Right my next question is this - more serious this one - in some of my whelping books it says that u should have a green discharge before pups come out and in other books it says this is a sign of danger to get dog to vets - which is it - i know it's a few weeks away but i'm already starting to worry

Nikki xxx

I've never had green discharge with any of mine.I would imagine it would be cause for concern,but not having experienced it myself I wouldn't know.I know in human terms any green that is seen is the baby having passed meconium(baby waste matter) maybee it's the same for pups but that being the case would mean one had broken free of it's bag and I would say then you need to get that pup out pretty quickly.Sorry if this is no help It's only a guess.

cleo had a clear discharge, the only green stuff came out when she had finished having her pups, and went for a clearing out jab

in "the book of the bitch" it does say that there may be a green discharge AFTER the first couple of pups have been born, but if it appears before any pups the vet should be called immediately. It also says the discharge is something to do with the placenta coming away, that's why it should only be seen after a pup or two, if at all. :)

Hi, My bitch had a green discharge prior to whelping, which I knew was a sign of a problem. She ended up having a c-sec due to a mummified feotus. Clear sticky discharge is a good sign, any other colour should be checked out at the vets, just to be on the safe side.

Thanx everyone - i have the book of the bitch - it's very very good - and yes i had read about it being a problem - i have another book - the complete book of dog breeding - and in there it says it may be seen for several hours before a first pup - hence my confusion - i do know what the green is and apparently stains everything so i'm gonna be as careful as i can - well as carefull as i can be during total panic - lol

Nikki xxx

I have that book on page 76 (the complete book of dog breeding). My bitch had a greenish whitish stringy type discharge. I had her to the vet and it turned out to be her mucus plug, she had this for a couple of days before she was due. It was pretty slimy and stringy and I always had to dab her after a pee and she had her own blanket to lay on, didn't want that on my couch.

lol - no i don't suppose u did, i think if i do see anything remotely coloured - i will whip her off to the vets - just to be on the safe side - better safe than sorry in my opinion. It doesn't seem possible but it's only another 3 weeks - aaaaagh, just sorted out me whelping box and bits. Got another question - but i think i'll start a new thread for that.

Nikki xxx

The green discharge is from the wounds left by the placentas as they detach.

If you see this before a puppy is born that indicated that a puppy has to be born quickly, as it will stop getting oxygen when it's placenta detaches.

It is normal though to have this discharge after at least one pup being born, as the placentas of the ones already born wil have come away/

Green discharge before any pups means hurry to vet as pups need to be born quickly;.

Hi I quiet agree there you can get green discharge between pups especially if its a long whelping this could just mean that she didn’t pass the last after birth with the pup,
But that after birth may not be expelled until all pups are delivered also if she has not past all the fluid with the pup this can also cause green discharge, any think that has been with held for more then two hours will produce this color discharge doesn’t always mean there’s a problem as most of the time is passed afterwards if not just before delivery of the next pup,
Should always count after birth as pups born to make sure they’re pasted if she doesn’t pass them with pup then write down how many missing.
If after whelping has finished the bitches discharge should be red to a very dark red sometimes nearly black if green after delivered all pups give her 4 hours to pass if still green she should see a vet as with held after births will lead to a infection of the womb.
Good luck sandy.

Even in a closely supervised birth you do not always actually see all the placentas - if the bitch's head is in the way cleaning an emerging pup she will often eat the placenta at the same time.

Christine

Also 2 pups can share the same placenta (twins) but not in the same bag, I have had this happen.
ttfn :)

Mmmmm I totally agree with you both especially if she has taken her time in the early stages after a week with just catnaps it can start to take its toll,
Lake of sleep doesn’t really help at this time but myself I prefer to air on the side of caution and put down that I was missing a placenta if all is well and if she ok after whelping and every think is normal then I would just put it down to the fact she was a lot quicker then I was getting to it.
At the end of the day its better to be safe then sorry I would rather take her down vets and have a x-ray done if there was any uncertainty in my mind,
After all we all have our own ways of dealing with things and going about things what works for one may not work for another we all have your own options and ways of doing things but we learn each day,
I think anyone that thinks they know all there is to be known is kidding them self’s and if you don’t listen you don’t learn.
And on that point Christine do you let your girls eat all the placentas that are pasted I stop and take away any that I can after she has had 4 to try and avoid upsetting her digestive system,
And if you do let her eat all dose this upset her system or cause vomiting or loss stools?
Sandy.

Hi Sandy

No, I have never found that eating the placenta's causes D and/or V, however many they eat (max over the years of 11 so I don't know if more would cause a problem). Placenta's are a natural food for animals after giving birth as they clean up the nest and I prefer, if possible, to let the bitches get on with it and only interfere with mum and pups if something is going wrong (as it did with my last litter)

Once I consider whelping is over the vet comes and checks mum and pups over for me - this has always worked so far.

Christine

Hi Christine
Thank you for your reply maybe its time to mend my ways I must admit that I am a bit set in my ways maybe trying a new approach, now that I am working with a different breed I have just got use to removing after birth why helping and removing pups with the staffs there not the most careful and as it was quit common for a pup to get stuck and I would have to help by manipulating and and pulling gently with her contractions to help her past pups its very common with staffs to get stuck at the shoulders,
This couldn’t me done very easily with pups in with her as I was worried about leaning on one so it became a habit that after a pup was born I let mum clean it up then placed it next to cage in carrier under the heat lamp.
The reason I asked about the placentas was I have always removed after 4/3 these to replace the nutrients lost and to encourage the milk but as I had been brought up to believe that she should have a light meal after whelping and just presumed two many might make her to uncomftable but as you have said it hasn’t been the case for your girls.
Your import is very much appreciated I think its food for thought and maybe a change in routine that’s given me some think else to think on.lol
Sandy.

In my breed you would have a job to remove any placentas, as the bitches are usually cleaning up the pups as the4y are being born or right after!! :D

I have never found it gave them any problems, just the colour of the motions becomes greeny black, and ist is a bit softer, which for poor sore bitch is just as well, but never any diarhoe.

My Golden Retriever which I bred with last year (she had 10 lovely heathy puppies had green discharge just before the first pup came out, I did have complications as the first pup came out bottom first instead of head first, and got his leg stuck in the vulva, with having experience in breeding and rearing puppy's I managed to get the leg free, and the rest of the litter came up head first. As I have said just before the first pup Holly had some green discharge.