Too much panting

[maravu]

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Akita is whelping{?}. In the last week, she has began continuous panting, unless she's asleep. She is entering her 5th week. I/we give her plenty of water & our home is cool. Is there something else I can do to help her be more comfortable &/or @ ease?

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[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by maravu

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Akita is whelping{?}. In the last week, she has began continuous panting, unless she's asleep. She is entering her 5th week. I/we give her plenty of water & our home is cool. Is there something else I can do to help her be more comfortable &/or @ ease?

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Have you called your VETERINARIAN??

[spidey]

I agree with Elisabeth - calling your veterinarian should have been your first action when this started, this could be anything from minor discomfort to something life-threatening, and the only person who can diagnose that is your vet. I suggest you call an emergency clinic, since your vet's office is likely closed now. Please let us know what the vet says.

[maravu]

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She doesn't appear to be in any discomfort. In fact, she rather playful & happy to see me when I come home, etc.

I will take her to be checked. I will let you know the results.

Thank you all.

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[rottsnroses]

Continual panting like this indicates stress and discomfort. The only indication I had that something was wrong with Reno before he died was continuous panting the night before he died. GO TO YOUR VET.

[FireNrotts]

Boy, I strongly agree, a Vet is the first place you should always go with. Stress on a pregnant bitch can be highly disasterous. Curious, is she cardiac clear? Also, what was the level of conditioning of her going into this breeding, a bitch with poor exercise history will have a difficult time. Overweight at breeding time? They do all add to difficluties.

[maravu]

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Thank you.

I have been thinking since my first post & this does not diminish the importance of having Akita checked. She pants more often than not. Continual was not the best description, I guess. I was under the impression that the additional heat within, from the puppies made her more warm & hence, panting.

You guys have me nervous, now.

{{About me that affects this situation is fairly new, in the state, new in the area, car in the shop, single mother, on a SNUG budget. Truth be known about her pregnacy is a Lab mix snuck in my backyard thru a weak spot in the fence , 'under my radar' & tagged my sweet Akita. Please don't fuss @ me. What upset me most was the already week & 1/2, 24/7 vidual{sp?} I was keeping & it happened so fast. I had to take care of something, so my youngest was watching her outside, in our backyard because of the prowling of 'rolling stones'. At about 4 AM Akita had to 'go', again. Would you believe a pit bull got in my yard?! I had to beat it away. It challenged me! I have a back porch light, but, beyond that, the yard is dark. It had that deep slow girgling prowl. I challenged it back. Anyway, she came in the house & got distracted. She felt soooo bad once we knew what happened. I was beside myself, but, took responsibility. I was waiting until her next cycle, in February, to breed her when I knew I could better afford this undertaking, Vet & all, plus, we'd be moving into Spring & the puppies could be outside running around in my huge backyard.}}

I will make my call tomorrow. I will inform you of the results.

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[spidey]

What are your plans for the puppies?

[maravu]

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Reply to FireNRotts (I started this reply a few hours ago, then, had to run out):

I saw your reply (hrs. ago) after I just posted.

Akita has a huge backyard with BeBe, our Rotty mix. They run about a lot. She also goes on walks with me. She is not overweight.

She will be seen by a Vet.

I really need everyone's suport because of my situation. I am already anxious because of the impending responsibility. This next week I will increase Akita's meals by one, switching over to puppy food. I still have BeBe to feed. Then preparing for the births. Oh, my goodness. I'm tearing up @ the thought because I'd rather be guided by a veteranarian thru the entire process, which have been, in the Spring. Then, the puppies, in general. Their dockings & shots, & FOOD. How does one housebreak puppies, in the winter. I guess they're be in the garage, but, we'll want them in the house, they'll want to be in the house....

In search of knowledge & helps, I found very good websites & this forum. I look forward to more insight & information, as time passes.

I hope you won't hold it against Akita or me for breeding outside her 'nationality'. Although disappointed, I treat my baby as any loving mother would in these circumstances. With love. I look forward to breeding her one day, with gorgeous Rottweiler.

Wow, I've talked my head off.

Well, here it goes-->submit reply.

[Anne]

I certainly hope you are not serious about breeding this Akita with your Rottweiler.

This dog of yours needs to see a vet. Hopefully this vet will convince you to have the bitch spayed. This could/should have been done immediately after you witnessed the mating. Words fail me.

Please take your dog to the vet and have her checked. She is panting heavily for a reason.

[maravu]

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Reply to Spidey:

The children & I have been discussing it. Akita has a super loving, gentle, protective nature. By close observation of the puppies, in the early weeks, I hope to recognize this same nature, in the puppies & then offer them to the National Association For The Blind & other humanitarian organization that need dogs for helps. I'm considerating taking Akita with me, so they can observe her nature & socialization skiills.

I cringe @ the thought of sending any of them to the Humane Society.

Do you have any suggestions?

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[maravu]

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Reply to Anne;

Akita is the name of my Rottweiler. There's a story behind that.

I have been slightly isolated. with my sweet Akita. If I had been 'in the circuit', I would have read the information I'm reading now, in several places.

I have always wanted another 'Akita' through her puppies because she is such a cool Rottweiler. The thought of spaying didn't come to mind, although, I had looked into that 'overnight' injection to what it does. I was informed vets stopped doing that. I was assured, by a vet, that she next set won't be 'mud puppies', as I had been told. So, my hopes are that my sweetie pie only birth a few puppies & this chapter of our lives will be closed.

I think I understand how you feel, Anne. But, please bear with me, now, that I'm heavily, in the mix of things.

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[spidey]

First I would suggest that you prepare yourself, this sort of situation tends to make people here extremely upset, and with good reason. Many people on these boards work in rescue and shelters, where they see dogs all the time from situations like yours, dogs who live sad, short lives and end up being euthanized because there are no homes for them, or because they have physical problems because their parents were untested, or because they have bitten people because of temperamental problems because their parents were untested, or because they were placed in inappropriate homes as puppies. I understand that you may view what I'm about to say as an attack. I will do my best to state things as tactfully as I can,and please try and recognize that my goal here is only to provide you with information which you are likely unaware of, so that you can use it to help you make some good decisions, I am not trying to be cruel to you, I am trying to explain some of the facts of your situation.

As far as I can tell, your situation is as follows: you have an untested (meaning your dog has not had temperament testing done, or health certification testing done on her hips, eyes, heart and elbows) and unproven (meaning you have not shown your dog and earned titles on her, which are used to help people determine if a dog should be bred) female, who I'm sure is a wonderful pet whom you love very much. You have decided to breed her because she is so nice. You have accidentally allowed her to become pregnant with a mixed-breed litter. You cannot afford adequate veterinary care at the moment, and do not have much, knowledge of dog reproduction. You plan to breed her again to a Rottweiler at some point in the future.

There are a number of problems with this situation. The most important one is that you cannot afford to provide your dog with appropriate medical care - the dog is your responsibility, the dog had no choice in the matter when you took her into your care. Pregnancy and whelping is a life-threatening situation: dogs can and do die on a regular basis due to pregnancy and whelping problems. You have little or no experience with dog breeding, and you cannot afford to pay a vet who does. You should at least consider that your dog could die from this.

Second, assuming your dog manages to whelp normally, you will bring a number of mixed-breed dogs from unproven parents into the world, the future of such dogs is normally not very bright. Most organizations which train assistance dogs obtain them from breeders, where the parentage of the dogs is known and where temperament is a primary consideration when making breeding decisions. It's unlikely that these puppies will end up anywhere but the humane society, I think you need to start thinking about that, and what it means. The good news is that puppies are more adoptable than older dogs, the bad news is that there are tens of thousands of dogs and puppies in the rescue and shelter system, and simply not enough homes for them, it is more than likely that some or all of your puppies will end up being euthanized in a shelter.

Third, casual breeding of untested and unproven dogs (which is what you have done and are planning to do in the future) is seriously frowned upon, for all manner of very good reasons, not least because dogs from situations like this are very often the ones who end up being bite statistics. The parents are untested and unproven (so they may have genetic problems, ranging from physical problems to mental problems), the breeder does not have enough knowledge to research homes properly and place puppies well, or provide all the education and support needed for the life of the puppies. Ethical breeders provide a contract which includes such things as taking back any puppy at any time in its life for any reason, ethical breeders spend a lot of time learning about their breed and carefully planning litters, ethical breeders do not breed a dog just because it's a good pet, and people who want to be ethical breeders find experienced ethical breeders to help them learn what they need to know before they start breeding and mentor them after they start breeding.

I beg you to reconsider your idea of breeding your dog in future. Please spay her as soon as possible after she has these puppies, if you cannot find a vet who will spay her before they are born at this stage (I would call around, especially to shelters, which often have clinics, and ask if anyone will spay her at this point). You sound like you are a decent person who wants to do the right thing and perhaps you simply don't have enough knowledge of the huge problems with this situation to make the right choices. I'm sorry to be such a downer, but I hope we can help you learn a bit more, so that you can make the right decisions about this. You obviously love your dog and want to do the right thing for her, but the right thing truly isn't breeding her, it's spaying her and letting her live a long, healthy life as a well-loved pet.

Please read this thread for more information.

[Anne]

Spidey. A great and well informed post. Hopefully the op will take it in the manner in which it is intended.

maravu. Happy to hear that Akita is in fact a Rottweiler

[shybird]

Well since you are knee deep with a pregnant bitch now, I won't say anything except do the right thing and get the help of a vet. Do right by the pups and pick great homes for them. BUT, please don't breed her again. From what I have read, your dog is not a show or working rottweiler. You are a novice to the breed. If you really love her, you will not breed her again. A blood relative of hers will not be her. It would not honor her to have her pups die in a shelter due to lack of homes or irresponsible owners. In my little state of NJ last year over 50,000 companion animals were killed from lack of homes. I see no joy, or coolness, in bring more pups into this world to die.