Had some calls from friends over this past summer concerning whelping/raising pups. Issues w/ bitch getting pulled down, pups not growing off good, etc. Thought I would post a good protocol for whelping/raising pups that might help some folks. Just some personal experiences that might help if you're having trouble with this. I have used this same protocol for 20 years and very rarely had a weak or sick pup.
1) When the bitch comes in heat (when you first see her drip) give her a 7way vaccine. She will pass this immunity through the colostrum in the milk. You should give it before you breed her. Don't wait until she is big and pregnant.
2) Worm her real good with Safeguard or Valbazen for 3 days in a row.
3) Around 10 days before she whelps, worm her again w/ safeguard for 3 days in a row. It will NOT affect the pups.
4) Keep her on a good quality dry feed with high fat, 20%.
5) After she whelps, I give the bitch 1 lb. of raw hamburger or deer meat, and 1 raw chicken leg quarter with her dry feed, every day. Since beef is so high now, you could just give her a leg quarter without the beef, but I feed deer meat.
6) Start feeding the pups when they are 3 weeks old. I feed frozen BilJack because it turns to mush instantly in hot water and the pups will eat it good. I start them on the BilJack and a little raw hamburger mixed in. The earlier you can get the pups to eating, the better the mother will do. Feed the pups and the mother twice per day.
7) Worm the pups at 2 weeks old w/Strongid. Again at 4 weeks and 6 weeks and 8 weeks.
Every time you worm the pups, worm the mother w/ Strongid as well.
9) First vaccine at 5 weeks, 2nd shot at 8 weeks, 3rd shot at 11 weeks. Most folks vaccinate every two weeks. This is more risky than waiting 3 weeks between shots. The reason is that when you vaccinate "to close" together, the first shot may recognize the 2nd shot as parvo and the first shot will actually do its job and kill the 2nd shot, or at least reduce its effectiveness.
10) Keep plenty of clean fresh water at all times. Milk is 80% water. It takes two things to make rich milk in high quantities . . . water and fat. This is why you feed the raw chicken, cheap hamburger and high fat dry feed.
11) Some folks like to wean the pups off the mother to quick. I do the opposite. I keep plenty of dry feed out for the pups and don't ever let them know the feed bowl has a bottom to it. I keep the mother fed very well with high fat. If you don't let the bitch get pulled down, you can leave her on the pups for 8 weeks or more. The longer they can stay on the mother's milk, the healthier they will be. I have a litter right now that is 9 weeks old and still nursing. They've been eating on their own since 3 weeks, but still are on milk too. The mother is fat and shiny and still got lots of milk.
12) Keep the pen clean . . . no feces. This is how puppies get coccidia. They step in the feces, then when they drink out of the water bowl, the feces on their feet contaminates the water.
12) Last but not least, at around 6 weeks, start putting a capful of CORRID in the puppies' water every day. This is a coccidia preventative and can be picked up in a small bottle at the feed store. Most times, pups won't get coccidia until you take them from the mother. I don't know why this is.
Hope this helps someone having trouble with raising pups.
