Please do not be offended by the graphic nature of these pictures. It is important to know what a water pup looks like! We have established this page to provide fellow bulldoggers with some information about water puppies. Anasarca pups is another commonly used name for these newborns. One of the reasons we have provided some very graphic pictures is so we can illustrate how important c-sections can be in delivering newborn bullie babies.

Maybe these pictures will discourage bulldog bitch owners from attempting to free-whelp a litter. A water pup poses the threat of blocking the birth canal. Once this occurs, the remaining pups could die, along with the bitch. Water pups can weigh two to three times the normal weight of a newborn. Even with a vet on call, it could be too late by the time you determine that a pup has blocked the passage. Whelping a litter is a risk for the bitch anyways, why take a chance on compounding the problem?

There are many opinions on why these water pups develop. Some say it is heriditary, while others claim it is environmentally controlled. I recently read where someone felt the cause was due to a reduction of kidney function in the bitch, during pregnancy. So far, there is not a lot of information to substantiate any of these possible causes.

The question that we hear alot, regarding water puppies is: How can you tell if the bitch has water puppies? One of the signs that was explained to us is to look for a shiny ring around the bitches teats. It will appear that clear fluid encircles the teats. In our brief experiences, everytime that we have had water puppies present at birth, the ring had been apparent. I have also been told that another method is to pinch the loose skin on the bitches leg. If it springs back---pups should be OK. If the skin you pinch kinda stays up---a possible problem may be present. Again, these are not sure fire methods of determining if your bitch has water pups or not. They are just some suggestions that have worked for us and others.

We have had litters that included water puppies. Water puppies can be saved. We had a water pup that weighed twelve ounces at birth. By continually massaging the pup, to encourage urination, the water eventually diminished to the point where the bullie pup weighed only four ounces. He eventually experienced normal growth. Sometimes the use of lasix is utilized to help expedite the exit of fluid from the pup. Only use lasix with approved veterinary assistance. One thing that is essential in helping a water pup to survive---keep it very warm and dry, while the fluids are exiting. All of the fluid that is leaving the puppies body, can make the pup very cold. This can result in hypothermia, which can lead to the puppys death.

A fellow bulldogger, Sarah Carnick, has written several articles, regarding the use of a salt free diet to eliminate water puppies. She has some interesting ideas that have seemed to benefit her breeding program. You can find some of her articles in past issues of The Bulldogger. Rocket City Bulldogs does not claim that this diet will prevent water puppies from occurring in your bitch during pregnancy. We just want to provide some different ideas that may help in avoiding this ugly situation. It is up to the individual to evaluate all the options and decide from there the course of action.

Once again, please look hard at the pictures of the water pups before you make the decison to free-whelp. Reminder: images can be enlarged by clicking on each individual one.

More information about water pups:

• Bark-Bytes (canine cyber magazine)