I would strongly advice to request your vet to have blood (plasma) ready if you intend to do any kind of surgery. After surgery is done look at your dog closely and check color of gums. They should not be to pale. If gums are getting white call the vet immediately because there could be internal bleeding. If your vet has blood ready they can do a transfusion and save your dogs life.

While a dog can be spayed during a c-section unless there is a problem with the uterus at that time it is not advisable. For one thing her milk will dry up very fast and you will have to bottle feed.

Another risk is that the vessels are so swollen at this time that it can be dangerous and lead to internal bleeding.
While it seems like a good time to do the spay, your dog will have a much harder recovery also.

Talk to your vet about it but I would wait until the puppies were weaned and her milk dried up before she is spayed. The dog and the vet will both have a much easier time of it then.

Milk Replacer Formula:

10 oz. evaporated milk (whole fat or part skim — do not use all skim) or goat’s milk
3 oz. sterilized water (baby water or boiled water) — delete if using goat’s milk
1 egg yolk (raw)
1 cup whole fat yogurt (whole fat or part skim — avoid all skim)
1 tablespoon white Karo syrup or white sugar (do not use honey)

I add prune juice if puppies that are constipated - be careful not to add to much. Puppy that is constipated will not eat and if they do not eat they become weaker. If you have to you need to do an enema to help the puppy out.

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix (or use a wire whisk) till well blended. Use all formula within 7 days.

Warm formula to puppy body temperature before feeding. Always discard formula leftover at a feeding. This formula is thick and so is best administered by stomach tube. If using a bottle, you may need to enlarge the hole slightly. It provides 11 calories per cc.

Weak Puppy Booster
This formula is meant to be used on newborns who are chilled, weak or otherwise compromised. This formula should be administered every 1-2 hours (or more often) by stomach tube and the puppy should be warmed slowly. Once the puppy begins to maintain a normal body temperature, regular feeding can resume. NEVER FEED A CHILLED PUPPY MILK REPLACER.

8oz. lactated ringers solution or sterilized water
1 tablespoon white Karo syrup or white sugar (do not use honey)
OR
Substitute plain, unflavored Pedialyte

Mix ingredients and warm to body temperature. Preferred administration is stomach tube (to ensure correct dosage). Feed 1/2 cc per 2 oz. of body weight once per hour. If puppy is very weak, you may half the dosage and feed twice as often. This formula should be followed up with milk replacer as soon as the puppy is maintaining normal body temperature. This formula should not be fed exclusively for more than 8 hours.

Give Strongid - deworming at 2 weeks it boosts the immune system as well.

We recommend this website: http://www.naturalrearing.com/coda/index.html#landing

* your puppy cries and screams a lot

* your puppy is bloated and because of that is cramping and in a lot of pain

* your puppy wants to void his bowels (poop) as soon as he finishes eating

* your puppy has diarrhea or is constipated
(I know, that sounds contradictory…)

* your puppy has more than the usual number of ‘poop sessions’ during the day (easy to know what is “more” when you still have a complete puppy litter to compare with)

* your puppy is not playful: looks sad, panicky and cries

* your puppy has seizures (take it to the vet immediately!)

Puppy colic means usually that there is too much gas in the puppy’s system. This gas appears because your particular puppy has a problem digesting particular food or the mother is not stimulating the puppy enough to move stools.

Puppy colic happens a lot in big litters because the mother is not stimulating certain puppies. Very young puppies cannot go to the bathroom without some stimulation to their private areas, which should be done by the mother using her tongue.

You can compare puppy colic to baby colic: this gastronomical disorder normally comes as easy as it goes by changing the diet, yet seeing your puppy in pain can be heartbreaking.

Remember that colic is a puppy disease. When your puppy grows older, his digestion system becomes stronger.
Puppy colic will normally no more appear when a puppy becomes 1 year old. Of course you need to act faster than that!

With very young puppies “you have to imitate the mother’s stimulating tongue behaviour”: use a moist warm wash cloth and stimulate the belly and private areas: use a different cloth for both anus and genital area.

Use the following techniques with puppies that are already eating puppy food:

* always make sure your puppy has access to lots of water, and monitor his drinking

* always try to burp your puppy just like you would burp a baby: any gas that escapes with burping will be a relief for your puppy

* help your puppy’s bowel movements: massage
his belly and make sure he gets enough walks

* give your puppy different puppy food until your puppy gets better. Experiment to find out which food is good for your puppy and which food causes puppy colic.

* feed your puppy with prescribed puppy food for dogs with weak stomachs. This is basically food that’s easier to digest. Ask your vet which food to recommend. Hill’s I/D food has worked for one of our puppies in the past. First change the diet to a complete I/D menu. Then slowly introduce other food and find out what causes problems and what not.

* if your new food doesn’t help, change again to other food! What works for one puppy doesn’t have to work for another…

* feed your puppy smaller portions over more regular intervals during the day

* when nothing helps: try feeding your puppy plain yogurt or plain pumpkin - it gets rid of loose stools

* make sure your puppy feels safe and sound with you. Don’t be upset that there is puppy poop all over the place suddenly. Be aware that your puppy just after eating wants to go to the toilet.

Make sure you adjust your potty training times to ‘the new colic’ habit: train your puppy on the litter box or take him out for a walk or let him outdoors… right after your puppy has eaten!

Remember your puppy can’t help it either, it has to do with what you are feeding him and how he reacts to it…

* stay away from painkillers as much as possible: painkillers cause constipation

* if the problem continues: go and see your vet (they could give “gas drops”: a medicine to expel gas easier)
You can try a little bit of baby colic drops like OVAL but make sure you do not give to much to your puppy.

Experimenting with a new diet and having your puppy aging daily, you should be able to rid your dog from puppy colic.

Sometimes puppy colic comes from internal worms that produce a lot of gases - make sure you deworm your puppy properly.

1. Check puppies temperature. Healthy pup should be 96 and 97 degrees F (35.5 and 36 C ) - if they are below make sure they go on the heating pad.
Take care not to overheat the puppy or warm it too quickly; this can be fatal in a weak puppy. If the puppy is to cold do not feed. their digestive system shuts of and this will be fatal to the pup.

2. Check puppies suckling reflex by inserting your finger in their mouths - puppies that seem weak and unable to suckle and or have milk come out their noses as they nurse - check for cleft palate. ( some healthy puppies overeat and have milk come out of their noses so do not stress over that)

If you notice cleft palate ( opening at the roof of the mouth) make a decision to euthanize a pup or to save the pup) Saving a pup means feeding your puppy with bottle or syringe every 1-2 hours in first week of like 2-4 hours until a pup is 4 weeks when they can learn to eat dry food and water. Cleft puppies cannot eat canned or mushy food. Click here to learn more about cleft palate : http://hennwood.tripod.com/cleft_pup_info.htm

3. Hydration - check if puppy is well hydrated by pressing skin between your fingers. If the skin stays in the position after you let go of your fingers or is slow to go back to place puppy is dehydrated. You need to give fluids under the skin. Get your vet to show you how to do it.

4. Take puppies weight for first few days - healthy pups should be gaining weight.

5. Bottle feeding.
Do not use powdered formula from the vet it is not good and puppy will not get adequate amount of calories.
This is a formula that I found on Leerburg’s site and I use and recommend:

# 10 oz. (300ml) of canned evaporated milk or goat’s milk (not pasteurized cow’s milk - this will cause scowers - dogs cannot drink normal cow’s milk) Goats milk is by far the best to use. Wall Mart sells it.

# 3 oz. (90ml)sterilized water (baby water or boiled water) this is not needed if using goat’s milk

# 1 raw egg yolk

# 1 cup of whole yogurt (avoid skim or fat free if at all possible)

# 1/2 Tsp Karo Syrup or Corn Syrup (NOT HONEY !!!)

You can keep it for 7 days in the fridge. Discard any unused formula do not keep in the bottle for longer the couple hours.

Make sure the formula is warm dogs are 101 degrees, do not feed cold formula to the puppies. Use baby bottles. Make larger hole in the nipple so when you turn the bottle up side down the milk will slowly drip out of it.
Feed often and in small amounts. Burp a pup after feeding by holding it upright on your shoulder and gently tapping on its back.

6. Make a puppy eliminate after you feed by gently massaging it’s belly and rectal area with a warm,wet towel. If a puppy fails to eliminate for a long time and you suspect constipation do an enema with warm water. You can use 4-5 cc’s in the small syringe. Then massage the belly.

7. Make sure that the room temperature is high and that it is not to dry you may use humidifier to make it easier for a pup to breathe.

8. Hypoglycemia can develop in puppies that are not nursing frequently. The sign is that the puppy is weak and depressed. Without treatment it can develop muscle twitches or seizures. You can place a drop of caro or corn syrup on tongue

9. If you hear that puppy have problems breathing or it is sneezing you need to give antibiotics - clavamox is the most popular one.
If you need to take the pup to the vet make sure you transport it in the box with heating pads. If the temperature drops it can be fatal for a young pup. They cannot regulate their temperature on their own.

Stage One of Labor:
During the first stage of labor the cervix begins to dilate and uterine contractions begin. These contractions are painful and perplexing to the dog. She will appear quite uncomfortable and restless - pacing, shivering and panting. She probably will not eat and she may even vomit. Some dogs whine persistently. Others occupy themselves building a nest. Uterine contractions, although occurring, are not as easy to see as in humans. This is the longest stage of labor. It generally lasts six to eighteen hours. By the end of this period the dog’s cervix will have completely dilated for the puppies to pass. During this period keep the mother’s environment quiet and calm. I usually shut them off in a darkened area such as the bathroom.

Around the age of 7 american bulldogs enter their ‘golden years”. The decisions you make about your american bulldog’s nutrition and exercise will have a great impact on your older american bulldog. You can help make the rest of your pets life healthier and happier. Although your american bulldog may not appear different at the age of seven, his or her nutritional and physical needs have changed enough that the feeding and excerise routine you have grown used to may not longer be ideal. You can reduce the risk of health problems and help your older pet live longer with regular vet care and nutrition that’s specifically designed for older dog.

Reduce Risks to your American Bulldog’s health

Some signs of disease may escape your observation or require sophisticated testing in order to be detected. Other signs are more easy to notice in the pet’s normal environment. To help your american bulldog to avoid the disease it’s a good idea to understand the signs associated with those disease conditions that are common in older american bulldogs.

SIGNS OF KIDNEY DISEASE:
-Loss of appetite
-Increased thirst
-Frequent urination
-Rare/no urination
-Poor hair coat
-vomiting

SIGNS OF HEART DISEASE:

-Coughing
-Difficulty breathing
-Shortness of breath
-Reduced exercise tolerance
-Noticeable weigh gain or weight loss

SIGNS OF OBESITY

-Joint problems
-Heart disorders
-Breathing difficulties

SIGNS OF URINARY TRACT DISEASE

-Frequent urination
-Straining to urinate
-Blood in in urine
-Weakness
-Loss of appetite
-Vomiting

Sometimes when you try to have a nice garden and an american bulldog the conflict is created. But there are some steps that you can take to make having a garden and a bulldog a possibility. Dogs have specific needs - reading breed description will give you a hint what your dog may do with your garden. Working Group dogs which american bulldog is a part of were historically bred to perform draft work like pulling or to guard. Some of the most basic questions concern american bulldogs are lawns. Turf is a toughest ground cover available, but even grass can’t withstand too much paw traffic in to small space. If you have little ground and american bulldogs your lawn will probably suffer. All you can do is to use good organic practices to keep the lawn as healthy as possible, and over seed frequently. And don;t expect to have that perfect lawn so popular in North American landscapes. Another problem are yellow spots created by dog urine. this one has some solutions. One effective solution is to rinse the spots with water after your american bulldog eliminates. Diluting urine changes it from the harmful substance to nitrogen reach fertilizer. You do not have to add water immediately you have several hours to do so before damage occurs. Humans learn to potty in particular location and dogs can do the same.Choose an area which will be your american bulldogs bathroom. It could be lawn, wood chips or any surface that your dog will accept. It should include some vertical surfaces for males to mark.A scented long blooming bush can be good and can mask the odors. If your dog was free to pee anywhere in the yard some retraining will be required. As when you were house training you need to take your dog on the leash go to designated area and wait for results . Remember to reward any elimination in the desired location.
Next problem is digging - from our experience american bulldogs are not diggers but if yours is try to give them space for digging. You can provide actual digging pit, choosing an area to fill with a combination of sand and dirt. Make this area as at least twice as long as your dog. Make sure it has good drainage and provide the shade. You need to make digging in the box reinforcing. Bury treats and toys in the sand. With your dogs observing go to the box and dig out the toy and share with the dog. If you ve been yelling at your dog for digging it may take some time to encourage him to dig in designated spot. If you see our dog digging anywhere else go to the sand box and dig out a treat.. Encourage and reinforce a wanted behavior.
Other potential problems like rolling in the plants may be avoided with a better choice of the plants
Good Luck and have fun in your garden with your american bulldog.

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