Weidenstrasse’s Protocol
For
“Raising healthy puppies from birth to 8 weeks of age”
This protocol was implemented 4 years ago at Weidenstrasse Kennel by the Kennel’s veterinarian with the aim to improve on raising healthy puppies and to test whether it will contribute towards increasing the average weight of a litter.
It was worked out based on the existing parasites Coccidia and Giardia.
The weight has increased from an average of 4,5kg – 5 kg per litter 4 years ago to an average of 6 kg – 7 kg per litter at 7 weeks of age. Even large litters of up to 10 pups are having an average weight at 7 weeks of 5, 5 kg which means at 8 weeks a weight of at least 6 kg.
It is widely accepted that healthy puppies of a good weight have a higher stress tolerance when changing environment.
Breeding Bitch:
Numerous articles have been written on this subject. I have only summarized here what I consider to be crucial: (I have copied this paragraph from my article guidelines for feeding the pregnant bitch – article to be found under health section – articles)
Proper care and feeding of a breeding bitch should begin long before she is actually bred and even before her oestrous cycle begins. Once I have decided a bitch is a good breeding candidate, based upon a thorough physical exam in which she is found to be in good health and free of any physical abnormalities that may jeopardize pregnancy or whelping, as well as any potentially dangerous inheritable conditions, then the real work begins. She will be evaluated and treated for internal as well as external parasites that could impair her health or be transmitted to her offspring’s. She will be given all appropriate vaccinations, as determined in consultation with my veterinarian which includes kennel cough vaccination.
P R O T O C O L
Treatment for external parasites for bitch before whelping:
As soon as a bitch comes into season and I will breed her, I start to protect her with a safe, long-lasting spot-on application. I repeat this treatment every 3 weeks for the next four months until pups are leaving and/or have no more contact to the mother. Thereafter I revert back to my normal dipping protocol.
Treatment for internal parasites for bitch and puppies:
From 2nd day after whelping
Bitch will be treated with Panacur for 10 days (1ml/kg of bodyweight)
At three weeks:
Puppies will be treated with Panacur for 5 days (1 ml/kg of bodyweight)
At four weeks:
Puppies and bitch will be treated with Coximed (1 tablet) to be repeated 5 days later, then every 7th day until 8 weeks of age, this includes the bitch
At five weeks:
Puppies and bitch will be treated with Panacur for 5 days (1 ml/kg of bodyweight)
At seven weeks:
Puppies and bitch will be treated with Drontal (dewormer)
Faecal Flotation’s
They are being done at 5, 6 and 7 weeks to check for possible parasites.
Treatment for external parasites for puppies:
At four weeks:
I apply a safe, long-lasting spot-on application (to be safe for puppies). This is normally the time when pups are being put outside into the garden. This treatment will be repeated at 7 weeks.
Vaccinations:
At 4 weeks Nobivac DP
At 6 weeks Nobivac 1-DAPPV+CV
Hygiene:
This is one aspect of raising healthy pups which is vastly underestimated. All the treatment I administer will not help if the pups are not kept hygienically clean.
The hygiene starts on the day the pups are born:
Once all pups are born and the bitch had some rest for a few hours, my work starts:
The whelping box will be disinfected (F10SCXD), dirty bedding removed and exchanged with clean bedding, bitch needs to be washed (F10 shampoo). I make sure she is dry before I let her back to her pups. The bitch needs to be kept clean and washed off every 2nd/3rd day depending how soiled she is. The dead hair will be brushed off the bitch (she will be shedding quite badly after whelping)
I exchange bedding every second day.
I will also make sure that the whelping room is kept free of flies.
Puppies:
The pups are checked regularly for any abnormalities.
Nails will be clipped every 4 days to avoid scratch marks on the bitch.
From the time pups are being weaned and are starting to eat solids, puppies’ paws and their bums will be cleaned every day with a mixture of F10SCXD and F10 shampoo before feeding time. It is vitally important to make sure that pups are dry before being put back into their areas. Wet genitals can cause cystitis. The pups are being dried with a hair dryer.
Pups will only be fed after they have been cleaned. I let the pups eat from a raised position or out of individual bowls which helps preventing the pups stepping into the food bowls and transmitting parasites by way of stepping into the food. If this is happening, it is a vicious circle to keep pups healthy. Faeces are removed at least three times daily.
Cleaning concrete or tile surfaces:
Before my staff washes the floor, it will be disinfected with either F10SCXD or Chlorine and the disinfectants will stay on for at least for 30 min to kill any bacteria. If we do not do that, we will not have hygienically clean floors.
The concrete surfaces will be washed every morning while the pups are being bathed. During the day the faeces are being removed as often as possible and the remnants are being sprayed with F10SCXD. We also spray the dirty spots with F10SCXD in our grass/sand runs.
Grooming:
We are getting our pups used to grooming with a soft brush from 4 weeks of age, and not just the body but also the tail. This process will help the new puppy owner later on, especially if the pups have been used to their tails being brushed.
Ears are cleaned regularly (refer to my presentation ear infections – under health section - articles)
Mental Stimulation:
Every breeder has a different set-up in how the pups are kept. Regardless of the various set-ups it is crucial for the development of a healthy pup to experience different environments. I start this from when the pups are 4 weeks. They are being taken into the house, into the garden, whatever constitutes a change in environment.
Furthermore to keep pups stimulated they need toys in their runs. Since this can become rather expensive, plastic 500 ml bottles do the trick. (Do not let the plastic bottle get too crunched up – you do not want your pup to get hurt). Puppies love biting into them.
I start playing with my pups from an early age.
Feeding:
I have left this topic for last as it is not my intention to tell anybody what to feed; needless to say pups need a good diet.
What I would like to say is:
If my puppy is leaving with 8 weeks, I start feeding him/or her on his own already for a couple of days before leaving. It is very stressful for a pup to have eaten all this time with his litter mates and all over sudden he/she has to eat on its own.
Furthermore I make sure that the food I have been feeding is the same food the new puppy owner will feed.
I try to make the transition period as easy as possible for my pups.
Maren von der Heyde
Zwinger von der Weidenstrasse
November 2014