Rearing a Litter of Pom Puppies
The Playalong Way
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The following information illustrates how the Playalong puppies are reared once whelping is completed and mother and pups are ready to move into their permanent 'nursery accommodation'.
Playalong Beetle well settled with her three newborn puppies.
I prefer to use cardboard boxes cut down to allow for easy access during whelping. The mother is introduced to her whelping place in a draught-free corner of the lounge 2 to 3 weeks before her puppies are due. The next task is to trash the whelping box and re-settle mother and puppies in their new box which will form their cosy den for the next few weeks. Below is a puppy rearing box which my Mike Daley (my friend Denise's husband) made for me. However, a cardboard box of similar dimensions makes an excellent alternative.
PUPPY-REARING BOXES
FLEECE-TYPE VET BED IS USED TO LINE FLOOR OF BOX
IT ALWAYS REMAINS DRY ON THE SURFACE, IS EASY TO WASH AND PROVIDES GRIP FOR THE PUPPIES TO MOVE AROUND ON.
This is the newly prepared box (2ft wide) which will replace the soiled whelping box. When the puppies are old enough to venture out of the box (at about 3.5 - 4 wks) I cut the bottom edge of the front opening down to about 1" so that they can wander between box and puppy pen at will. Prior to that, leaving a higher 4" - 5" ridge, acts as a barrier to prevent the puppies falling out and to allow the mother to come out into the pen for a break from her puppies if necessary.
VIEW WHEN FRONT PANEL REPLACED WITH REMOVABLE SLOT-IN PLASTIC STRIPS
The rearing box is installed under the hooded area of the draped puppy pen and mother and puppies can have the privacy they need ... and be easily observed from a distance. Only once did I rear a litter in a specially prepared 'puppy room' and it ended in disaster. I prefer to have mother and litter where I can constantly be aware of what is happening and the puppies get acclimatised to the domestic scene from the time they can begin to see and hear.
When 7 -10 days old I check the puppies' claws ... the sharp, hooked tips are carefully trimmed down to prevent the mother being scratched during feeding time. Sharp claws could also become a source of danger and discomfort to the puppies themselves. As the dew-claws are left intact, they need to be trimmed as well. I don't have dew claws removed because I prefer not to disturb a mother and her pups of a few days or to risk possible contact with sick animals. The claws are checked on a weekly basis and the puppies are weighed at least every 2 days and their weights recorded. I find that the ideal time to weigh the puppies and to trim claws is when the mother is put out to relieve herself as mothers are protective about their new puppies and can become stressed at seeing them being handled. I also check the puppies bottoms when the mother is out. Although most mums are fastidious and keep their puppies very clean it doesn't harm to check them now and again. When they are feeding and their little tails are sticking up in the air it is possible to see whether or not their bottoms are clear. During weaning time when the puppies are going onto solid food the mother isn't so keen to clean up after them. It is very important to ensure that their bottoms don't get clogged because if a puppy cannot pass its motions the result could be a ruptured bowel. It is easy to clean the puppy with cotton wool dipped in baby oil. A little vaseline or zinc and caster oil cream helps prevent the bottom from becoming sore (only if/as necessary). This applies to adult poms also ... their rears should always be kept clean and the coat never allowed to get tangled up. After 5 weeks, I weigh the youngsters once or twice a week.
While feeding puppies, the mothers often prefer their food moist with no lumps in it. I think that it is Nature's way of ensuring that any food regurgitated by the mother for the puppies ( usually from when they are about 3wks old) is not going to choke them. From the time the puppies are born my mothers are given Lactol to which is added a pinch of glucose. A teaspoonful of glucose is also sprinkled into her drinking water. Liquid calcium is added to one of Beetle's daily milk drinks or to one of her meals each day . Should one of my nursing mothers becomes agitated (especially during the first few days after whelping or when the 'milk comes in around the third day') I would administer 5 mls of liquid calcium direct and neat. The normal daily dose added to the mother's food or Lactol continues throughout the weeks when she is with her puppies and for about a month after they are weaned.
This is Tiggs, Dancer and Scoot (black) at almost 4 weeks old. They are now getting curious and it is time to cut down the front of the entrance so that the puppies can venture out into the pen. They are in the process of being weaned and Beetle is leaving them for longer spells now. It is always warm in the lounge but I place a microwave - heated pad under the bedding in one corner of the box to ensure that the puppies have a really warm corner to nestle into when Beetle isn't in with them.
At 5-6 weeks the puppies are becoming more independent but Beetle still goes in with them a few times a day and during the night. Their pen has been extended, their box opened up and some of the drapes are removed during the day ... but cot bumpers are put around the lower edge of the pen to eliminate draughts and to help prevent the little ones getting their teeth caught around the spars of the pen. Where are the puppies? They are exploring around the living room.
Their playpen viewed from above
Tiggs was the smallest puppy born and her brothers are quite a lot bigger than her at this stage. She is healthy and progressing steadily (the puppies are weighed regularly as any sign of a weight loss could indicate a potential problem).
A SERIOUS PROBLEM ARISES
When the puppies are five weeks' old I decide to worm them. Although they are all doing fine I am rather concerned about worming Tiggs because she is so much smaller than the boys. However, I weigh everything up and decide to go ahead as I have never had a problem when worming puppies in the past. They are given the correct dose of one of the best worming suspensions available. A few hours after the worming Tiggs was not her usual cheeky self (the boys were fine). It became clear that the wormer hadn't agreed with her and she did not want to eat (very unusual for Tiggs). Neither did she want to suckle from her mother, Beetle. A few missed meals and Tiggs was becoming increasingly withdrawn. The warning signs were there ... her blood sugar levels were dropping and she was in the early stages of developing Hypoglycaemia. It is a terrible illness but, if recognised in the early stages and treated without delay, there is a chance of a full recovery. I shall not go into detail at this point as I intend writing an article on Hypoglycaemia shortly. Suffice to say that after feeding small amounts of high glucose and vitamin fluid through a syringe every 2 hours (sometimes 2.5 hours) for two days and nights, Tiggs pulled through, but before she 'turned the corner', I almost gave up because it looked as though she was slipping away. During the time that Tiggs was so ill, Beetle did not want her near her, but once she started to improve Beetle accepted her again. Once the critical point is passed recovery can be relatively swift but the puppy must be kept as calm and quiet as possible until its energy levels are completely restored. The pictures below are not crystal clear but they were taken 24 hours after Tiggs had shown the first signs of recovery. It had been an emotional roller-coaster and I felt like an exhausted wreck but my brave puppy was alive and happy. I love these pictures partly because 24 hours before they were taken I thought that she would no longer be here.
Tiggs
Tiggs and her chuckling MisterMan
CELESTE (TIGGS) as an adult
CELESTE WITH HER OWN PUPPIES (born August 2006)
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