OK folks we have been on stage 1 since 7pm last night, girl still panting, nesting & shaky.
Never had a bitch go as long as this but I'm trying not too get agitated!!
I'm very tired though. Hope the contractions come soon.
x

Hi Aimi, l used to have your breed too. I would take her out into the garden for a little run around, to try and get things moving. Sometimes mine were a long time in the first stages, and l know how stressful it can be.

Is she very big? 'cos over the years, l did have 1 or 2 bitches who needed C-sections as they were SO big and stretched, there just wasn't enough room for contractions. Another time, l had a bitch who had been in the first stages for ages, when a puppy just popped out without any visible signs of contractions, and once that one was born, the rest followed on normally. Just keep a careful watch for any green "gunge", as that it when you need your Vet..............QUICK.

Hi Jaycee,

She's quite big but not massive. My last litter (by a different bitch) was by C section and she WAS massive - we had a pup stuck then though.
She just wants to curl up on the sofa and pant and shiver. I'm quite tired coz I have stayed up all night to keep an eye on her.
Unfortunately I know all too well what the green gunge look like - my 1st ever litter was lost at 7 weeks and that was the indication.

I think I'll get the lead out and give her a toddle round the garden.

x 

I think I'll get the lead out and give her a toddle round the garden.

Good idea Aimi, it can't do any harm, and it might just do some good.

I remember very well how you are feeling at the moment - worried, stressed, tired - but l also remember the excitment l felt. What colour will they be. Will they be flashy - (happy), or plain - (glum). How many dogs, how many bitches. Will there be something good enough to win - please let there be at least one. For a moment there, l was transported back to my Showing days, and felt a pang of envy LOL.

Anyway, the very best of luck, and l hope that you get what you want. I'll keep everything crossed.

Josie x

How long did yours go in the 1st stage?
All others in my breed have been less than 9 hours
tq Aimi

All others in my breed have been less than 9 hours

Hi Aimi,

I have had some go much longer than 9 hours, but obviously, not contracting. One of my bitches, who was on her 2nd litter, went hours before she progressed to the next stage. I was in constant touch with my Vet, and she advised me to stay out of the whelping room - something l had never ever done before. But do you know what Aimi, she delivered 10 puppies, and the only one that l saw born, was the last one, and that was only because it was  half in, half out  as l went through the door. Obviously, l did not leave her for very long between pups. Goodness knows why she behaved like this with her second litter, as she was fine with the first one. By the way, l do NOT advocate this, it was nerve wracking.

Is she contracting at all? when is her due date? Does she seem to be progressing at all? Have you taken her for a bit of a run in your garden? Try giving her a drink, this sometimes seemed to help my bitches. What time does your vet have his last evening appointment? If she has not started doing something positive by then, l would get him to check her over, to see how far she has dilated. Also be aware of Uterine Inertia.

Hi Josie,

Its now 19 hours and I haven't seen a single contraction - I havent seen much of the mucus plug either TBH.
She is bang on 63 days from mating done after the go ahead from an Idexx progesterone test.

She seems to be shivering a little more. On vets advise I am popping in every 10 mins to see how she is & the wait is killing me. Vets have said they would check her over before they close at 6.30pm (so that would be 23 & half hours from the 1st pant) if i wanted to. I think I might just for piece of mind. I was always told it was impossible to tell how far dilated the cervix was in a medium sized bitch

I've walked her round the garden to no avail.
She seems ok in herself & is resting now but breathing heavyish.

I have experiences secondary inertia but not primary.

Thanks for your support x

Hi Aimi,

if nothing is happening, l would pop her into the vets to get her checked over. As for saying it's impossible to tell how far dilated she is, l could always tell with my own bitches how far dilated they were, so l don't know where they get that from. Has she started going out yet,  to wee and poo frequently? I always found that to happen, not long before they started to contract. Don't let the Vet fob you off Aimi. If nothing is happening by the time you get to the Vets, think seriously about her having a C-section. If she was awake all last night, and she is awake all tonight too, by the morning she may be too weak to deliver the pups naturally any way. I would have thought by now, you would be seeing something. Is she drinking? Try her with some warm milk. I wish l lived near to you - we could worry together.

Josie xx

Hi Josie,

She has been out for wees & poos & had been drinking.
Just spoke to the vets - she is booked in for last appointment.
I'll update when I can,
Many thanks,
Aimi

Sorry to hear things are not going to plan.

The first stage should have contractions as it is the pups being squeezed down the horns and pressing on the cervix that causes it to dilate, I had 2 days on and off of Lois messing about with the digging and panting and the vet said I was watching her too closely and that most breeders missed that bit and only noticed when the contractions got going seriously and to go home and relax as the scan I had shown all was fine and the cervix had barely started to dilate. We went to bed together that night and she didn't start proper labour till 8am the next morning[Xmas Eve] and first pup 11.40pm that night, spoke to vet and mentors several times between.

Have you kept her topped up with nutrical/vet drops so her energy levels are kept up?

I hope the vet has good news for you that all is progressing normally. Why do these things happen as the weekend comes around?

Vet thinks she's not fully dilated and hopefully will have them tonight.
If not he said we need a cut off point and says a C-section would be needed in morning/lunchtime if she's not had them by tomorrow morning.
He couldn't say if her being slow was just due to her or if there wasn't enough pups to move her to the 2nd stage.
As she is only due today he didn't think he should open her up now unless she had a pup stuck or some other problem.
I really hate this waiting.
x

Thanks for the update, will keep you in my thoughts tonight.

Are you on your own or is there someone there with you or at least at the end of the phone for moral support?

i've got a great hubby :-) And my mentor's mobile plus an emergency vet 5 minutes down the road who have an A & E department manned 24-7.
He's been watching her so I can get some rest but I can't - I'm really stressed.
At least Maggie isn't absolutely goosed. I've just checked and she's quiet.
I think her mucus plus is dissolving but its a more creamy consistensy than I remembered Noe's being. Its not dark or whelping green though.
x

Aimi, I'm rooting for you and your girl. Let's get positive eh? There's no reason to suppose that it will not be tonight is there? Have you seen any difference in the timescale of her wanting to go outside to wee/poo? Is the poo looking any different? Are there still no contractions at all, ( visible ones)?

If she has not had them by the morning, don't leave it until lunchtime, ring the Vets first thing, and tell them that you want her to have a C-section immediately. Boxers are NOT the best whelpers in the world - l was probably the queen of C-sections - jumping in probably far too early, BUT, my biggest fear was always,  losing my bitch. I do NOT want to frighten you by saying that, but l have known, (over the years), Boxer breeders who have lost their bitches, by, in my opinion, leaving them far too long before intervening.

You must be feeling absolutely drained and shattered! I shall be coming back on here throughout the evening, to see if there is any news. When you take her outside to wee/poo, don't forget to take a torch and a towel in case she surprises you. Also Aimi, try to get her to run/jog  for a bit outside.

Thinking of you both

Josie xx

my dog was panting,digging and whining for 3 solid days before she went into actual labour..i slept with her for those 3 nights and was absolutely exhausted and by the forth night in the early hours she started to push and gave birth...hope all gos well with yours and keep us updated :)

Hi Aimi,

I've just read your last post, and you seem to have everything absolutely covered. WELL DONE. I remember well, that stressed out feeling, BUT once that first puppy is born, everything will be alright again. Love to you and Maggie

Josie xx

You sound like you have eveything covered.

Is there anyway you can take her into a well protected bed with you and try and get some sleep, I know your breed is larger than mine but she will soon alert you if asleep in your bed with you if anything starts happening, I felt so much better able to cope after that sleep as I had no one here to share watching duties with me or can your hubby share the shifts of watching her with you, even 2 hours knowing he will call you if needs be can work wonders.

I hope there will be the pitter patter of tiny paws come the morning, will check in if I am up during the night.

Hi everyone,

missed the last few posts last night - only caught them this morning & thought I should post early as I could.

Well I spoke to my mentor at 9pm last night & told her"the plan" she said if it was her she wouldn't wait til the morning as then my girly may be too exhausted to deliver all and may need a section anyway. She advised I reevaluated the situation at 10pm and go for a section.
I went back to look on Maggie. She was getting tired. She hadn't eaten since  7pm the night before and would hardly drink anything. I decided to wait until 12 o'clock - 29 hours 1st labour.

At 11pm, my gut instinct kicked in and enough was enough. I couldn't feel any movement and feared the worst. After a quick phone call we went to the A&E vets & Maggie in agreement with the vet had her section.

I am very glad to say all went well and she is a super 1st mum & we have 3 girls and 2 boys doing really well. I even managed 3 hours sleep!

I wanted to thank you all as I know this will get locked for the kind support and very supportive PM's you have send me. It means so much to me.

Thank you all xxx

I am so pleased to hear that all is well and Congrats on the new arrivals.

Hopefully it is plain sailing from now on.

Well done - mentor on the button !

i thought 24 hours for first stage was normal? mine panted for that long and i couldnt feel contractions but they were obv there and then she had 8 pups fine over 8 hours.
why was a section indicated? just out of curiosity? congrats by the way

Well done - mentor on the button !

I echo Celtic Lad's thoughts. I must admit Aimi, l was thinking the very same thoughts. Boxers can be a nightmare to whelp! I am so glad that you went with your gut instinct. I didn't want to panic you, BUT, as l said, l have known people in our breed who have lost their bitches during a whelping, by leaving them far too long before having a C-section.
You will find aimi, over the years, everything that ever has gone wrong with a whelping, is stored somewhere in the recesses of our mind, and that memory springs to the fore the next time that it is needed. This is what makes us more knowledgeable breeders, and able to "know" when to seek veterinary assistance.

WELL DONE and CONGRATULATIONS to you and Maggie.

Hi Tina, thanks for the congrats :-)

to answer your query:
Having been given advise from many in my breed with lots of whelping experience behind them, I decided to go with their advise because they know the breed and the general complications that go with the whelping sometimes so well against the advise given by my regular vet.

I know the Book of the Bitch and others say its ok to go up to 24hrs and maybe even 36 but looking at my girl last night I saw in her eyes she was getting tired & my breed are slow whelpers. If she didn't have any pups naturally overnight and I had waited until my regular vet opened up at 9.30 that would have been 38 hours at stage one. Thats more than 38 hours without food or much water. The vet was talking about maybe doing the "planned" section last thing in the morning and that wouldn't have been until 41 hours.

There was no way I would have been happy letting my baby go through a C-section with 40 odd hours hard panting, digging & shaking after. The vet agreed that even with shots of oxy (her cervix had opened more) there is still a risk of doing a section. I wanted the babies out there fast and then and having nearly lost my other bitch to a stuck baby last time (c-section needed when she was tired) there was no way I was going to let that happen to my Maggie.

If I had another breed then I'm sure I would be thinking differently.
Hope this answers, Aimi x

It's difficult one to call.  My Inka who was due on the 14th Feb from first mating actually had her pups on 16th, we did have a stillborn, but ti was the second pup, the first and subsequent ones came easily and half hourly intervals so text book.

This minx had me thinking she was in first stage for several days, so ti can be difficult to pinpoint true first stage to gauge how long ti has been.

None of mine give up eating in first stage, and happily will take liquid nourishment during whelping, so am sure this makes a difference too.

Have only had one C section where there weren't pups already born, a third and last litter in a 6 1/2 year old bitch when Like you I thought it had gone on too long and she looked exhausted.

Mine is generally a natural and easy whelping breed, so breed plays a huge part and knowing previous whelping history and how a bitches female relatives have faired whelping is important to know.