Caring for Your Dam After Whelping

Caring for Your Dam After Whelping

• Monitoring Health
• Monitoring Behavior
• Feeding Your Dam
• Post C-Section Care
• Agalactia
• Mastitis
• Eclampsia
• Metritis
• Maternal Aggression

Monitoring Health

Your pups are here and hopefully your bitch is a doting mom after the whelping. Your bitch’s primary function is to care for and feed her puppies. Her body is recovering from the whelping, whether it was a natural birth or a Cesarean section. Even in natural whelpings, she might have some pain afterward and her uterus must heal and return to its pre-pregnancy state.

It is essential to monitor your dam’s health and behavior throughout the day. This is a time that she is more at risk for infections and behaviors that may put her pups at risk.

Continue to take your bitch’s temperature twice a day for the first 3-4 days following the birth of her pups. Her temp is likely to be slightly elevated for a few days, typically around 102F. Unless her temperature reaches 103F, you should not be concerned as long as she is acting like a healthy mom.

Healthy dams:

• Are attentive to their puppies, spending nearly 24 hours a day with them for the first 5 days. After that, she may begin to spend time apart but nearby.
• Are relaxed and comfortable in the whelping box, licking, nuzzling, and cleaning her pups between naps.
• Are protective of their puppies, especially against other dogs, even housemates, and people (including even you).
• Eat and drink but may be picky about where she does these activities.
• Have a slightly higher than normal temperature, but not above 103F.
• Have some vaginal discharge.
• May have soft stool or diarrhea.

Warning signs 

If your dam is exhibiting any of the following signs, take action immediately:

• strange, erratic, or aggressive behaviors
• lethargy and mental dullness

If you see any of these, your first step should be to take your bitch’s temperature. If it is above 103F, call your veterinarian. 

If you observe

• smelly, discharge with pus from the vaginal area
• vomiting
• showing signs of physical incoordination, or seizures call your veterinarian regardless of your bitch’s temperature.

Monitoring Behavior

Most dams will be attentive to their pups, even spending most of her time with them, or appearing distressed when separated from them (for example, when taken outdoors to eliminate).

Some dams may be stressed after giving birth. Watch for these signs:

• Aggression toward her puppies (such as biting them)
• Excessive licking of the puppies
• Pushing her puppies away when they try to nurse
• Refusal to groom or nurse her puppies

If you see any concerning behaviors, alert your veterinarian. Some behaviors can be managed, for example, by placing a basket muzzle on your dam (if she is comfortable with that). In rare cases, puppies may need to be separated from their mom.

Feeding Your Dam

Your bitch should be on a balanced reproductive diet, such as a puppy growth/development diet (note: do not feed a large breed puppy diet). 

How much you should feed depends upon the number of surviving pups and her physical condition. The pups will not place a big demand on her body in the first week after whelping, and overfeeding dams may result in both dam and puppies having diarrhea.  However, your dam’s appetite will increase quickly, and by 3 to 4 weeks post-whelping, nursing dogs need 2 to 4 times their normal caloric requirements to support their puppies until they are weaned. Follow the chart below or use our Food Calculator for Lactation.

To increase your dog’s caloric intake, you can increase the frequency of meals, feed her larger meals, or allow her to eat free-choice for the first three to four weeks of lactation.

When she is done weaning her puppies, you can slowly transition her back to an adult dog food.

If your dam won’t eat

It isn’t unusual for bitches to be reluctant to eat or drink in the first days post-whelping. Water is essential for health and milk production so add a small amount of low-sodium chicken or beef stock to her water if necessary to encourage her to drink. She may need to have you hold the water bowl for her to drink willingly. (Be very careful leaving a water bowl in the whelping box since pups may crawl into it and be unable to get out.)

If she isn’t eating much or at all, try canned or home cooked foods such as chicken, beef, or scrambled eggs, or adding broth to her meals. You could also try:

• Mothers’ Pudding (recipe)
• Liver Water

Your bitch’s appetite should be back to normal within two days. If not, reach out to your veterinarian.

Supplements

When bitches have adequate caloric intake of a complete and balanced reproductive dog food, there is no need for additional nutritional supplementation. Anecdotally, some believe that postpartum calcium supplementation may reduce maternal aggression, but there are no studies that support this claim. Calcium should NEVER be given to a dog during pregnancy, as it can cause eclampsia and hypocalcemia (low calcium levels).

Temperature

Help your dog get used to having their temperature taken rectally:

• Use a pet thermometer or a regular digital thermometer
• Offer them treats while they are laying down and relaxed
• Gently hold your dog, or have another person hold your dog while you take their temperature
• Use lubricant on the tip of the thermometer
• Insert the thermometer gently into your dog’s rectum (1” for smaller dogs, 2-3” for large breeds)
• A digital thermometer has a sound alert to let you know when the final temperature is reached
• Offer your dog treats throughout the process
• If you didn’t use a slipcover, be sure to clean the thermometer thoroughly after taking your dog’s temperature
• If you have difficulty taking your dog’s temperature rectally, talk to your veterinarian or consider the Mella thermometer, which has been approved for taking temperature under the foreleg or hind leg

Here’s a helpful video to walk you through the process of taking your dog’s temperature.

Post Cesarean Section Care

Bitches are remarkable in their ability to recover from a cesarean section (also known as a c-section). However, it is a major surgery and your dam will likely be on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), and pain medication for a few days. These medications are safe for her puppies. It is important to give all medications, including pain meds, according to your veterinarian’s instructions to help with her recovery. Your veterinarian will provide discharge instructions for post cesarean section care.

C-section incisions are made down the centerline of the abdomen and sutured closed. Her breasts will fold over the incision so the pups will not bother it. Incisions rarely get infected and usually heal quickly, but monitor the area for heat, redness, or discharge of pus or blood. If you see any of these signs, call your veterinarian.

You should also limit exercise to short, on-leash potty walks for 10-14 days after the c-section to allow the incision to heal. Even after that, it can take many weeks for the internal tissues to heal and internal stitches to dissolve. Go very slowly to recover your bitch’s fitness.

For more information about canine cesarean section, click here. 

Agalactia

(insufficient milk)

After whelping or a c-section, there may not be sufficient milk available to feed all puppies in a litter; this can be due to insufficient milk production (uncommon) or release (more common). Causes of agalactia include insufficient food and water, mastitis, or other systemic illness. Dams should first be assessed for an underlying cause of agalactia.

The most common treatments include increased food and water intake, and medications. Metoclopramide (Reglan) stimulates milk production. Domperidone may be used to increase lactation, but should not be used in dogs with the MDR-1 mutation that increases sensitivity to some medications. Finally, oxytocin injections may be used for milk let-down when there are no issues with milk production. 

All treatments should be used or discontinued under veterinary direction.

Mastitis

Mastitis is an inflammation of breast tissue, often caused by an infection or the result of a blocked duct. The severity of mastitis ranges from mild to fatal but most often falls in the mid-range, where the bitch doesn’t feel well but recovers quickly with at-home treatment and antibiotics. 

Prevention of mastitis 

The best way to address canine mastitis is to do your best to prevent it! Be sure to:

• Keep the nursing area clean and disinfected, and free of obstructions that could cause injuries
• Change whelping box bedding frequently
• Keep puppy nails trimmed to prevent scratches
• Check your dog’s mammary glands daily for swelling, redness, temperature changes, discharge, and sensitivity
• Weigh puppies daily to ensure they are growing

Signs of mastitis

• Puppies that are not gaining weight
• Swollen or painful mammary glands 
• Refusing to allow puppies to nurse
• Redness, open wounds and discharge of pus or blood from the mammary glands
• Lethargy, fever, lack of appetite

Mastitis can progress quickly and even be deadly (to both mom and puppies), so don’t ignore early signs, and be sure to contact your veterinarian if you suspect your dog has mastitis.

Mastitis is generally treated at home with antibiotics and pain medication. In addition, you can provide supportive care by:

• Encouraging milk expression via gentle hand-milking, or by allowing puppies to continue to nurse
• Applying a warm compress for a few hours, alternating with removing for a few hours before re-applying
• Using a cabbage leaf compress: apply raw cabbage leaves to the mammary glands and keep in place for 2-3 hours at a time with a t-shirt or loose bandage

Severe cases of mastitis may require hospitalization, intravenous fluids and supportive care, or even surgery to remove dead tissue.

For more information about canine mastitis, click here.

Eclampsia

Eclampsia or hypocalcemia is a life-threatening condition that develops when a bitch’s blood calcium levels drop very quickly. Eclampsia can lead to high body temperature, seizures, weakness, and in the most serious cases, death. It most often occurs two to four weeks after whelping when nursing demands are highest but it can also occur before the pups are born and any time during lactation.

Although a medical emergency, eclampsia is rare in bitches. It is seen more often in toy breeds with large litters and maiden bitches. However, breeders should not fear eclampsia and should instead focus on feeding proper nutrition and simply being aware of the symptoms of this problem. 

To prevent eclampsia:

• Feed your dog a balanced diet
• Avoid supplementing calcium during pregnancy, as it suppresses parathyroid hormone production, which regulates calcium.

Signs of eclampsia:

• Panting
• Restlessness
• Inability to walk
• Stiff movements
• Tremors or convulsions

Eclampsia is a medical emergency. If your dam has signs of eclampsia, seek veterinary care immediately.

Metritis

Metritis is a very serious, potentially fatal, inflammation of the lining of the uterus from a serious bacterial infection that usually occurs in the first 3-5 days after whelping. It is a rare condition but dystocia and placental retention may be involved. Metritis is not the same disease as pyometra.

Bitches with metritis may:

• be lethargic, anorexic, and/or have a fever (>103F)
• have vaginal discharge with pink or yellow pus in it, that is green, and/or smells badly
• have a swollen abdomen
• be dehydrated (the skin stays tented for a few seconds when pinched)
• have dark red gums

Bitches with metritis must be seen by a veterinarian ASAP. With a quick response, there are successful treatments.

Maternal aggression

Bitches, especially when inexperienced, may not care for their puppies or may be aggressive toward them (e.g., snarling, growling, or in more extreme cases, even biting or killing them). 

There is an additional risk after a dog has had a cesarean section. When she wakes up,  may be disoriented from anesthesia, and you may notice behaviors such as whining, lack of coordination, and grogginess. She may not behave as if she recognizes the puppies as her own at first. Any dogs who are post-surgery or who show signs of stress around their puppies will need to be monitored closely for the first 24 hours to ensure she does not hurt them and that they are able to nurse.