Puppies

[beltextexel]

Our collie bitch has just had a litter of pups, having never had any pups before, just wondering if there is anything I should do? She's in our house porch on cardboard/paper/bedding. How often does she need letting out? Do the pups need a heat lamp? Any other advice?

 

[Dry Rot]

Our collie bitch has just had a litter of pups, having never had any pups before, just wondering if there is anything I should do? She's in our house porch on cardboard/paper/bedding. How often does she need letting out? Do the pups need a heat lamp? Any other advice?

Personally, I'd provide a heat lamp, directed over the pups rather than the bitch. You'll have to adjust the height to maintain a warmth that is comfortable for the bitch and the pups (as for lambs).

There may be a problem of heat loss from below the pups, especially if there is a concrete floor below your box. Dampness can transmit through the cardboard and condense on the cold surface of the floor. Although pups can be warm on top, they can chill through this heat loss below. Put some sort insulation below the box to prevent that. Make sure there are no draughts.

Torn up newspaper (also hay or straw) is good bedding for a litter as it will absorb dampness and provide insulation, but be aware of the lamp! Newsprint may stain white patches on the pups but it is not permanent. There have been more fires in kennels caused by heat lamps than anything else! Avoid any sort of bedding that could trap the pups.

Obviously, the bitch needs access to water at all times. Unless you can arrange for her to get out to empty on her own, she will have to be let out. When she's gotta go, she's gotta go!

Post this on a doggy forum and you'll be inundated with advice. Working dogs are tough and my main concern would be to maintain the correct temperature of the litter. Watch and listen and the family will let you know if they are uncomfortable.

 

[GTB]

We have never used a heatlamp on collie pups but we've never had pups of any substantial value either. Just give the bitch plenty food and water and a clean bed. Once the pups start walking about you can start giving them some milk in a shallow bowl.

 

[Henarar]

We have never used a heatlamp on collie pups but we've never had pups of any substantial value either. Just give the bitch plenty food and water and a clean bed. Once the pups start walking about you can start giving them some milk in a shallow bowl.

yep this is what we use to do
a good bed is very important, we used straw

 

[GenuineRisk]

I would never use a heat lamp over puppies - much safer to use a pet bed heater - they're not expensive, you can get the metal lead cover to prevent the puppies chewing it and they cost peanuts to run. Have seen a badly damaged bitch who got burned from a heat lamp not being positioned correctly.

Vet bed best invention ever for liters. Loasds of newspapers and some sort of penning for as they get older but I guess as they're collie, they'll soon be in the she'd behind straw bales.....

Make sure bitch can jump out of pen and she'll ask to be clean but at first, you may have to shove her out!! She'll feed and clean the pups for first three weeks, then you can start weaning them. I use a mushy puppy food (Beta) and puppy tinned on top. Worm at three, five and seven weeks. I feed four times a day once bitch has given up on them, can give milk as well if you want to,

OK, mine are poncey Weimaraners but value doesn't make a shred of difference in my book. If you breed a litter, you should commit time and effort into raising them to be the best they can be. I like my puppies in or near house so they get used to loads of noise etc but then, they're ,singly going to be working gundogs so essential they're not gunshy.

 

[tinsheet]

Used to have a collie who would dig a hole in the hedge, would only know how many pups she'd had when they started coming out,
Hard as nails, collies.

 

[Henarar]

Used to have a collie who would dig a hole in the hedge, would only know how many pups she'd had when they started coming out,
Hard as nails, collies.

our old one would dig under the garden shed and have them there
Dad went out one morning and she had two or three so he thought he would have to get the cows on his own but no she went and got the cows then went back and had the rest of the pups

 

[shearerlad]

Not a huge amount of experience (2 litters from same bitch) but she went on to ad lib puppy food ASAP after she whelped and an egg every night.
Start pups on mushy warm food at roughly 3 weeks plus milk in shallow trays. We use multi milk powder so remainder can be used for lambs/calves. Let the bitch clean up what the pups don't eat.
Gradually increase food and decrease milk.
Weigh and worm as said above

Great fun having a litter of wee nutters to play with.

 

[bovine]

Are her vaccines up to date?

If the bitch wasn't wormed during pregnancy then they need first worming dose at 2 week, something like Panacur oral. This is vital as all puppies get worms from the mother and their first milk.

 

[Dry Rot]

Used to have a collie who would dig a hole in the hedge, would only know how many pups she'd had when they started coming out,
Hard as nails, collies.

An old mate of mine used to have to dig his collie bitch out every time she had pups! She'd enlarge a rabbit hole and sometimes go quite deep. He'd retrieve them and put them in a shed under a lamp, but then he got big money for his dogs.

I'd another friend whose terrier would whelp in the middle of a stack of small bales and they weren't seen until they emerged on their own. The point is there are more pups lost through too much or too little heat or sometimes misdirected heat (cooked on one side, frozen on t'other) and if the bitch has whelped in the back porch it's probably her first litter and she may need a helping hand. Some bitches are so confused that the maternal instinct doesn't click in until one or more of the pups have died. They are not all straight forward.

 

[Forever Fendt]

we always use some carpet in the bottom of the box,make sure it fits well and pups don't crawl underneath.you will need a heatlamp over them in one corner and not to high the carpet needs to be warm to the touch in this corner. only use a lamp with a mesh guard under it in case the bulb brakes and falls out if the bitch knocks it,observe the pups they will tell you if they are warm enough,if they are all huddled together tight they are to cold and if spread about a lot they will be to warm puppies can not regulate there own temp for quite a while.the bitch may not want to eat anything for a day or a day and a half this is nothing to worry about as long as she is drinking ,make sure all pups are drinking ok and after a couple of days handle them to see they are gaining weight you should be able to introduce some puppy food after about 3 weeks we use beta puppy scalded with hot water and left to cool they will go mad for it ,i don't worm until 4 weeks and use a syrup type wormer and if you are selling them remember they need to be 8 weeks + and microchip they will sell better if you have the first vaccination done and a vet check ,good luck they can be very enjoyable to rear a nice litter and if you are keeping one pick it out first and don't end up with one thats left