Need info about Puppies

[ratters]

Hello all!
My 2 yr old Rat Terrier female is having puppies and we would like some info about how to get the registration paperwork for the pups. The parents are UKC registered Ratters.
We think the 'act' took place on Valentines day so that would make her due late April right? Any advice for the newbies (this is the first litter for all of us)? She is getting big already - well - as big as a 12lb ratter can get I guess.

Thanks!!

[GretaJack]

Contact UKC. Their customer support should be able to help you get the litter registration moving. Never have had a litter of pups so I can't help you much with preparing to whelp. Good Luck

[erdog3]

I'm in oz. but I guess it is pretty much the same, You should have started even before mating, you need a prefix name first, then when you have that you can register your pups, hurry things along or you might not have the papers in time when the pups are ready for sale.

[ratters]

Thanks for the responses. I'll get the paperwork going right away!

[ratters]

What about keeping the male away from the female and the pups? My dogs seem to just want to snuggle with each other but both breeders we bought from had the males separated from the mother and the pups. Is this standard practice or it just depends?
Thanks!

[GretaJack]

Most of the time Mom will become protective of her new babies and not let another dog near them. Your best bet is to keep the male away when you cannot supervise so that Mom doesn't hurt him, and the nobody accidently hurts the pups.

[erdog3]

You can keep them together right up till she is just about due. About 2 weeks beforehand you need to prepare the area where you want her to have them and get her used to it. If she still has access to outside though, believe me she would sooner hide somewhere and dig a nice big hole to have them in, so you will need to be able to lock her in where you want her. Your male can go from Mr nice to Mr Jealous over the pups, even though he may be dad, he has no maternal connections at all. I never leave any other dog with my whelped b----es, too risky. Have you got her on a good puppy formula diet, I do this at mating, the extra calcium and goodies seem to go straight to the pups and mum keeps well and healthy.

[ratters]

We bought some vitamins for her but they made her sick. Could be it wasn't the vitamins though. She has a large metal cage (for large breed dogs) and that may be where we are gonna keep her and the pups. That will also keep her separated from the male.
She looks like a little white watermelon. She may be due sooner than we had thought.

Thanks for the info!

[erdog3]

I don't give vitamins, I give them the same puppy food I wean my pups onto.
Make sure you get heaps of food ready for after whelping, she is gonna be so hungry she will eat you out of house and home. If you are unsure of whelping date you can check her temperature, it should drop almost a degree 12-24 hours prior.
If she is in labour a long time, I normally give warm milk and glucose after the first couple of pups to keep up their energy, (1/2 milk,1/2 hot water, 1 tsp. glucose).

[ratters]

OK... now she is getting some yellowish-white mucus or slime from her 'puppy delivery system'. Good - bad - normal?