I have one niggling question which I can see is going to worry me...

When a bitch is whelping, how do you tell the difference between inertia (ie - too long between puppies, which would need a vet trip) and the end of whelping?

I mean, how do you know when it is all over and all the pups are out - versus things stopping and there being one or two left inside?

It seems that ultrasounds are not totally reliable, especially with determining precise number of pups, so you can't just count them. 

What am I looking for, to know the difference between things being all over and ok, versus time to get to the vet?

Thx

I knew she was done because she looked totally deflated and there was no more puppies moving about, before Lexis arrived she was doing the "highland fling" up by her mums ribs, afterwards all went still.

I allow Mum to rest between pups and if she doesn't seem to be getting going again then I give her some vet drops, calciboost and feather her vagina a regime recommended by a few in my breed and so far has worked.

If no active pushing after 2 hours then it is time to ring the vet who may say wait a bit longer or ask to see her. I have heard of 6hrs + between horns being expelled.

Obviously if the bitch is distressed or there is unexplained bleeding or discharge then you go to the vets.

Going by how some whelpings have gone on here lately it is hard to cover all possible problems that may occur.

Hi, I suppose this is a hard one to answer. My bitch started to produce pups at 5am in the morning and produced 9 puppies by 11am in the morning without any problems. She appeared to have finished and I sat with all day no sign if contractions or distress then at 9pm on the night she gave 2 big pushes and produced 1 more puppy. The puppy was healthy and very much alive. I spoke to my vet and he said this is quite common and normal and only to worry if the bitch is still pushing and having contractions but isn't producing any puppies 20 minutes after the pushes and contractions have started. Hope this is helpful!

Hi rabid,

When l "thought" that my bitch had finished whelping, l would get my Vet to come out, to give her an examination, and an oxytocin injection.

Thanks - so if I understand this, some of you guys would routinely call the vet and get him/her to come out and give a shot when you think it has finished - just to be sure there is nothing left inside. 

Others of you go by the mum, whether she looks in distress, whether you can see a pup still inside - and if you couldn't see a pup and mum appeared to be happy, you wouldn't call the vet.

Is that right?

Yep. :)

Also can't rely on the vet as a friend had a pup born the day following a C section.

I go by a sort of calm that comes when everything is over, the Dam looks content and settles in with her litter.

Unfortuneatly with inertia the mother may appear calm and content.

And that's why you observe and fall back on either your mentor or your experience.

>Unfortuneatly with inertia the mother may appear calm and content.

Yet I have, without exception, known that inertia was looking me in the face, just by looking into my bitches eyes.   Never been wrong in all my years.  (lots of them!)

Ok, well this is one area which worries me.  As it sounds like an acquired skill to know when you're looking at inertia and this will be our first litter.  Yet I don't want to give an unnecessary oxytocin jab or have an unnecessary (and stressful) vet visit either.  I guess I will keep watching for a long time then, for any distress at all.

Hi there I have PM'd you.