Eclampsia is a purely metabolic disease that occurs in females in gestation or after delivery. It is also known by the common name "milk fever". In the dog typically appears in small breeds between one and two weeks after birth in the cat to term of gestation, or between one and five days completed.
Is due to a decreased concentration of serum calcium. It is logical that a large litter represents a big effort on the mother's ability to supply calcium, through the milk given to her cubs for the development of the skeleton, bearing in mind that she has been supplying this item to your offspring during the entire period of gestation.
It is a disease that begins almost spontaneously with clinical symptoms, the female begins to feel restless, shaking, trembling, staggers, lies on one side as if in a spasm, his excitement is growing and wet from saliva muzzle.
Members become rigid at times, the animal loses consciousness and does not look with an expression of support.
At this stage of events, masters who had never seen a dog in this situation and think they know the disease has been poisoned in a desperate state and arrive at the office of the veterinarian. Others start to apply remedies "home" (oil and milk) that worsen the picture completely, resulting in some cases pneumonia by "false passage" (milk with oil reaching the lung) with fatal consequences.
The spasms pass, but repeat over and over again, with short intervals between attacks and if proper treatment is applied, the dog will die of exhaustion or heart failure after ten or twelve hours of onset of symptoms.
Once treated the dog, it is necessary to ration the supply of milk to puppies and if they have more than fifteen days, proceed to weaning. Puppies should not breastfeed for any reason hit the dog for twenty-four or forty-eight hours after the attack of eclampsia.
As a natural process by the animal want to be with her cubs even dangerous to life, it will be by all means do not give them suck, it will be very attentive to any neglect of their owners to meet their children. A place that we recommend to place the puppy is in the wash (no water and unplugged) and the dog on the floor. From there she will hear moaning and quieter than if it is away from them.
During this period of time that the litter remains his mother must be fed a milk replacer, then leave them for periods of time sucking reduced. If the cubs are big enough to eat by themselves, should be weaned.
To prevent the disease must take into account the mother's nutrition during pregnancy. Are prone to those dogs that eat only meat. The diet should be composed of various foods: meat, milk, cheese, vegetables, etc.. or rather, a balanced food super premium quality puppy that is indicated for pregnant animals by supplementation of vitamins and minerals.
Keep in mind that if the attack is repeated the risk of death increased.
For this reason it is desirable after an attack having no more babies and this can be prevented by sterilization or care for her during the estrous