Part 4 – Bulldog puppies are here, now what?

Make sure the Mother is doing her natural thing. After the C-section, the vet will tie the umbilical cord and take the puppy out of the placental membrane.  Only in the case of an emergency natural whelping, will the Bulldog or Frenchie mom do those things.  

Bulldog Puppies need to feed. Frenchie puppies and Bulldog Puppies should feed soon after they are born.  Mom might be groggy for a while after the C-section, so you will have to help at first.  Sucking should come naturally so work with each puppy to make sure they are doing this as you might need to help.  We also ask the vet for plasma to be spun down from the mother to get the antibodies to the puppies immediately.  This will help prevent infections as their immune system to develop faster.

Puppy temperature.   Keep the puppies warm.  When not with the mother, we keep them in an incubator for the first 10 days. Keeping the temperature about 85 but more importantly it pumps oxygen into that small space to help.  We reduce the temp about 5 degrees each week until 75 by week 4.  

Canine Mastitis-This can happen for nursing moms in the few weeks of nursing.  The breasts might look normal, warm and large, however canine mastitis can cause them to be hot, dark, red and painful to the mom.  Take her to the vet if you notice this.  

Rejected Puppies. A Bulldog for French Bulldog mother may reject a puppy from time to time.  Usually it’s for a reason.  You are going to have to hand feed this puppy as her temperament towards the puppy most likely won’t change.  Once again, consult your vet for a plan of action.