suppliments or not???

[Mazame]

Maybe we've been lucky but we haven't had any cleft palates since we started supplementing with folic acid. There has been some research (New Zealand Veterinary Journal 1997) which showed that giving 5mg folic acid a day to bitches in an established breeding programme of Boston Terriers did reduce the risk of risk of cleft palates by 76%. Even if it doesn't have this kind of effect every time, it can't do any harm anyway NB if you feed one of the complete foods made for pregnant bitches, FA is usually already included so you wouldn't need to supplement with it then.

Ok thank you. I knew that acid folic deficiency was involved in cleft palates but I didn't know theses researches. Will have a look.

I heard wheat germ could increase the number of pups. A breeder told me this but I don't know if there were scietific researches about it.

[KellyS]

I have heard wheatgerm is good for fertility in males and females

[Katina]

A bit Off Topic (and mostly joking of course  ) I wonder what I should feed the mums to get more bitches in a litter 

My five latest litters:
3 boys ( + 0 girls )
1 girl + 4 boys
1 girl + 6 boys
1 girl + 5 boys
1 girl + 4 boys

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against boys, but it's a whole lot easier to breed with bitches  ..

[Mazame]

Wheatgerm ? 


Katina, I've just had a look at your website, your dogs are  

[Gilly]

A bit Off Topic (and mostly joking of course  ) I wonder what I should feed the mums to get more bitches in a litter 

My five latest litters:
3 boys ( + 0 girls )
1 girl + 4 boys
1 girl + 6 boys
1 girl + 5 boys
1 girl + 4 boys

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against boys, but it's a whole lot easier to breed with bitches  ..

I've only had 2 litters but they've been split 50/50 
3 boys + 3 girls
4 boys + 4 girls

I've also used the CHV vaccine with both litters and had strong healthy puppies.

[Katina]

Wheatgerm ? 


Katina, I've just had a look at your website, your dogs are  

And with my luck I would just end up with even more boys  .
Thank you for your nice words about my dogs.

Gilly, litters like that would be ideal, with having only one bitch there's always the risk that she is not showing/breeding quality. For excample in Helmis litter there was only one orange bitch, she was supposed to move abroad but she is simply not good enough.

I have one bitch who gets supplements during her pregnancy, as she eats barely nothing from week 4 onwards. She gets a special energy/vitamin booster and calcium.

The ones that eat ok don't get anything else but a high quality food for puppies/pregnant bitches.

Maybe a daft question, but what is CHV vaccine  ?

[ClaireN]

A bit Off Topic (and mostly joking of course  ) I wonder what I should feed the mums to get more bitches in a litter 

My five latest litters:
3 boys ( + 0 girls )
1 girl + 4 boys
1 girl + 6 boys
1 girl + 5 boys
1 girl + 4 boys

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against boys, but it's a whole lot easier to breed with bitches  ..

I'm not sure if a dogs contribution is the same as a mans  but if I remember correctly, male sperm are faster but are short lived whereas female sperm are slower but longer lived. I alway mate my girls on the first day that they will stand which if the theory is correct, means there are more female sperm waiting to fertilize the eggs than male sperm. My last 4 litters have been:
6 girls & 2 boys
4 girls & 1 boy
4 girls & 4 boys (2 girls & 1 boy did'nt make it though)
6 girls & 2 boys

[Katina]

^ I know this, but the problem is for example with my own males that they won't mate until they think it's absolutely the right day, so even if the bitches are willing, my boys just sniff, say "Not today" and go back to what they were doing    

[Mazame]

Maybe a daft question, but what is CHV vaccine  ?

The vaccine against herpesvirosis ? (I don't know every translation) Herpesvirosis is a STD that many many dogs have. Most of time they don't have any symptoms except reproduction problems : pups die in the firt 5 days of their lives, embryonic reductions, infertility.

Pups are infected during the delivery. The mother can be vaccinated twice (at the beginning of the pregnancy and about 10-15 days before the delivery). Then she produces antibodies she passes on to the pups via the colostrum. Anyway the pups will be infected but the mother's antibodies will prevent them from dying. The vaccine is said to give 1 pup more in the litter and stronger pups (and therefore increase the caesarean risk).

[KellyS]

I use the vaccine and have had...

3 dogs & 1 bitch
5 bitches & 2 dogs

[bluegirl]

I use wheatgerm, but not particulary as a supplement and it contains vitamin E which does help with fertility. I had 11 pups born in Penny's first litter, but who knows if that was the real reason for the amount of pups.
I don't use any special supplement but mine also receive a regular supply of folic acid as part of their normal diet and I just alter things slightly during pregnancy. I do however omit cod liver oil during pregnancy due to the high vit A content and resume again following whelping. I give raw bones throughout the pregnancy but taper off slighty in the last 7-10 days to feed an organ rich and mildly laxative diet.

[AnnieM]

If you were going to give folic acid during pregnancy how much would you give daily?

[Gilly]

I'm sure I gave Buttons 2 maybe 3 a day but I can't remember 

[tracey]

I was told 6 tablets daily.

[cockahoot]

The only supplement I've ever used is raspberry leaf tablets which I was told helps the bitch to pass the placenta