My bitch is day 49 this is her first litter, both my bitch and the stud have been health checked hip and eyes. I have been looking for movement for a couple of days now but have yet to see anything moving in there! I have gently put my hand on her tum in various places, i think i can feel movement on her right side very close to her ribs. but I do sometimes though think it is her muscles twitching??? How do i tell?? and when should i be able to feel movement? She is a short-coated large breed.

The earliest I have felt movement was day 45 and that was only because it was a small toy bitch who would sit on my lap for hours, in fact her usual way is to lay on her back so I could sit for half an hour to several hours watching TV with her just sleeping and my hand resting on her tummy. I have never felt movement in my big bitches as early as day 49, more like a week later -but then they don't sit on my lap. :) At 45 days it was very feint but for each day it grew stronger. Imagine fish swimming past your hand. Of course, a lot also depends on size of litter -a smaller litter will have plenty of space to hide. The litter I mentioned I felt at 45 days was unusually large and the bitch was packed very tightly and ended up giving birth at 59 days.

Hi Madge,

The very earliest that l felt movement was day 49 - BUT - it was very, very faint. I certainly couldn't SEE movement at that time. It felt something like a butterfly or moth fluttering. Mine were a short coated breed, so it would have been easier to feel, than in a coated breed.