I watched a whelping by webcam yesterday and enjoyed it tremendously. Technology has come so far! I also enjoyed reading the chatter between people as we waiting for the next puppy to arrive but was left with a few questions that I'm hoping someone can elaborate on for me now.

1. Apparently it is no longer recommended that we swing puppies when they are not breathing well. What is the alternative recommendation?

2. One of the puppies was non responsive at birth and several people commented to put .1 cc of "something" under the puppies tongue. I believe it started with a D? Could someone tell me what that is and what it is for? TIA.

Dopram.

They recommend squeezing head to tail like an accordian

Debbie

yes the accordian method is recommended.
hold one hand around neck/head and other around hip/ legs. Gently push together and then pull back, doing this several times.
it is meant to open lungs naturally expelling air back out and also forcing fluids out. keep head down so gravity will help.

The main reason for no longer swinging pups is the possibility of dropping, flinging them and some say it is trauma to the brain.
I have been swinging pups safely for 20 years, I do use the accordion method first but if they are really full of fluid then they get swung.

Thank you! This is great information to know and I really appreciate the detailed instructions. I will incorporate this new knowledge now with my future litters. I agree though - if it looks like I am going to lose a puppy and nothing else is working, I will probably still end up resorting to the swinging before giving up. I would rather have a live puppy with possible side effects from that than no puppy at all.

There is always a chance of the puppy aspirating on the fluid in it's lungs when you swing them as a means to get them to breath. I stopped swinging a few litters ago. I'll do an all over brisk body rub using those hand towels from costco after I suction their mouths and nose good. I will stick the syringe down the throat part way, getting some fluid . I've had to do mouth to mouth in a few instances when nothing else worked. This brought the little puppy around.

Glad you enjoyed watching! Dopram aka Doxapram stimulates respiration. It is used to start or stimulate respiration in newborn puppies following a difficult birth. You only use a few drops or by injection. Dopram like all drugs should only be used under your Vet's supervision.

I too will do the accordian compression, hold the puppy upside down, suction, "puppy CPR", and also hot, cold, hot, cold temp shock along with Oxygen bell, etc. When you are trying to revive a puppy you pull out all the stops. However, sometimes you just are not able to bring it around despite herculean effort.

Can you still view it or was it live and not able to see it now?

Yes, the puppy cam is still running occasionally. Send me an email and I will be glad to send you the link.

Slinging puppies is tough and they're very slippery.

You saw us use a bulb syringe, what you didn't see is right after we syringed we rubbed hard, holding the puppy at an angle with his/her head tilted down, allowing gravity to help.

However, once the placenta detaches you only have a limited amount of time to get that pup out of the uterine horns and through the birth canal before he/she runs out of oxygen. That was the case with the pup you saw.

Sometimes despite the slinging, shock therapy (running hot water and cold water over the pup), dopram, providing forced oxygen from a tank and mouth to mouth, you simply lose puppies. It sucks, but its a reality.

The greatest thing to use is the Deelee Mucus Trap (not sure on spelling) & Dopram
Most vets are not educated in this & I have had emergency vets say nothing can be done, WRONG. It can.

Was going to mention the mucus trap also - vet uses this and it's great!

I was just going to post the same. Here is one link to an inexpensive DeeLee

http://www.theemsstore.com/store/product.aspx/productId/1445/Kendall-DeLee-Pediatric-Mucus-trap/?gclid=CL_G6-Xpjb0CFUVp7AodW3YAtg

I also make sure to have Dopram on hand. One vet in my office didn't want to prescribe it, so I politely asked her to discuss it with her colleague in the office and they then decided to send some home with me. I have a female who is a terrific service dog for a child which would not be serving if I hadn't had the DeeLee and Dopram.

just had this issue with my vet on giving me dopram to take home, he refused to give it to me because of Liability wth his that about? My old vet who retired from private practice had no qualms about giving me a shrine full when I had a litter that was due so ended up losing 2 pups on my litter born yesterday grrrrr, will be looking for a place to buy it without having to go through the vet

I never used Dopram as no vet I used in the past recommended it and the newer ones will not dispense it for home usage, only for their c-sections. I think many breeders have the same problem. The Dee Lee is what has been recommended to me repeatedly. I have 3 but never had to use them so far since I purchased them. I do have some peace of mind that I have them here and ready.

Even oxy is hard to get from my local vets so I never use it, go for a clean-out shot after all puppies are on the ground. They know what they're doing. It's all about money.

we still swing puppies after we clear their nose and mouth of fluid. We have had more luck doing this than the accordian method. We didn't find the dopram very helpful. We have O2 on hand and can make an incubator with heating pad. If the pups come out robust and healthy they go to mom to nurse awhile and get cleaned. When in the middle of whelping another pup the ones already here go into the warmer until they go back to mom. This ensures they get good and dry and warm. I don't have a problem swinging puppies, you just have to wrap them in a small towel to make sure they are wrapped up snug and head is secure, I don't think I have ever had any brain damaged puppies