These are our recommendations for breeding Bulldogs and French Bulldogs and
raising bulldog pups. Following these recommendations will help you raise as
many healthy pups as possible and make the experience as easy and enjoyable
as possible for both your family and your Bullbitch.
THE DON'TS
Do not try to raise bulldog puppies to make a profit. When you raise a litter, you
will feel an enormous sense of having accomplished a difficult task. You will enjoy
many pleasurable hours with your pups, if you also make a profit, that is fine. But
go into this venture with the realization that you may do everything right and still
not raise a single pup. You may be emotionally traumatized by having your
favorite pup die in your hands. You may lose every dollar you spend.
Do not breed your bitch unless you are sure that you or a responsible person will
be available to care for the bitch when she is ready to whelp and have time to
care for the pups for the first few weeks. This may even mean having someone to
care for the pups for 24 hours a day.
BE READY
All bitches should have their Distemper and Parvo Virus vaccinations within the
last 12 months. If you anticipate your bitch will be due for her boosters at about
the time of her season or during her pregnancy, have her boosters given early
before the time you expect her to be in season.
Before she comes into season, have her checked for intestinal worms and
deworm her if necessary. This is for the bitch's good. It will not keep the pups
from being born with worms. They will still need to be checked and dewormed.
Your bitch should be checked for heartworms within the last 12 months. She
should be on heartworm prevention. There is a fairly common misconception that
heartworm preventive medicine causes infertility. This is nonsense! Only 70% of
all breedings result in conceptions. Some dog fanciers feel compelled to blame
the 30% misses on heartworm prevention and other old wives tale explanations.
Heartworm infestation and heartworm disease cause infertility. Heartworm
prevention is an absolute necessity. We recommend either Heartgard or
Interceptor monthly.
SELECT A STUD
Read the Bulldog Standard. Go to dog shows and compare your Bullbitch to the
champions and winning dogs. Decide what your bitch's faults are. Long back,
small head, narrow jaw and light bone are the most common faults. Now select a
stud that does not have any of the same faults your bitch has. It is not wise to
breed to a closely related dog (father, brother, uncle) except in very special
circumstances. Breeding to a very good quality more distantly related relative
(grandfather, granduncle) many times will produce better pups than breeding to
an unrelated dog. Breed to a dog that has produced some good quality pups. A
champion stud that meets the above criteria will be a better choice for stud than a
non-champion.
We can provide you the names of serious breeders in the San Antonio area who
have proven champion Bulldog studs. See as many studs as possible and
choose the one that fits your breeding purposes
THE MATING
On a normal heat cycle, a bitch is ready to be mated the first time about the
eighth to the thirteenth day. There is a lot of variation among bitches. Breeding
according to the day of heat alone is not an accurate way of catching her at the
right time. Vaginal smears can determine when a bitch is ready to breed. The
cells lining the vagina change types when a bitch ovulates and is ready to mate.
Bring your bitch in for us to do a vaginal smear about the fourth day of heat for
the first vaginal smear. Then we will tell you when she will need the vaginal
smear checked again. Do not be concerned if your bitch has a bloody discharge
throughout her season. This is not unusual in bullbitches.
We breed on the first day the vaginal smear indicates ovulation, skip a day and
breed again. If there is any doubt that these were the best days, we will skip a
day and breed a third time. Particularly when breeding a bitch that has failed to
conceive before, it may be best to breed more than twice.
We use only artificial insemination to breed bulldogs. Artificial insemination is
easier on the bitch, the dog and the person doing the breeding. The conception
rate is about 70% - the same as all canine breeding. When people talk about
"natural breeding" of bulldogs, they are really referring to hand breeding. This
involves strapping the bitch to a breeding board and physically helping the stud
dog mate her. We breed only by artificial insemination, (Breeding boards are not
used in artificial insemination.)
Serious breeders who have experience artificially inseminating with their own
stud are usually very capable and can do the AI at their house.
After you take your bitch home after breeding, continue to keep her away from all
males for at least a week.
For any bitch that has failed to conceive on a previous breeding, we strongly
recommend using Progesterone tests to determine the correct time to breed. This
is more expensive than breeding by vaginal smears but is worth the cost.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS DURING PREGNANCY
We routinely feed our bitches one ounce of raw liver a day (one-half ounce for
Frenchies) starting when they come into season and continuing until they whelp.
The liver during their season increases fertility, during pregnancy reduces the
chance of pups with cleft palates and makes for healthier pups with bigger livers
of their own. This increases their chance of surviving any neonatal problems.
Either beef, pork or venison liver is fine. Cut the liver into 1 ounce pieces and
freeze them five pieces to a bag. That way you can thaw out a new bag every
five days and make a pound of liver last 16 days. Some bitches will not eat liver
the first day. Try again tomorrow and she will eat it. Some bitches will get loose
stools from liver. Stop the liver and give cottage cheese with her food until the
stools firm up and then start the liver again.
During pregnancy, feed your bitch a good quality food. We recommend Purina
Pro-Plan. Feed adult dog food for the first four weeks of pregnancy, feed half
adult and half puppy food (Purina Pro-Plan Puppy) the fifth week, then puppy
food through the rest of pregnancy and throughout all the time the mama is
nursing pups. Do not feed generic or store brand dog food. With a good quality
dog food, we feed no supplements other than the liver. Do not give bone meal or
any other calcium supplements. They are not needed and can be harmful.
IS SHE PREGNANT?
With a bitch that will relax and cooperate, we might be able to feel the fetuses in
her abdomen at 3 to 4 weeks. From 4 to 7 weeks, there is a lot of fluid around the
fetuses making it difficult to feel them. By 7 weeks, most pregnant bitches will be
obviously showing it.
Almost all bitches will have some mammary enlargement 3 to 4 weeks after their
season whether they are pregnant or not. If her vulva does not decrease much in
size after she is out of season, she is probably pregnant.
We can x-ray the bitch anytime after 45 days after breeding to determine
pregnancy. Withhold food by 8 PM the night before the x-ray and be sure she is
given a chance to move her bowels before bringing for the x-ray. Let her have all
the water she wants.
We can perform a Relaxin blood test for pregnancy anytime after 25 days.
A sonogram done at 28 days is a very accurate way to determine if she is
pregnant. We can refer you to a veterinarian who can do a sonogram if you wish.
Even if your bitch does not look pregnant, bring her in one week before her due
date for us to examine. A large bitch with only one or two pups can hide them up
under her ribs and not appear pregnant. If there is any doubt, have an x-ray taken.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR DURING PREGNANCY
Do not worry about your bitch having a bloody discharge throughout her season
or off and on throughout her season. If her season and discharge last longer that
3 weeks, bring her back for a check-up. She might be a bitch that just has a
longer than 3 week season. Or the extended discharge might indicate an
infection. If any time after her season she has a vaginal discharge again, bring
her back for an exam and a white blood cell count. She could be aborting pups.
She could have a minor vaginal infection or a serious uterine infection. A uterine
infection needs immediate attention.
WHEN IS SHE DUE?
The Cesarean Section is scheduled 60 days after the last breeding. We will make
the appointment for 8 AM. Take up all the bitch’s food by 8PM the night before
the Cesarean appointment. We will also schedule an appointment for a week
before the Cesarean to examine her and answer any questions you have. We
can also do the pre-surgery lab work at that time.
While this 60 day schedule works almost every pregnancy, occasionally a bitch
will start labor before the Cesarean Section appointment. If your bitch starts labor
during our regular office hours, call us to let us know you are coming in and bring
her to the hospital. We will do the Cesarean.
If your bitch starts labor during the night, weekend or holiday when our office is
closed, call one of the emergency animal hospitals and take her there for the
Cesarean. When you call our regular office number, the answering machine will
give you the numbers of three emergency hospitals. We do not do emergency
Cesarean surgery during non-office hours. A Cesarean requires a full staff of
personnel that we cannot provide during non-office hours.
Labor is not nesting or passing a mucus plug. Labor is seeing her abdomen
contract and seeing her push. She may pass some fluid or you may see part of a
puppy. This is labor and indicates she needs her Cesarean.
CESAREAN SECTIONS
We recommend all bullbitches be delivered by Cesarean section. Bullbitches
have a difficult time trying to whelp naturally for a number of reasons. The pups
have large heads. The bitch has a small pelvis. A bullbitch that has any breathing
difficulty can find that labor is too strenuous for her. A bitch with a large number
of pups can get too tired and exhausted before she has the last one. When there
are only one or two pups, they are usually larger and more difficult to deliver.
Many bulldog pups die during attempts at natural whelping. They could have
lived if delivered by Cesarean section. A bitch that becomes exhausted trying to
whelp naturally is then not a good anesthetic risk for Cesarean section. It is better
to plan for a Cesarean ahead of time rather than make it an emergency
procedure. It can be scheduled at a more convenient time than 2 AM some
morning. Of course, saving only one pup with the Cesarean that might have been
lost free whelping pays for the Cesarean.
Most bitches will start nesting a week or so before they are due to whelp. They
will gather up towels or scratch in the carpet or dig a hole in the yard to make a
nest. This does not mean labor is imminent. While your bitch is pregnant, she has
had a mucus plug in her cervix to seal it. She will start passing this clear mucus
the last week of her pregnancy. This is normal.
At the appointment for the Cesareans section, bring a box full of towels to take
the pups home in and a sheet to lay the bitch on in the car on the way home. The
bitch will have a heavy discharge for 3 days - red, black, green, almost any color
is normal. After 3 days, the discharge should be no more than a little spotting -
several half-dollar size spots a day at the most. A heavy discharge after 3 days or
a brownish-red tomato soup discharge with a bad odor anytime is an indication of
trouble. Bring your bitch back to the hospital.
If the bitch has any discharge from her surgery incision, wash it with hydrogen
peroxide and dry it before nursing. If the incision is dry without a discharge, leave
it alone. If the incision should gap open more than a quarter of an inch or if a
lump develops under the incision, bring her back to the hospital.
PUPPY CARE
Many bullbitches are terrible mamas. It is not unusual for bullbitches to lie on
pups and smother them. Some bullbitches will accidentally step on a pup and kill
it or badly injury it. A few bullbitches will intentionally harm pups. For these
reasons, we keep our pups in a puppy box and put them with the mama only
while nursing. An adult or older child must be there watching all the time the pups
are with her to be sure she does not harm the pups. Of course, this is a lot of
trouble and takes a lot of time. But bulldoggers have found that this is the best
way to raise as many pups as possible.
We use a wooden puppy box. If you anticipate raising only one litter, a cardboard
box will do. Our puppy box is 32 inches long by 16 inches wide and 12 inches
deep. It has a Plexiglas window in the lid. There are holes in the side that can be
opened for ventilation. There is a 60 watt light in one end of the box for heat. The
light has a rheostat so that the heat can be controlled and adjusted.
If you use a cardboard box, you can adjust the heat by using different watt light
bulbs and by moving the light closer or farther away from the box. The important
thing is to have a rectangular box with the light in one end. Adjust the heat by
watching where the pups stay in the box. If the pups stay right under the light,
adjust the heat higher. If the pups stay in the other end of the box to get away
from the heat, adjust it lower. The box temperature will need to be about 95
degrees the first week, 85 degrees the second week and 75 degrees thereafter.
However, it is important to adjust the heat according to what the pups do, rather
than according to the thermometer.
If pups lie on a hard flat surface all the time, they will become what we call
swimmers. Their chests flatten out and their legs spread out sideways. They
cannot get their legs under them. When the chests flatten they start having
breathing problems. To prevent swimmers, it is important for the bottom of the
box to be soft and irregular. We line the bottom of our box with foam rubber egg
crate mattress pad material and cover it with towels. Two alternatives to egg
crate material are rubber hot water bottles half filled with air and covered with
towels or to wad up newspaper into balls to fill the bottom of the box and cover
with towels.
NURSING
The pups are left in the box all the time except when they are nursing. The first
few days the pups should nurse every 2 hours. Put an old quilt on the floor for
mama to lie on. If there is any discharge from mama's Cesarean incision, wash it
off with hydrogen peroxide and dry it before putting the pups down to nurse. The
first few times, squeeze the nipple to get a drop of milk to come out on it and put
the pup's mouth to it. Watch to be sure all the pups get attached. Be sure the big
pups do not push the little pups away.
Allow the bitch to lick the pups to stimulate urination and defecation and to clean
them up. If the mother refuses to lick and clean pups, you must use a cotton ball
dipped in warm water to stimulate elimination. Rub the pups' sides, genital area
and anus with the cotton ball. Pups can not eliminate freely on their own for the
first 2 to 3 weeks of their lives. Someone must stay with the bitch all the time the
pups are nursing.
After you can see that the pups are gaining weight and are sleeping longer than 2
hours before they awaken and cry, you can start slowly lengthening the time
between feedings.
If the pups are not definitely gaining weight nursing on mama, start tube feeding
them. If one pup is not growing like the rest, tube feed him. Also if you tube feed,
you can go a longer time between feedings than you can nursing. We will be
happy to show you how and help you start tube feeding and get you the
equipment you need. Tube feed Esbilac Puppy Formula. If necessary, use
Similac baby formula until you can get Esbilac.
If for any reason you are tube feeding the pups exclusively, do not neglect
stimulating their bowel and urinary functions. Either let mama lick them or use the
cotton balls.
WEANING
Start bowl feeding the pups at about 3 weeks old. Put Esbilac in a shallow bowl
or pie pan. Put a pup up to the edge and spoon a little formula up to his mouth.
Some of the pups will start eating on their own right away. Others will take a few
days to learn. When all the pups are drinking the liquid Esbilac well, start adding
Purina Puppy Chow or Pro Plan Puppy Formula. Grind the Puppy Chow in a
blender to a fine meal. At first, mix just a little ground puppy chow with the Esbilac
to make a thin gruel. When all the pups are eating this, gradually make it thicker.
At six weeks, offer dry Puppy Chow or Pro Plan Puppy free choice, but continue
to feed Puppy Chow soaked in water four times a day.
PREVENTIVE MEDICAL CARE
At 3 to 4 weeks, bring in a stool sample from 3 or 4 pups for a worm exam.
To get as close as possible to providing complete protection for your pups from
preventable diseases, follow this vaccination schedule until you place the pups in
their new homes and recommend that the new owner continue this schedule:
Start vaccinations (canine distemper, hepatitis, coronavirus, Parainfluenza and
Parvovirus) at six weeks old.
Repeat this combination vaccination every three weeks till the pups are sixteen
weeks old. The last vaccination should also contain Leptospirosis.
Rabies vaccination can be given anytime after twelve weeks.
If you have pups that did not nurse on the bitch during the first 24 hours of life,
start their five-in-one combination vaccine at 3 weeks of age.
AGE TO PLACE PUPS IN NEW HOMES
Many pups are eating well and physically ready to go to new homes at 6 weeks
of age. However the time from 6 weeks to 12 weeks is a very important age for
the behavioral development of the pup. During this time the pup must have both
interaction with other dogs (mother and littermates) and interaction with people.
Therefore 8 to 10 weeks is the best time for the pups to go to their new homes.
Pups that go too early to a new home that does not have another dog in it may
later in life have a fear of other dogs or be aggressive to other dogs. Pups that
stay with their litter too long before being placed in their new homes may have a
hard time adjusting to their new home after 12 weeks of age. If any pups are not
going to their new homes by 10 weeks of age, be sure to socialize them to
people. Separate them from the litter and give them individual attention for at
least 30 minutes every day. All pups should have some contact with children
before they are 12 weeks old so they will not be afraid of children later. Of course
it is important that they are not hurt by a child early in life.
If I send prospective puppy buyers to you, that means that I have recommended
you and your pups to the prospective buyer. It does not mean that I am
recommending the prospective buyer to you. It is not my place to screen buyers
for you. It is up to you to interview prospective buyers and determine which ones
can be entrusted with your precious pups. Ask about other dogs in the
household. Do they have a fenced in yard? Do they know bulldogs need to be
inside air-conditioned dogs? Will they continue the vaccination series? Do they
know bulldogs are generally more expensive to care for than other dogs? Is the
prospective buyer buying a pup for himself or is he a broker that is going to resell
the pup?
When you know the new owner is not going to breed or show, encourage the
new owner to spay or neuter their pets. Spaying females prevents mammary
cancer, uterine infection and accidental pregnancies. Neutering males prevents
perianal cancer, perineal hernias and prostate problems.
Be sure you are satisfied that your pup is going to a loving home. Tell the new
owner that if something happens that causes them to have to give up their
bulldog that you will take him back or help them place him in a good home.
REGISTRATION
Have the owner of the stud fill out the sire part of an American Kennel Club
registration form. Fill out the dam's part and send it to the American Kennel Club.
They will send you individual forms for each pup to be registered. This takes two
to six weeks.
raising bulldog pups. Following these recommendations will help you raise as
many healthy pups as possible and make the experience as easy and enjoyable
as possible for both your family and your Bullbitch.
THE DON'TS
Do not try to raise bulldog puppies to make a profit. When you raise a litter, you
will feel an enormous sense of having accomplished a difficult task. You will enjoy
many pleasurable hours with your pups, if you also make a profit, that is fine. But
go into this venture with the realization that you may do everything right and still
not raise a single pup. You may be emotionally traumatized by having your
favorite pup die in your hands. You may lose every dollar you spend.
Do not breed your bitch unless you are sure that you or a responsible person will
be available to care for the bitch when she is ready to whelp and have time to
care for the pups for the first few weeks. This may even mean having someone to
care for the pups for 24 hours a day.
BE READY
All bitches should have their Distemper and Parvo Virus vaccinations within the
last 12 months. If you anticipate your bitch will be due for her boosters at about
the time of her season or during her pregnancy, have her boosters given early
before the time you expect her to be in season.
Before she comes into season, have her checked for intestinal worms and
deworm her if necessary. This is for the bitch's good. It will not keep the pups
from being born with worms. They will still need to be checked and dewormed.
Your bitch should be checked for heartworms within the last 12 months. She
should be on heartworm prevention. There is a fairly common misconception that
heartworm preventive medicine causes infertility. This is nonsense! Only 70% of
all breedings result in conceptions. Some dog fanciers feel compelled to blame
the 30% misses on heartworm prevention and other old wives tale explanations.
Heartworm infestation and heartworm disease cause infertility. Heartworm
prevention is an absolute necessity. We recommend either Heartgard or
Interceptor monthly.
SELECT A STUD
Read the Bulldog Standard. Go to dog shows and compare your Bullbitch to the
champions and winning dogs. Decide what your bitch's faults are. Long back,
small head, narrow jaw and light bone are the most common faults. Now select a
stud that does not have any of the same faults your bitch has. It is not wise to
breed to a closely related dog (father, brother, uncle) except in very special
circumstances. Breeding to a very good quality more distantly related relative
(grandfather, granduncle) many times will produce better pups than breeding to
an unrelated dog. Breed to a dog that has produced some good quality pups. A
champion stud that meets the above criteria will be a better choice for stud than a
non-champion.
We can provide you the names of serious breeders in the San Antonio area who
have proven champion Bulldog studs. See as many studs as possible and
choose the one that fits your breeding purposes
THE MATING
On a normal heat cycle, a bitch is ready to be mated the first time about the
eighth to the thirteenth day. There is a lot of variation among bitches. Breeding
according to the day of heat alone is not an accurate way of catching her at the
right time. Vaginal smears can determine when a bitch is ready to breed. The
cells lining the vagina change types when a bitch ovulates and is ready to mate.
Bring your bitch in for us to do a vaginal smear about the fourth day of heat for
the first vaginal smear. Then we will tell you when she will need the vaginal
smear checked again. Do not be concerned if your bitch has a bloody discharge
throughout her season. This is not unusual in bullbitches.
We breed on the first day the vaginal smear indicates ovulation, skip a day and
breed again. If there is any doubt that these were the best days, we will skip a
day and breed a third time. Particularly when breeding a bitch that has failed to
conceive before, it may be best to breed more than twice.
We use only artificial insemination to breed bulldogs. Artificial insemination is
easier on the bitch, the dog and the person doing the breeding. The conception
rate is about 70% - the same as all canine breeding. When people talk about
"natural breeding" of bulldogs, they are really referring to hand breeding. This
involves strapping the bitch to a breeding board and physically helping the stud
dog mate her. We breed only by artificial insemination, (Breeding boards are not
used in artificial insemination.)
Serious breeders who have experience artificially inseminating with their own
stud are usually very capable and can do the AI at their house.
After you take your bitch home after breeding, continue to keep her away from all
males for at least a week.
For any bitch that has failed to conceive on a previous breeding, we strongly
recommend using Progesterone tests to determine the correct time to breed. This
is more expensive than breeding by vaginal smears but is worth the cost.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS DURING PREGNANCY
We routinely feed our bitches one ounce of raw liver a day (one-half ounce for
Frenchies) starting when they come into season and continuing until they whelp.
The liver during their season increases fertility, during pregnancy reduces the
chance of pups with cleft palates and makes for healthier pups with bigger livers
of their own. This increases their chance of surviving any neonatal problems.
Either beef, pork or venison liver is fine. Cut the liver into 1 ounce pieces and
freeze them five pieces to a bag. That way you can thaw out a new bag every
five days and make a pound of liver last 16 days. Some bitches will not eat liver
the first day. Try again tomorrow and she will eat it. Some bitches will get loose
stools from liver. Stop the liver and give cottage cheese with her food until the
stools firm up and then start the liver again.
During pregnancy, feed your bitch a good quality food. We recommend Purina
Pro-Plan. Feed adult dog food for the first four weeks of pregnancy, feed half
adult and half puppy food (Purina Pro-Plan Puppy) the fifth week, then puppy
food through the rest of pregnancy and throughout all the time the mama is
nursing pups. Do not feed generic or store brand dog food. With a good quality
dog food, we feed no supplements other than the liver. Do not give bone meal or
any other calcium supplements. They are not needed and can be harmful.
IS SHE PREGNANT?
With a bitch that will relax and cooperate, we might be able to feel the fetuses in
her abdomen at 3 to 4 weeks. From 4 to 7 weeks, there is a lot of fluid around the
fetuses making it difficult to feel them. By 7 weeks, most pregnant bitches will be
obviously showing it.
Almost all bitches will have some mammary enlargement 3 to 4 weeks after their
season whether they are pregnant or not. If her vulva does not decrease much in
size after she is out of season, she is probably pregnant.
We can x-ray the bitch anytime after 45 days after breeding to determine
pregnancy. Withhold food by 8 PM the night before the x-ray and be sure she is
given a chance to move her bowels before bringing for the x-ray. Let her have all
the water she wants.
We can perform a Relaxin blood test for pregnancy anytime after 25 days.
A sonogram done at 28 days is a very accurate way to determine if she is
pregnant. We can refer you to a veterinarian who can do a sonogram if you wish.
Even if your bitch does not look pregnant, bring her in one week before her due
date for us to examine. A large bitch with only one or two pups can hide them up
under her ribs and not appear pregnant. If there is any doubt, have an x-ray taken.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR DURING PREGNANCY
Do not worry about your bitch having a bloody discharge throughout her season
or off and on throughout her season. If her season and discharge last longer that
3 weeks, bring her back for a check-up. She might be a bitch that just has a
longer than 3 week season. Or the extended discharge might indicate an
infection. If any time after her season she has a vaginal discharge again, bring
her back for an exam and a white blood cell count. She could be aborting pups.
She could have a minor vaginal infection or a serious uterine infection. A uterine
infection needs immediate attention.
WHEN IS SHE DUE?
The Cesarean Section is scheduled 60 days after the last breeding. We will make
the appointment for 8 AM. Take up all the bitch’s food by 8PM the night before
the Cesarean appointment. We will also schedule an appointment for a week
before the Cesarean to examine her and answer any questions you have. We
can also do the pre-surgery lab work at that time.
While this 60 day schedule works almost every pregnancy, occasionally a bitch
will start labor before the Cesarean Section appointment. If your bitch starts labor
during our regular office hours, call us to let us know you are coming in and bring
her to the hospital. We will do the Cesarean.
If your bitch starts labor during the night, weekend or holiday when our office is
closed, call one of the emergency animal hospitals and take her there for the
Cesarean. When you call our regular office number, the answering machine will
give you the numbers of three emergency hospitals. We do not do emergency
Cesarean surgery during non-office hours. A Cesarean requires a full staff of
personnel that we cannot provide during non-office hours.
Labor is not nesting or passing a mucus plug. Labor is seeing her abdomen
contract and seeing her push. She may pass some fluid or you may see part of a
puppy. This is labor and indicates she needs her Cesarean.
CESAREAN SECTIONS
We recommend all bullbitches be delivered by Cesarean section. Bullbitches
have a difficult time trying to whelp naturally for a number of reasons. The pups
have large heads. The bitch has a small pelvis. A bullbitch that has any breathing
difficulty can find that labor is too strenuous for her. A bitch with a large number
of pups can get too tired and exhausted before she has the last one. When there
are only one or two pups, they are usually larger and more difficult to deliver.
Many bulldog pups die during attempts at natural whelping. They could have
lived if delivered by Cesarean section. A bitch that becomes exhausted trying to
whelp naturally is then not a good anesthetic risk for Cesarean section. It is better
to plan for a Cesarean ahead of time rather than make it an emergency
procedure. It can be scheduled at a more convenient time than 2 AM some
morning. Of course, saving only one pup with the Cesarean that might have been
lost free whelping pays for the Cesarean.
Most bitches will start nesting a week or so before they are due to whelp. They
will gather up towels or scratch in the carpet or dig a hole in the yard to make a
nest. This does not mean labor is imminent. While your bitch is pregnant, she has
had a mucus plug in her cervix to seal it. She will start passing this clear mucus
the last week of her pregnancy. This is normal.
At the appointment for the Cesareans section, bring a box full of towels to take
the pups home in and a sheet to lay the bitch on in the car on the way home. The
bitch will have a heavy discharge for 3 days - red, black, green, almost any color
is normal. After 3 days, the discharge should be no more than a little spotting -
several half-dollar size spots a day at the most. A heavy discharge after 3 days or
a brownish-red tomato soup discharge with a bad odor anytime is an indication of
trouble. Bring your bitch back to the hospital.
If the bitch has any discharge from her surgery incision, wash it with hydrogen
peroxide and dry it before nursing. If the incision is dry without a discharge, leave
it alone. If the incision should gap open more than a quarter of an inch or if a
lump develops under the incision, bring her back to the hospital.
PUPPY CARE
Many bullbitches are terrible mamas. It is not unusual for bullbitches to lie on
pups and smother them. Some bullbitches will accidentally step on a pup and kill
it or badly injury it. A few bullbitches will intentionally harm pups. For these
reasons, we keep our pups in a puppy box and put them with the mama only
while nursing. An adult or older child must be there watching all the time the pups
are with her to be sure she does not harm the pups. Of course, this is a lot of
trouble and takes a lot of time. But bulldoggers have found that this is the best
way to raise as many pups as possible.
We use a wooden puppy box. If you anticipate raising only one litter, a cardboard
box will do. Our puppy box is 32 inches long by 16 inches wide and 12 inches
deep. It has a Plexiglas window in the lid. There are holes in the side that can be
opened for ventilation. There is a 60 watt light in one end of the box for heat. The
light has a rheostat so that the heat can be controlled and adjusted.
If you use a cardboard box, you can adjust the heat by using different watt light
bulbs and by moving the light closer or farther away from the box. The important
thing is to have a rectangular box with the light in one end. Adjust the heat by
watching where the pups stay in the box. If the pups stay right under the light,
adjust the heat higher. If the pups stay in the other end of the box to get away
from the heat, adjust it lower. The box temperature will need to be about 95
degrees the first week, 85 degrees the second week and 75 degrees thereafter.
However, it is important to adjust the heat according to what the pups do, rather
than according to the thermometer.
If pups lie on a hard flat surface all the time, they will become what we call
swimmers. Their chests flatten out and their legs spread out sideways. They
cannot get their legs under them. When the chests flatten they start having
breathing problems. To prevent swimmers, it is important for the bottom of the
box to be soft and irregular. We line the bottom of our box with foam rubber egg
crate mattress pad material and cover it with towels. Two alternatives to egg
crate material are rubber hot water bottles half filled with air and covered with
towels or to wad up newspaper into balls to fill the bottom of the box and cover
with towels.
NURSING
The pups are left in the box all the time except when they are nursing. The first
few days the pups should nurse every 2 hours. Put an old quilt on the floor for
mama to lie on. If there is any discharge from mama's Cesarean incision, wash it
off with hydrogen peroxide and dry it before putting the pups down to nurse. The
first few times, squeeze the nipple to get a drop of milk to come out on it and put
the pup's mouth to it. Watch to be sure all the pups get attached. Be sure the big
pups do not push the little pups away.
Allow the bitch to lick the pups to stimulate urination and defecation and to clean
them up. If the mother refuses to lick and clean pups, you must use a cotton ball
dipped in warm water to stimulate elimination. Rub the pups' sides, genital area
and anus with the cotton ball. Pups can not eliminate freely on their own for the
first 2 to 3 weeks of their lives. Someone must stay with the bitch all the time the
pups are nursing.
After you can see that the pups are gaining weight and are sleeping longer than 2
hours before they awaken and cry, you can start slowly lengthening the time
between feedings.
If the pups are not definitely gaining weight nursing on mama, start tube feeding
them. If one pup is not growing like the rest, tube feed him. Also if you tube feed,
you can go a longer time between feedings than you can nursing. We will be
happy to show you how and help you start tube feeding and get you the
equipment you need. Tube feed Esbilac Puppy Formula. If necessary, use
Similac baby formula until you can get Esbilac.
If for any reason you are tube feeding the pups exclusively, do not neglect
stimulating their bowel and urinary functions. Either let mama lick them or use the
cotton balls.
WEANING
Start bowl feeding the pups at about 3 weeks old. Put Esbilac in a shallow bowl
or pie pan. Put a pup up to the edge and spoon a little formula up to his mouth.
Some of the pups will start eating on their own right away. Others will take a few
days to learn. When all the pups are drinking the liquid Esbilac well, start adding
Purina Puppy Chow or Pro Plan Puppy Formula. Grind the Puppy Chow in a
blender to a fine meal. At first, mix just a little ground puppy chow with the Esbilac
to make a thin gruel. When all the pups are eating this, gradually make it thicker.
At six weeks, offer dry Puppy Chow or Pro Plan Puppy free choice, but continue
to feed Puppy Chow soaked in water four times a day.
PREVENTIVE MEDICAL CARE
At 3 to 4 weeks, bring in a stool sample from 3 or 4 pups for a worm exam.
To get as close as possible to providing complete protection for your pups from
preventable diseases, follow this vaccination schedule until you place the pups in
their new homes and recommend that the new owner continue this schedule:
Start vaccinations (canine distemper, hepatitis, coronavirus, Parainfluenza and
Parvovirus) at six weeks old.
Repeat this combination vaccination every three weeks till the pups are sixteen
weeks old. The last vaccination should also contain Leptospirosis.
Rabies vaccination can be given anytime after twelve weeks.
If you have pups that did not nurse on the bitch during the first 24 hours of life,
start their five-in-one combination vaccine at 3 weeks of age.
AGE TO PLACE PUPS IN NEW HOMES
Many pups are eating well and physically ready to go to new homes at 6 weeks
of age. However the time from 6 weeks to 12 weeks is a very important age for
the behavioral development of the pup. During this time the pup must have both
interaction with other dogs (mother and littermates) and interaction with people.
Therefore 8 to 10 weeks is the best time for the pups to go to their new homes.
Pups that go too early to a new home that does not have another dog in it may
later in life have a fear of other dogs or be aggressive to other dogs. Pups that
stay with their litter too long before being placed in their new homes may have a
hard time adjusting to their new home after 12 weeks of age. If any pups are not
going to their new homes by 10 weeks of age, be sure to socialize them to
people. Separate them from the litter and give them individual attention for at
least 30 minutes every day. All pups should have some contact with children
before they are 12 weeks old so they will not be afraid of children later. Of course
it is important that they are not hurt by a child early in life.
If I send prospective puppy buyers to you, that means that I have recommended
you and your pups to the prospective buyer. It does not mean that I am
recommending the prospective buyer to you. It is not my place to screen buyers
for you. It is up to you to interview prospective buyers and determine which ones
can be entrusted with your precious pups. Ask about other dogs in the
household. Do they have a fenced in yard? Do they know bulldogs need to be
inside air-conditioned dogs? Will they continue the vaccination series? Do they
know bulldogs are generally more expensive to care for than other dogs? Is the
prospective buyer buying a pup for himself or is he a broker that is going to resell
the pup?
When you know the new owner is not going to breed or show, encourage the
new owner to spay or neuter their pets. Spaying females prevents mammary
cancer, uterine infection and accidental pregnancies. Neutering males prevents
perianal cancer, perineal hernias and prostate problems.
Be sure you are satisfied that your pup is going to a loving home. Tell the new
owner that if something happens that causes them to have to give up their
bulldog that you will take him back or help them place him in a good home.
REGISTRATION
Have the owner of the stud fill out the sire part of an American Kennel Club
registration form. Fill out the dam's part and send it to the American Kennel Club.
They will send you individual forms for each pup to be registered. This takes two
to six weeks.
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