EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

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.

8) 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.



                 

 

I do some things different but there is nothing wrong with what you are doing.

Figured this would go along good with this thread....(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/05/aa989fa6bdecce2fc5a0895864beb77a.jpg)


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Please share:  I am always willing to listen to different ideas

That's a pretty good regiment


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After reading this it make a lot more sense. . I had a litter and needed to get corrid. . All the pupsmade it but one or two were weak..

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RedDriverSlim thanks for the info I will definitely print it n save it. 

I have a question,  my bitch is already pregnant and due November 24th so of the above info what steps would you do?

My father has raised a many a pup and the only thing he ever done out of the norm was give the bitch penicillin one cc per day 7 to 10 days before the pups arrive in 7 to 10 days after to make sure she has good milk.  But he has lost pups also for unknown reasons. 

some things to remember and have already been mentioned but worth repeating...keep mama and pups worm free and she needs to be on a high quality feed at least twice a day...if you can keep her with a good weight while she is nursing pups then your pups will be getting plenty of milk and they will also be healthy...and keep plenty of fresh water in front of her...she has to have plenty of water to make milk for the pups...

I don't keep her on a meat schedule after the pups are born on account they eat the placentas...but about 2 weeks before whelping I give her about a 1/2 pound of raw beef liver 3 times a week...

the pups I start feeding between 2.5 and 3 weeks...I mix whole cow's milk fortified with vitamin D...I try to keep it as effortless and painless as possible for me...I feed them twice a day and I mix the next meal right after feeding and keep in the fridge so there is no waiting period or extra work...at feeding time I take it out of the fridge and nuke it enough to warm it and adjust more milk to make it a little mushy until they are old enough to eat solid food...at that time I continue the milk in their feed without making a mush. At about 6 weeks I add cod liver oil to their feed and mix it evenly...it keeps them slick and shiny...I stop the milk in the feed at about 4 months but continue a high quality dry feed twice a day until 8 or 9 months of age...

I mostly only give one vaccine at about 8 weeks old and sometimes two of the same...always 7 in 1 plus corona...they tell you corona has been eradicated but I can't say I believe that...I remember when Parvo and Corona hit right around ~1980 so no one will ever tell me to not vaccinate for Corona...haven't lost any pups for either since those days...

I always feed the bitch puppy feed with milk replacer on it. I feed this 2x a day. I feed a full size coffee can each time. I have had a bitch raise 11 pups on 10 tits all pups were healthy and bitch never got pulled down. Left them on her till she weened them. They would start trying to eat the milk replacer out of food about 3 to 4 weeks were eating puppy feed by 4.5 to 5. weened by 8 or 9 weeks.


Shotgun
Arkansas

I use puppy food for my bitches and pups but use adult food as soon as they start really growing. Have had issues a couple times with bones on puppy food so I quit it at about 8 wks. Mine are normally weaned by 6 wks. Dang pit bull pups are hell on a bitch. I do the first shot the day they are weaned and 2 more 3 wks apart and I agree with Rueben on the 7 way.

All ideas posted so far are good methods.  the main thing to remember is just don't let the bitch get pulled down.  Feed high quality, high fat dog food, and make sure the female gets plenty of fat in her diet.  I supplement with raw chicken and cheap hamburger.  The liver mentioned earlier is great too.  It's not exact science. The 3 main things to remember are 1)plenty of water 2) plenty of fat 3) regular de-wormings.  De-worm the mother every time you de-worm the pups. 

Also, keep the vaccinations 3 weeks apart.  5 weeks "or" 6 weeks is OK for the first shot.

As mentioned, some folks ad milk replacer.  This is good too. 

Coccidia is your biggest enemy.  CORRID won't cure coccidia, but it WILL prevent it.   

do yall worm a gyp right before she has pups? what pill?