will be any less worked up. I love my girl to pieces (as we all do) and I just cannot come to grips with the prospect of her being in any danger at all or losing any pups or having to have a c-section....it's any wonder I even was game enough to put her in pup! Good luck and make sure you post as time goes on and of course we want to see pics of the gorgeous pups! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjazld Posted October 5, 2011 Author Share Posted October 5, 2011 yes i have sought help/advice from a few within my breed, i do tend to over analyse and always seek lots of opinions and advice tho lol.. Jetpoint: i work in ED too! well i am having time off at the moment from my job and dont have to work until next year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Although giving calcium during pregnancy & birth used to be the done thing new research shows this can actually interfere with the bitches natural calcium levels & production so it is not recommended now to give any extra calcium until all the pups are born. Do an internet search on this subject, much info available. Worm before mating not during pregnancy unless you know that your dog has a worm problem while pregnant. If not do not worm. If you do need to worm consult your vet on which ones are safe. There are wormers specifically for puppies only & these are the safest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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