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Help-new Mum Not Sleeping At Night


Mojopoodle
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Hello All

I am really struggling with this first time mum & her litter of 2, they were born last Monday night by Caesar. They are all well, mum (Toy Poodle) is on Clavulax & Calcium Supplement and is eating puppy food + wing tips + some lambs fry every other morning, drinking & toileting normally through the day, pups are gaining weight beautfully and are very quiet. However once I go to bed she wakes every hour and wants attention (loudly so impossible to ignore) she does not always want a toilet when she wakes up, just a walk around & cuddle, I have tried the toilet, no attention and straight back to bed thing but it has made no difference (she was crate trained prior to whelping). She has never been allowed to sleep in my bed so it can't be that is what she is missing. As you can imagine I have not had a decent sleep since Sunday last week, I have had her in my bedroom in a whelping trolley, fine through the day, hysterical at night. Yesterday I moved her to the bedroom next to mine thinking she might be more settled without hearing me turn over, breathe etc, she was good as gold all day, as soon as I went to bed, hyserical mum again every hour. I don't like to crate (lock in) a mum & pups as I am sure mum likes to be able to move away for a bit of peace, but will try a large crate next to my bed tonight. At around 2 this morning she & I were both so distressed that I brought her back in next to my bed but she still woke up every hour.

Does anyone have any suggestions? As I said I will try the crate tonight, but don't know what to do next if that fails.

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Hi Pav Lova, I have been breeding for several years and have never experienced a doggy mum like this one. I am well accustomed to being sleep deprived with new litters, but nothing like this. The mum is just beside herself at night, absolutely and totally frantic, yet is perfectly happy & calm all through the day.

In my experience this is far from a normal post-whelping behaviour. If it was I would have given up years ago. :rofl:

I am just very confused by her behaviour and am hoping for a solution that makes her more settled as well as for me to get some sleep at night.

Be prepared to be sleep deprived and spend the time with her, it's part of breeding I'm afraid.

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When did she have the caesar? day or night?Maybe she associates night time with pain & confusion?

do you put extra heating on at night? could she be too warm?

I also think, perhaps a light be left on for her ...and maybe a radio?

Does she curl up more at night? could the wound be a bother?

:( poor girl.

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Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

Her operation was late on Monday night and she is on a heat pad 24/7 with the pups, we live in a cold mountain climate so heating for new puppies is neccessary eg I am just lighting the fire for tonight! I also have a 2nd bed in with her so she can move off if she gets too hot. She appears no different in curling up day or night and her wound does not seem sore when she is out having a trot around through the day, she is quite playful. Yes she is on a good calcium supplement given every night with her dinner.

Tonight I will put a puppy pen beside my bed with the puppy bed & the extra bed + her food & water and I will be able reach down and settle her (hopefully) if she gets distressed, I will also have a night light on for her. Hope we have a better night. :thumbsup:

Today I have had her out more through the day as well, hopefully she will feel a bit better tonight with having had more time with me today.

If anyone has other suggestions I am happy to hear them, I really don't understand why she is behaving this way, but like us they are all different. It is so upsetting for her to be so distressed at night.

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late on Monday night

just a perhaps ..she is anxious at night, cos something truly awful happened to her Monday night. in the dark?.... ??

Do you have a D A P diffuser? That may be a very useful thing ..

or Rescue Remedy ? Apply it to bare skin on head /neck every 1/2 hr or so as darkness falls ?

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I can buy Rescue Remedy on Monday as I am taking pups & mum to vet for checkup, I live over 80klm from town so DAP or Rescue is not easy to find. I do have Canine Tranquil Tabs, I had previously for a stressy dog, should I try them?

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I can buy Rescue Remedy on Monday as I am taking pups & mum to vet for checkup, I live over 80klm from town so DAP or Rescue is not easy to find. I do have Canine Tranquil Tabs, I had previously for a stressy dog, should I try them?

May not be the best for the pups if passed on in her milk. :(

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Lavender Oil I do have, nice for me tonight as well!

Thank you LizT I will give it a try.

Do you have any Lavender oil? If so put a few drops with water in a bottle atomiser and lightly mist in the room.

Or if you have an oil burner put some in that. Sweet dreams. :)

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Hmmm I was going to suggest the DAP diffuser as well - it has been a great help to me. Can you order on line and get it delivered? Lavender ALWAYS helps me sleep so that might work well.... fingers crossed for you to get a good nights sleep..... :crossfingers:

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I am not sure which change worked but we had a normal 'new mum' night with 4 hour stretches of sound sleep Wonderful! :thumbsup:

When she woke up she was not distressed, just wanted out for a wee and went straight back to sleep again.

Thank goodness!

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Fantastic. Sometimes we don't know whats wrong & it is quite upsetting. I also had a mum not settling, just the once, & not a first time mum. It lasted 4 days. vet check, oxy injection, calcium, moving her etc didn't do anything & then she settled too.

Toy poodles are a breed that will not put up with much discomfort or upset without letting us know. Would be so much easier if they could speak. Sweet dreams you must be so tired.

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I am not sure which change worked but we had a normal 'new mum' night with 4 hour stretches of sound sleep Wonderful! :thumbsup:

When she woke up she was not distressed, just wanted out for a wee and went straight back to sleep again.

Thank goodness!

:)

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