while it is incredible to welcome a new litter of pups into the world caring for them and the mother can be pretty challenging the mother requires optimal care careful observation regular checkups and quality nutritionright from the moment the pregnancy is detected to several weeks after she has given birth if you are preparing for whelping at home we recommend staying in constant contact with your veterinarian to monitor and assist with the procedure and once every little puppy has made their way into the world it is essential that you provide them and their mother with the best postnatal care possible given below are a few tips that will help you do just that 1 keep the mum clean and wellgroomed congratulationsyou have successfully cast your votelogin to view resultit is normal for your dog to leak some amount of discharge for up to several weeks after birth and even more if she has had a csection it is also normal for it to appear green black brown or red however do not bathe your dog immediately after giving birth to avoid the possibility of her pups coming in contact with soap residue instead use a warm damp cloth and clean her gently if she has long fur give her a sanitary cut around her tail hind legs and mammary glands make sure to keep these areas clean consult your veterinarian if you notice the discharge is thick pale or grey and emits an odour2 monitor the mums and the pups health within the initial 24 to 48 hours it is normal for the mum to experience a rise in temperature a degree or two higher than the usual 101 to 1025 degrees check her teats regularly look out for symptoms like redness swelling inflammation and discolouration her milk should appear white and its consistency needs to be regular if you notice excessive panting muscle tremors high temperatures whining dilated pupils appetite loss and lethargy speak to your veterinarian immediately when it comes to the puppies make sure they are breathing normally nursing without assistance and gaining weight consistently keep an eye out for nasal or eye discharge wheezing issues with nursing or breathing pale gums and difficulties with passing stools3 supply fresh drinking water after giving birth your dog will be very dehydrated and exhausted she will need plenty of water to heal and begin producing milk for her puppies as a result when she is breastfeeding make sure she has access to fresh water at all times please note that young puppies meet their hydration requirements with their mothers milk they will need fresh water supply when they are weaned at 68 weeks old as they begin eating solid food at 34 weeks of age 4 put them on a specialised diet pregnant and lactating dogs need to receive proper nutrition the same goes for the puppies when they begin to eat solid food homecooked meals no matter how carefully prepared lack the necessary nutrients required