What to expect and how can you help?

[Zapien]

Good morning to all, as some of you might know from my Introduction and Welcome post, my bullie, Nihya, is expecting puppies. Nihya's c-section is scheduled for tomorrow morning. For those of you who have experience with raising litters, what advice can you give me for the next two weeks? What should i expect? I'd like this post to benefit me with my litter but also to help others who wish to breed and raise litters.

I'll be sure to post pictures.

 

[loveabully]

you need a little area for them towels & blanket even a little plastic pool would work feed her extra food they don't move around to much an mom she eats their poo when they are really young but once they start moving mom can't keep up with the poo so it will be everywhere maybe if it's cold a little heating pad I'm drawing a blank here so I'm sure more will be along to help good luck

 

[Zapien]

I have an incubator for them to stay in for the first couple of weeks. What temperature should keep the heat at ? Also, I've read and heard different opinions about how many hours in between feedings one should take the puppies out to eat? What do u guys recommend for the first 3 weeks?

 

[Davidh]

In your original post I explained some of this to you and put a link to an article that will help also. If you did not see it go check out your post.

 

[ABEBD]

Hello,

Well late to the party again. See....I too just had a litter born a few weeks ago.

Puppies are not able to properly regulate their body temp for the first few weeks. We use a heating pad in one side of a baby pool. We put 3 towels down, heating pad, twin fitted sheet, 3 more towels on top. This makes a soft bed and allows to puppies room to move on or off of the heated area. We leave the puppies in the pool and then put the mom in for nursing and cleaning.

AS for nursing, we allow nursing every 3 hours, 24 hours a day for the first 2 weeks. Yes, including the middle of the night~! lack of sleep for the first 2-3 weeks is a big part of raising bulldog puppies. We allow the puppies to nurse as long as they want, and it takes up to 45 minutes at first. Then down to about 15-20 at about 3-4 weeks. By the time they get done, settle down for sleep, its about 2 hours to start over again. So a breeding schedule such as 12 - 3 - 6 - 9...NOT 3 after they are done.

YOU keep them on a schedule rather than let them decide. By the time you get to 4 weeks, the puppies can go through the night with out needing to nurse. Of course I still get up with them to check on them, let momma out for potty break.

Please feel free to PM if you have other questions.
Good Day~

 

[Zapien]

Hello,

Well late to the party again. See....I too just had a litter born a few weeks ago.

Puppies are not able to properly regulate their body temp for the first few weeks. We use a heating pad in one side of a baby pool. We put 3 towels down, heating pad, twin fitted sheet, 3 more towels on top. This makes a soft bed and allows to puppies room to move on or off of the heated area. We leave the puppies in the pool and then put the mom in for nursing and cleaning.

AS for nursing, we allow nursing every 3 hours, 24 hours a day for the first 2 weeks. Yes, including the middle of the night~! lack of sleep for the first 2-3 weeks is a big part of raising bulldog puppies. We allow the puppies to nurse as long as they want, and it takes up to 45 minutes at first. Then down to about 15-20 at about 3-4 weeks. By the time they get done, settle down for sleep, its about 2 hours to start over again. So a breeding schedule such as 12 - 3 - 6 - 9...NOT 3 after they are done.

YOU keep them on a schedule rather than let them decide. By the time you get to 4 weeks, the puppies can go through the night with out needing to nurse. Of course I still get up with them to check on them, let momma out for potty break.

Please feel free to PM if you have other questions.
Good Day~

Great information, thank you so much! As of now i think I'm doing all if the right things for these puppies. Theirs one that i have on the radar but he's the one that weighs the most of all of them, so it's somewhat weird. The last 3 feedings he's only taken in between .02-.09 oz and he weighs 15.7 oz. He usually takes in .4-.9 so i'll b keeping my eye on him. As of now they are all pretty much gradually gaining weight and just shy if 3 days old.