Cesarien

Your pet has just undergone a surgical procedure- a cesarean. For different reasons, it is possible that the mother refuses to care for her litter, in which case, it is very important that you take her place and provide for the babies. In order to maximize their chances for survival, we suggest you follow these recommendations;

- Bottle feed the babies every 3 hours during the 1st week (even at night), every 4 hours during the 2nd week, every 5 hours the 3rd week and every 6 hours during the 4th week. Avoid placing them on their backs. Rather, place them on their bellies as they would if they were feeding from their mother. Follow the instructions on the label of the milk replacement formula for the amounts.

- After each feeding, you must help the babies to release their bowels and bladder by gently rubbing the genital area with a soft, damp cloth.


- If the mother refuses the presence of her babies, then place them in a box lined with blankets, a wrapped hot water bottle (or heating lamp), and cover them with a blanket to keep them warm. Be careful to avoid burns. This should be done until they’ve reached about 3 weeks of age.

- The surgical staples should be removed from the mother in 14 days.


- Whether the babies are fed by the mother or bottle fed, wet food should be introduced at 4 weeks. At 6 weeks you can begin weaning the babies by separating them from their mother one at a time at 24 to 48 hour intervals. Only once the last baby has been removed from the mother can you begin preventing engorgement of the teats by following these recommendations;

Day1- after the last baby has been removed, the mother must go without food and water for a 24 hour period (1 day).
Day 2- the mother should receive 1/3 of her regular portion of food and water.
Day 3- the mother should receive ½ of her regular portion of food and water.
Day4- return to normal feeding.
Day 5- Cold compresses can be applied for 5 minutes, twice a day if there are any signs of engorgement and consult your veterinarian.

- Adoption can begin as early as 2 months, at least 1 week after their 1st vaccination. The following booster shots should be done at 3 and 4 months of age.

- As for de-worming, first treatment can be done at 2 weeks, then 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age, and continued once a month until they’ve reached 6 months. Another schedule is to begin at 4 weeks and then continue once a month until 6 months.