WHELPING OF PUPPlES—n 



these form a cavity termed the pelvis. 

 These bones are soft in piipp^ood; at the 

 agre of twelve months they begin to set 

 and become mostly inorganic and inflexible 

 matter (innominate bone). 



Where the mis-shape or smallness of the 

 pelvic opening does not permit the pass- 

 age of the pup from the womb into the 

 vagina and then out of the mother, an 

 oiperation known as caesarean is demanded. 



A caesarean operation consists of the 

 opening of the abdomen and then an open- 

 ing of the uterus, and the taking out of 

 the puppies thru this opening. It is a 

 simple but major operation of surgery, 

 often fatal in the hands of a veterinarian 

 not skilled. 



Interferes Little with Nursing 



The skillful veterinarian saves all the 

 puppies, and within six days the mother 

 is well healed up and the sutures can be 

 removed. Puppies can nurse at the teats 

 almost immediately after the operation. 



If there is a delay of more than twenty- 

 four hours after labor begins, the danger 

 of the oiperation increases. Infection from 

 dead puppies soon brings on gangrene and 

 consequent blood poisoning. 



Let Them Eat and Sleep 



Give nature her chance; the tend- 

 ency is for the owner to be more 

 excited than the whelping bitch. Do 

 not handle the puppies any more than 

 is necessary; and very little handling 

 is necessary. 



Do not run into the room every few 

 minutes and interfere with the mother 

 either during whelping or immediately 

 thereafter. 



Puppies are born blind and deaf. 

 Keep them in a subdued light, not 

 bright sunshine, for the first ten days. 



For the first fortnight, they lie 

 quietly contented, just growing, al- 

 most fast enough for one to see them 

 swell. The only noise out of them 

 is from one who has been nosed away 

 from a choice teat. His piercing cry 

 does not announce any crucial distress. 



Until the puppies are four weeks 

 old the mother is cook and supply 

 section. At four, give meat broth, 

 chopped meat, "baby food" — all 

 gradually until weaning time — six 

 weeks. 



Removing Possible Dew Claws 



If dew claws are on the hindlegs 

 of any of the puppies, remove them 

 about five days after birth with a pair 

 of sharp scissors, large ones pre- 

 ferred. Sterilize them first in boiling 

 water. 



One person holds the puppy and 

 another with a clean snip close to the 

 leg, removes the tiny piece of gristle 



without the puppy knowing what is 

 taking place. 



Dew claws are not found on all 

 puppies. They are removed so that 

 when the dog runs or digs later, they 

 do not interfere and tear off. W^ 

 recommend that if present, they be 

 removed from all legs. 



Certain breeds require dew claws 

 (by standard of breed) — Pyrenees, 

 briard, saint bernard. 



Putting Defectives Away 



Within a few days after birth, such 

 deformities as harelip (can be treated 

 successfully), cleft palate (incurable), 

 and other visible deformities should be 

 looked for. The deformed puppy- 

 should be treated for the deformity 

 or destroyed at once. 



Destroy puppies less than 24 hours 

 old in cold water (not warm water) 

 but keep them under the surface for 

 at least three minutes. This is a 

 death without pain. , 



Tails, Ears and Registration 



Ears of breeds which are cropped, 

 should be cut at about three months 

 of age. 



These breeds are *bouvier, boxer, briard, 

 dane, dobe, *all three schnauzers, bull- 

 terrier, manchester, *staffordshire, af- 

 fenjpinscher, brussels, miniature pinscher, 

 boston. *Optional. 



Registration of litter and of indi- 

 vidual puppies should be applied for 

 when puppies are about thirty days 

 old, altho there is no time limit. 



Worm the puppies at ten weeks- 

 earlier if a bad case of worms is 

 definite. 



Tails of breeds which are docked, 

 should be cut about the third day. 



The following is excerpted from the 

 author's Dog Encyclopedia : 



If the tail of an adult dog must be 

 shortened, the operation is one for the 

 knife of the veterinary surgeon. 



It is far preferable to perform the de- 

 tailing operation early and 48 hours after 

 birth is an excellent time. 



It can be done with the aid of the thumb 

 nail and the forefinger on small breeds and 

 breeds of thin tail, and in these cases, not 

 later than 48 hours. 



While someone holds the pupipy, gn^asp 

 the tail in the left hand firmly; with the 

 thumb and index finger of the right hand, 

 grasp the rear end of the tail, and jerk 

 the thumb nail thru the tail and turn quick- 

 ly to the right. 



This method by the twisting motion re- 

 moves the tail at the joint. It is not at 

 all easy to locate a joint in the tail of a 

 puppy less than ten days old. 



There are other methods of de-tailing, 

 including that of some oldtime breeders 



