Look for abnormalities like pups without suckling instincts, excessive crying, and physical deformities such as flattened chests or any absent body parts. Seek emergency care as soon as possible if you suspect something’s not right. Be ready to report your observations to the vet.  Take an initial weight of each pup after birth. Continue to weigh them a couple times per day afterward. Within 24 hours, a pup’s weight might decrease by less than 10%, but should increase steadily after the first day. Take the pups’ and mother’s temperatures at least a couple times per day. Normal rectal temperatures for puppies are from 95 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit (35 to 37.2 degrees Celsius) during the first week of life, and 97 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (36.1 to 37.8 degrees Celsius) during the second and third weeks of life. Adult dogs and puppies older than four weeks have temperatures that run about 100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 to 38.9 degrees Celsius).  Be ready to describe the mother’s diet to the vet. Pregnant and nursing dogs require special diets, which should include a high quality food that consists of 29% protein, 17% fat, and less than 5% fiber.  Closely monitor nursing and make sure nursing begins within a maximum of 12 hours of birth. This is because the mother dog will produce colostrum—a nutrient rich breast milk—during this time, which can promote good health in her puppies. Note if the mother disregards or is disinterested in nursing or attending to the pups. Be ready to describe any interactions your pregnant dog had with other animals in the weeks prior to delivery. This will help the vet diagnose any communicable diseases that might be affecting the pups, such as bacterial or viral infections. The mother may also pass intestinal parasites onto her dogs. Newborn pups should do little more than nurse and sleep, and should cry only very little, if at all. They should huddle with the other pups without crawling away from the group. If pups deviate from any of these normal behaviors, call the vet immediately. The vet will most likely have you bring the mother and full litter in for examination. Use the whelp box to transport the mother and pups.  It’s a good idea to create a whelp box instead of just designating a whelp area for your dog to deliver its litter. That way, you’ll be able to transport the mother and litter more easily in the event that emergency care is needed. You can use a shallow cardboard box that has a shelf or separate area in it where the puppies can go while the mother is sleeping (to prevent her from rolling over onto them in her sleep). Line the box with several sheets of newspaper or puppy pads before she delivers the puppies, and then switch to a thinner lining, such as an old bedsheet after she delivers. The vet will screen the mother’s blood for low iron and protein content and ask you about her diet. They’ll also check for birth defects and test for viral and bacterial infections, such as E. coli and parvovirus. These steps will help the vet determine whether antibiotics should be administered.
راقب الجراء عن كثب. اتصل بالطبيب البيطري إذا انفصل أيٌ من الجراء عن إخوته أو انتحب بشكل مفرط. جهز صندوق الجراء للنقل. تفحص إصابة الأم بالالتهاب وسوء التغذية.