Reds Little Rascals - Day 2 With the delivery done and the first day past, Momma and babies seem to be settling down into a routine. Over the first few days the mother does not like to leave the puppies for a minute. This can be a challenge especially when the need to attend to normal bodily functions. Food and water are given to the mother in her pen. Since Red has nine babies to take care off she is currently being fed 5-6 times a day. My dogs are all on a raw food diet. So Red gets a combination of foods – raw food, dog food, boiled eggs and chicken soup. Quite a varied and extensive diet! And as much of it as she wants. Water is offered to her every hour or so. The Pen. In preparation for Red’s litter, I designed and got a litter pen made for Red. Keeping in mind that she is a large breed dog, I made the pen on the larger side. The pen must be large enough that the mother can lie down comfortably and has enough space to manoeuvre around the puppies. Also keep in mind that the puppies will be using the pen for almost the first month so design the size accordingly. Note the safety ledge around the sides of the pen. This is to ensure that if there is a puppy behind the mother it gets pushed under the ledge when the mother lies down and is not squashed. Puppies suffocating are a common occurrence and the safety ledge can be a lifesaver. I have made the sides of the pen a little taller than is usual. This is to ensure that I do not have puppies climbing out too soon. It will act as a place for me to confine them if required at a later stage. To improve visibility at this stage and to make it easy for Red to walk in and out, I have made the top half with hinges on two sides. Tomorrow I plan to help Red feed her brood. Pull out the baby bottles and let’s get ready for some feeding fun!
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 15:16:24 +0000