Whether you intentionally wanted to breed puppies or not there’s no stopping mother nature from giving you a litter of puppies. While your dog having puppies is a wonderful and beautiful thing it can be a stressful ordeal if you’re not prepared for what’s about to happen. So, pencils up and take out your notes because we’re listing down the essentials on how to get ready for newborn pups!
1. Emergency/Veterinarian Contacts
If you haven’t gone to a vet yet you should probably consider going to a vet now. Nothing is better for your dog’s pregnancy than professionals that can help guide you through the process. If you already have a vet make sure that you have the contact details of your vet and their clinic should you experience any trouble.
2. Quality Dog Food
Your dog will need the best and healthiest food available to them if you want your dog and their puppies to be healthy. So, you’re going to need to buy some premium grade dog food that you want to slowly introduce into their diet over the weeks of their pregnancy. MedicAnimal’s 5 Things to Prepare: a Checklist for Owners Expecting Puppies has some good recommendations that you might want to check out.
3. Got Milk?
Should your dog have some trouble whelping or perhaps after a few weeks they can’t feed the newborn pups enough you should consider getting some milk replacers and hand-feed your new pups. Word to the wise though, it is a good idea to consult your vet first regarding milk replacers and hand feeding, newborn pups are pretty sensitive so you have to be very careful.
4. Whelping Box
Get your whelping box ready and make sure to put it in a nice, quiet, comfortable, and (especially) warm space that is familiar to her. So, get a few blankets, pillows, newspapers or a puppy training pad, and even a heating pad if your area is exceptionally cold to make sure your dog can deliver her pups safely and securely. The box is also important to keep the litter of puppies close to the mother and socialize with each other.
5. Check Her Temperature
One of the more common signs of dogs going into labor is a drop in their temperature, so you must start checking your dog’s temperature probably a week before the expected date so you can start charting any significant drops in temperature. Once you notice this change you can be sure to expect a litter of newborn pups.
