[lieverdmom]

The research continues..... :wink:

Can anyone suggest the definitive book on prenatal care of the brood bitch, whelping and neonatal care for the puppies? Thank you!

Deb

 

[movistar]

The Whelping and Rearing of Puppies
A complete and Practical Guide

Muriel P. Lee


Given to me by the woman I bought my first breeding dog from.
It has been invaluable. My first litter we had no mom milk for 4 days.
Had it not been for that book I have no idea if I or the pups would have survived. Bottle feeding 11 pups every two hours for four days would have killed us all. Tube feeding 11 pups every six hours made for a happy breeder and happy mom.

My book is tattered, stained in milk and highly relied on.

In fact this litter I had a gorger Would not have know what and how if it wasnt for the book lol

 

[dixiedi]

Hi Deb, another great book that I highly recommend is The Dog Breeder's Guide to Successful Breeding and Health Management by Margaret V. Root Kustritz

It's a must have for all breeders

 

[lieverdmom]

Breeding Books

Thanks, both of you, for the quick responses. Amazon.com is going to Love me this month!

I'm already into the second chapter in the genetics book that Jac recommended. Now these two..... I'm learning Bunches!

Moviestar, your experiences underscore the importance of having good reference material quickly at hand. I'm toying with the idea of finding a vet assistant who'd be willing to moonlight to assist with the first whelping when I take the plunge. I assume that these ventures frequently take place in the wee hours....

Has anyone had any nasty experiences with dystocia? (Such as pup getting a shoulder caught in the birth canal or something?) That would probably be the scariest thing to me. When all goes well with an experienced brood bitch it's easy, it's those other times when competent help would be literally a life saver.

What did you do with your very first whelping?

Deb

 

[movistar]

omigod I just typed a novel to you about my experiences and the dogs were getting close so I tried to copy everything to save it just in case and voila a dog jumped on my keyboard and erased it!! shoot..... give me a few I will retype it and get it up here. ugh

 

[dixiedi]

Good morning Deb,

I have been breeding since '98 and I have been very lucky to have my vet live next door to me. She's the best! In the early years it was nothing for me to call her at 2:00 in the morning and she'd jump in her clothes and come over to ease my anxiety. Not once did she ever make me feel like I was a pain in her butt (and I know I was at times). You can't find vets like that very often.

What kind of rapore (sp?) do you have with your vet? You might mention to her that you'd like to observe a delivery or maybe she could recommend another breeder close by that you could visit with and sit in on a delivery. Just an idea. When I decided that breeding is what I wanted to do, I was like you, I read everything I could get my hands on, I visited with my vet, etc. One day my vet asked if I'd like to work with her so I could get hands on experience, well I'll tell you, I sold my beauty shop in town and went to work with her within months. I worked with her for 3 years and absorbed as much knowledge as possible and that was the beginning for me. I have had very little problems with whelping and have been very lucky when it comes to that. You learn when to spot problems before they become major issues. And of course, we are all here for you I would be happy to talk with you about any issues you might have. If you'd like to PM me, I'll give you my phone number and, if nothing else, you can call me anytime of the day or night if you have concerns about whelping. I'm more than happy to help if I can. This is a continual learning experience, you can never learn too much :wink:

 

[movistar]

well I PM'd you!

 

[lieverdmom]

The Vet Next Door

You are Lucky! How nice it is to have the vet next door, to say nothing of her not objecting to being rolled out in the middle of the night. My vet and I go back at least sixteen years or so, but I've moved to an hour away. I like him so much that I make the drive. Perhaps I need to find someone closer if jumping into the breeding business, especially since his after hours access is nil ... a recorded referral to an emergency clinic, also an hour away.

The idea of sitting in on a whelping with an established breeder is a good one. I'll check around and see if anyone would be amenable to that.

Speaking of vets, if someone were considering buying a bitch represented as a proven producer, would it be unusual to request access to her veterinary records?

 

[dixiedi]

Absolutely not, I would ask for the vets name and then call him/her and tell them that you are considering buying this dog as a breeder and ask if she has had any problems with delivering and also ask the vet what kind of care this dog has been given and if any health testing has been done. You would not be out of line at all.

 

[lieverdmom]

I had a feeling we'd be of one mind on that one. Thanks!