Gestational Preparation
A safe, healthy environment is necessary for an expecting bulldog mom. There has been considerable research in regards to diet, caloric intake, and environment standards that are essential for providing the highest level of care for an expecting bulldog mom. Bruiser Bulldogs strives to be on the cutting edge of canine gestational and neonatal care.
Nutritional Preparation – The most fundamental change during a bulldog mom’s gestational period is a move towards puppy food diet with higher levels of both phosphorus and calcium. We prefer our pregnant moms to consume a diet based roughly at 29-31% protein and 17-20% fat. These subtle changes start to prepare our bulldog mom for the nutrition stress that a litter of bulldog puppies puts on their body.
Caloric Increase – During the third trimester of pregnancy or around day 42 we increase our bulldog mom’s caloric intake by 33%. This time frame represents rapid change in puppy fetus growth. Higher nutritional loads are now required as nutrition intake in the third trimester dramatically dictates birth weights in puppies. Many years ago we started to implement a caloric bump in our gestational nutrition program – we have seen an average live weight increase of around 25%. Increased birth weight has proven to provide increased energy reserves and reduces mortality rates in neonatal puppies.
Folic Acid – has been found in clinical studies to reduce the occurrence of cleft palates in both humans and dogs. Specifically in brachycephalic breeds, folic acid has also been beneficial in reducing occurrences of water puppies. Folic Acid is a synthetic form of vitamin B9 and supports the early development of the neural tube in the developing fetus.
Late Term Gestational Care (day 55 to 61)
A bulldog mom will start to behave differently during the late stages of their pregnancy. We start to see increased nesting behavior – or the desire to find a safe place to raise her puppies. Nesting instinct is always a good sign of a bulldog’s maternal instincts kicking in. During this time period, we closely watch for signs of early labor or potential pregnancy issues.
Labor Signs – During late term gestation we begin to chart the following
We record Bulldog mom’s rectal temperature twice daily. A drop in baseline temperature from 99 to 98 degrees is an indicator labor will begin within 24 hours.
We check for vulva discharge. Clear mucus is normal while green discharge occurs when a placenta has been detached – indicating the start of labor.
Lactation – A bulldog will (hopefully) begin lactating a few days before their delivery. Occasionally lactation occurs after delivery which affects the colostrum intake of the newborn puppies.
Reverse Progesterone – We begin running bloodwork on our bulldog moms 3 days before their due date. We own a centrifuge and in house medical grade progesterone equipment that allows us to accurately track progesterone levels in real time. A drop in progesterone levels marks a mom’s preparation for labor. Typically, progesterone levels around 3 ng/ml or below means the puppies are ready to be born.
C-section – At this time we take all of our bulldogs in for c-sections. We feel this is the most ethical care of our moms and pups. The mortality rate of both mom and puppies is very high when they are allowed to have their pups naturally. For the safety of our moms, a c-section is essential and ethical. In the future, we would love to develop the breed to birth naturally and safely. This development takes time and our bloodlines are not at that point.
