Hello There,

                I am hoping you can help me, I am very worried.

My Bitch is 54 days gone, and she has started losing her plug today and is nesting, she is not panting, or shivering and her temp has'nt dropped, but I know these sign's are not reliable.

I have contacted my vet & mentor but both have told me not to worry and it's perfectly normal for to start loosing her plug in the last week and nesting now,

My mentor said as long as puppies don't come before 56 days everything will be fine.

But I am worried sick, is there anything I can do but wait?

Also as she has started loosing her plug does this mean she will whelp early, I have been told it can start a week before, but my bitch has nine days to go, and the internet is driving me insane, as i keep finding information which says it can come just 24 hours before.

I know if she has puppies now they won't be able to live, is there anything i could do to make her hold on longer?

thankyou all so much in advance

have known bitches lose theri plug tens days prior to whelping, so i would'nt worry too much , you have the support from your mentaur and vet so i am sure verything would be fine , also is she 54 days from first or only mating or was there a second , sperm can live for sometime so conception might not be  on the day you think

Hello Newfienook,

Thankyou,

There was only one mating, as I travelled across the country to the stud dog, I did use ovulation testing, and went on her 16th day which showed the right time.

I have all faith in my mentor and my vet, but I keep looking on the internet, I am just lucky i found this site, as all the different information is making me so worried.

x

Forgot to add she is also a small breed 12lbs.

x

Hi FF ,sounds like your girl could go earlyer then day 63 but dont worry most small breeds do, my girl is on day 51 and is doing so much digging and panting shes a large breed and this breed to tend to go afew days early she isnt looseing anything yet ,you only have 2 more days and your girl would be fine to deliver ,you watch she will keep you waiting afew days after that LOL ,good luck!!! xx

Thankyou White Lily,

She is also growling at the other dogs when they are coming over to her whelping area, she keeps sitting there, and the other dogs keep coming and smelling her, which makes me think something is happening, it's such a horrible feeling.

fingers crossed she waits two more days, but if the worst were to happen and she had them tonight or tomorrow, what are the chance's of them surviving?

xx

my other dogs are sniffing and licking my girl too ,also if shes in her whelping box and her sister runs in the room and forgets herself and runs over to her box my preg girl growls at her i think they just know its their place! other then that my girl is happy to have her sister with her for now,
if your girl is looseing mucus now your other dogs will be interested in the smell maybe its time for your girl to be on her own??
i think if she was to have them tonight i dont know the chance of them lasting sorry but imo i dont think they would servive long sorry...i think at this stage every hour is inportend...i have everything crossed for you that she hangs on anougher 48h at least xx

please keep me posted on how she goes ,have you taken her temp? if so whats the reading? xx

Thankyou White Lily,

Yes she is fine with them when she is out of the whelping area, I've put the other guys in a different room, now, as i don't want her stressing her self out

Her milk has came in also, I think this is all becoming so stressfull, her temp is normal 100f

I am so worried now, I will keep updating

I phoned my mentor, and she just telling me to stop worrying and wait, she doesn't understand how this is feeling as my first litter

xx

> I phoned my mentor, and she just telling me to stop worrying and wait, she doesn't understand how this is feeling as my first litter

I think she does, and telling you to be calm and wait is the best advice anyone can give you! :)

I've not bred dogs but I have bred cats, and my first litter was in the days before cordless or mobile phones - I lived alone and the only phone in the house was on the upper floor. People didn't have mentors as such then, but I did have a friend who bred my other cat to help and advise, although she wasn't available 24/7. Believe me, I was just the same as you - and in fact have been the same with every litter of kittens since! But the first is the worst for the waiting - but by far the most exciting and magical. I was very lucky that my queen was fine with me taking her temperature - few cats are - so I was able to leave the house for a few hours to do shopping!

I can't imagine how much more stressful waiting for a litter of puppies might be, but if it's as bad as with cats, then your girl needs you to be calm and focussed and relaxed, and ready for her when the time is right with a clear head :) So take a deep breath, panic not, settle down with a good book beside her and just be 'in the moment'.

Ms Temeraire, Thankyou for replying, I think you are right, she probably is telling me to help me calm down, and i imagine having kittens must be just the same, feelings, stress etc,

I have moved her whelping box into my bedroom and I am going to go get in bed a read a book, and just see how it goes, as much as want her puppies to come much later and survive she is my main concern, and as her temp is normal, she still has a appetite, and has given up nesting for a while, I am hoping she is going to hold on for atleast 48 hours.

If she can hold on till tomorrow night atleast, I am sure it will give the pups more of a chance of survival.

But thankyou for your reply, and i will update shortly x

I breed toys, so I'm used to litters coming early.  It's almost the norm!  :-)

I agree with the others - I wouldn't want a litter born before day 56.  But, as your girl still has an appetite, I'm guessing that she will hang on for a couple of days.

I take girls up to my bedroom too.  I feel that, if I'm not going to get any sleep, then I may as well be comfortable, and in bed with a book.   

Has your girl had the runs yet?  Most bitches "clear out" prior to giving birth, and it is a good sign that they are getting close.

Hi Jean, Thanks for replying,

She has'nt had the run's, But she seems very distressed and her pupils are dilated, i think it's going to be tonight, but can only hope she will hold out till atleast tomorrow night as any closer to the 56th day mark the safer,

either way, my vet said i can call anytime, as much as he thinks it won't be tonight

I agree about the bedroom, she seems much calmer, but still not herself.

will keep you all updated

xx

Just wanted to pop on and say hi as I take it you will be awake all night watching every move your girl makes!!! It's so stressful when bitches stray from what is classed as the norm. I'm awake almost 24/7 at the moment as my litter arrived on Xmas eve and this morning hubby sent me to bed for a couple of hrs but came running up an hr later saying one of the pups was dying!!!! So I've been syringe feeding every half hr all day and now bottle feeding every hr. I must be getting old because the worry is getting to me more with this litter than my previous ones. I will keep your girl in my thoughts whilst I'm snuggled up to my poorly boy.

> But she seems very distressed and her pupils are dilated,

Alarm bells for me here.  Inertia would be my biggest worry.

how is your girl this morning???? i do hope shes ok ,can you still feel pups moveing??? xx

Hello Everyone,

Well after sitting up half way through the  night she just layed there all night and went to sleep, and she is back to her self today, still scoffing her face, and normal stools and normal temp, think my vet, mentor and you guys were right, I was just worrying far too much,

Discharge is clear and everything seems to be normal, so I think she will be hanging on for a few more days,

Jean - Do you think I should take her down to the vet to check for inertia (sp?) ?

She seem's fine today,

I will let you all know any updates

x

sleepwhatsleep - kudos to you for feeding on the hr, it must be so tiring, I have looked over some posts on this forum, and everyone is such a caring bunch.

xx

:-) so glad to read shes ok still ,we all worry at this stage :( even if its not your 1st whelping its such a stressful time for us and our girls, my girl has been very quiet today shes still eating alitte but not much (dont think she has much room) but isnt refussing the left over meats we have LOL ,i know how your feeling im starting to get to the nervus stage now xx

> Jean - Do you think I should take her down to the vet to check for inertia

If your girl seems fine, I wouldn't panic just yet.  I have a breed known for it, so used to early signs.  When you mentioned her eyes, alarm bells rang for me.

I didn't mean to panic you!  :-)

If you're used to your girl, you will see the pain in her eyes, but no contractions.  The eyes have a glazed look, but nothing seems to be happening.

Thanks Ladies, she's very happy today, so I think she is going to hold on, the puppies are so wriggly I could sit there feeling them all day, x

hows ya girl doing ??? my girl lost some plug thismorning :) xx

Hello White Lily,

I think it's going to be tonight or tomorrow, her temp is just 98.6, and she has the squirts, she's still eating though, and no panting. So we will just wait and see,

How long does your girl have left? sorry I know it's wrote on here somewhere?

x

the best of luck xxxx
shes on day 54 so afew days to go yet :) and ive felt pups move :) my girl is very quiet today she hasnt ate much today at all but to be fare shes got no room xxxx

> her temp is just 98.6, and she has the squirts, she's still eating though, and no panting. So we will just wait and see,
>
>

I'm so glad that she has waited a bit longer for you!  At least pups will be viable, and you can stop worrying (to a certain extent!)

I have fingers crossed for you, do you have your vet on standby if needed?

Hi finleyflump any news on your girl yet ,how is she???

hi my little girl never had the runs or anything like that. hope all goes well xx

Hello All,

Well still no puppie's, I got very worried yesterday so took her to vet, to check her over, he said all is fine,

Still playing the waiting game, her temp is still low, but she's given up on nesting and is just frolicking around happy as larry,

Think I am the only restless one in our house, will let you all know of any updates,

I bet she has them late now, would be just my luck, after all the worrying.

will keep you updated x

what did i say ;-)
not be to long now what day is she on? xxx

Hello White Lily, I bet you're right, she's on day 59, how's your little girl doing? x

hi finleyflump shes doing good to say she looks like shes going to burst open LOL ,shes nesting alot but has been for afew days now ,no more plug no panting not much eatting ,i think its going to be monday for her ive said it all along lol wonder if our girls will deliver same day :) xxx

Well all of a sudden she has started panting about 20 minutes ago, and nesting again.

have the vet on standby, I hope it's the real thing this time,

from what I have been told they can pant for upto 24 hours beforehand, so I have some long nights ahead of me,

Your girl sound's like she's doing well, hope you have an easy whelp, If my girl last till Monday I'll be suprised.

xx

OOOO good luck!! :) well the way the bloody fireworks are going already it could well start her off!!!

wonder if this kind of stress can start them off?????????
xxx

I'm sure it can, two of my five hate them, luckily my girl in pup, doesn't batter an eyelid <3

Hi,

A similar situation with my toy breed,she went on day 58 from first mating.she showed no signs of whelping no panting shivering or digging.
All three pups were a decent weight and fine. Good luck.xx