How to Perform Manual Assistance During a Dog's Whelping

1. Key Points of Assisted Whelping

Not all bitches can give birth smoothly without their owner's help. This is especially true of bitches of pure bloodline that have been overprotected, whose entire diet and daily life are specially cared for by their owners, making them highly dependent, even when giving birth. Especially for normally pampered bitches, during labor pains and after delivery they will not bite open the fetal membranes, causing the puppies to suffocate and die. So for the delicate Pomeranian, the owner must take extra care during whelping to help it give birth smoothly. After the fetus's hind legs or head pass through the pelvic cavity, the fetal head will emerge from the body. If it cannot be fully delivered quickly at this point, it can easily become stuck in the vulva and suffocate to death, so the owner must provide assistance at this time.

2. Manual Assisted Whelping

Some bitches are giving birth for the first time, or have been spoiled, and know little about whelping; they will neither sever the umbilical cord nor tear open the membranes. At such times, manual delivery is safer and more reliable. When you see the membranes slowly emerging from the vulva and, as the bitch strains, the fetus being pushed outward, do not force it out before more than one-half has emerged; press both hands on the bitch's abdomen (with appropriate pressure); if more than one-half has emerged, in order to save the bitch's strength and prevent the puppy from going into shock, you may wrap the puppy in a towel and, matching the bitch's efforts, gently pull it out, but be careful not to pull too hard and injure the fetus, and especially do not tear the membranes or the umbilical cord. After the puppy is born, tear the membranes open from the neck upward toward the head, quickly clear the mucus and amniotic fluid from the puppy's mouth, tie off the puppy's navel with disinfected cotton thread, cut it, disinfect the cut end with iodine, then dry the puppy all over with a dry cloth (or wash it with warm water and then dry it) and rub its back to make the puppy vocalize, blow-dry it, and place it in a cage to keep warm. In this way, the delivery of one puppy is successfully completed.

3. Interval Between Births

If a bitch is carrying more than two fetuses, the intervals between births will differ. Young bitches with plenty of energy are mostly stronger, have shorter intervals between births, and tend to have stronger labor pains. The appearance and intensity of labor pains can, to some extent, be influenced by the mother's own awareness. Sometimes it is also related to whether the whelping environment is satisfactory, as well as factors such as whether the owner the bitch trusts is present. Therefore, if the bitch's labor is prolonged, the owner can take the bitch outdoors to walk around, letting it relax; a moderate amount of activity can help the puppies be born sooner. As for an interval of more than six hours between two puppies, this may be caused by factors such as the mother being overly exhausted, so a veterinarian must be found as soon as possible depending on the situation for help.

Manual help with breathing (first aid method): After a puppy is born, as soon as the membranes are torn open and the mouth and nose are exposed, it begins to breathe. Strong ones will quickly cry loudly, but most puppies must wait until the mucus in the mouth is cleared before they can breathe and vocalize normally. Some weak ones, though unable to cry and appearing in a state of false death, should be given first aid. The first aid method is to immediately inject adrenaline and nikethamide, and quickly perform artificial respiration.