Reproduction

Our veterinarians will be able to help you plan your next litter. With in-house progesterone testing equipment, results are available within 20 minutes of your appointment. Using the progesterone testing, the veterinarians will be able to advise when best to mate your bitch. It is recommended to start progesterone testing on day 5 of the bitch's heat. From there, the veterinarians will advise when next to retest progesterone levels. Once ovulation has occurred, mating with fresh semen is recommended on day 2 and 4. Our veterinarians are able to perform fresh semen artificial insemination if needed. The start of gestation is calculated from the day of ovulation.

We recommend pregnancy diagnosis via ultrasound at 4 weeks of gestation. Depending on the bitch, our veterinarians may be able to estimate puppy numbers. However, an x-ray is recommended at 8 weeks gestation to confirm puppy numbers by counting the skeletons on x-ray.

 

If there are problems with your bitch whelping, our veterinarians our able to perform emergency caesareans. 

Signs that would indicate veterinary intervention during whelping include:

  • Dark green or malodorous discharge prior to whelping
  • Active labour (contractions) for more than 2 hours with no puppy born
  • Interval between puppies is greater than 30 minutes with ACTIVE contractions
  • Interval between puppies is greater than 2 hours with NO contractions
  • Whelping lasts longer than 24 hours

If any of the above situations occur and you cannot get into contact with the clinic, please contact your nearest emergency centre

We recommend the day after whelping, bitches and their puppies be brought into the vet for a post whelping check. The puppies will be checked for any deformities, cleft palates and the health of the umbilical cord

 

Puppies should be weighed twice daily for the first two weeks. The puppies are expected to increase their body weight by 5 to 10% per day. After two weeks, the puppies may be weighed daily. If the puppies are not gaining weight, please book a consult with the vet to assess.

Puppies should be wormed every two weeks from 2 weeks of age. The clinic has worming syrup available for sale.

The first puppy vaccination is due at 6-8 weeks of age. The puppies will also be microchipped at this visit. Please ensure you have a source number prior to your appointment. You can apply for a source number at the Pet Exchange Register:

https://per.animalwelfare.vic.gov.au/