3 Ways to Help Your Dog Prepare for Whelping

Last updated: April 15, 2021 by the Revival Education Team

What three things should you do to help your dog prepare for whelping?

1. Give Oxy Mate^™ Prenatal vitamins for the same reason your mom took them! To support a healthy pregnancy and healthy puppy development. During the last week of pregnancy, switch from Oxy Mate to Breeders' Edge^® Oxy Momma^™ to stimulate milk production. Start giving Oxy Momma seven days before a scheduled C-section, or three to four days before a natural birth. We want puppies born fighting to live and moms milking from the first day.


2. Use Fenbendazole dewormer (labeled for pregnant and nursing moms) after day 50 gestation for three days in a row and go six days if you fight Giardia issues in your puppies. Fenbendazole is safe, and it gets five major parasites. If mom doesn't give parasites to her puppies, we don't have to get them back out of the puppy!


3. When the female starts nesting (early labor) or her temperature drops one degree, give mom the first dose of Breeder's Edge Oral Cal Plus calcium gel. The goal is to get three to four doses in mom before the first puppy hits the ground. This supports consistent contractions that efficiently dilate the cervix and get the first puppy on the ground quicker. Getting the litter on the ground in less than 12 hours helps with puppy stress and mom's stress. Slow whelping causes uterine inertia and C-sections on the last few puppies; this is not desirable and hard on mom. Slow-whelping puppies are short of oxygen at birth, causing weakness and failure to nurse well. Being short of oxygen contributes to fading puppy, and we do not want to see that either!

Those are my top three things to help mom do her job. You may do more and should add prevention to avoid issues you are seeing in your puppies. It is all about getting puppies on the ground effectively and helping mom recover, nurse the litter and raise some healthy happy puppies! I truly believe if mom is not happy, no one is, and we don't want puppies to pay for us not managing mom!

If you need help, call us at 800.786.4751.

-Dr. B
Donald Bramlage, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Former Director of Veterinary Services at Revival Animal Health

Donald Bramlage, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, practiced veterinary medicine for 30+ years and is known for his work in managing parvovirus. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Kansas State University in 1985. He served as Revival's Director of Veterinary Services from 2011 until his retirement in 2019.

The materials, information and answers provided through this website are not intended to replace the medical advice or services of your personal veterinarian or other pet health care professional. Consult your own veterinarian for answers to specific medical questions, including diagnosis, treatment, therapy or medical attention.