my spaniel gave birth yesterday to a healthy litter of 6, this is my first time breeding her, but after giving birth, is it normal for her to pant while nursing, and digging up the blankets in her whelping box??? ive spoke to a few breeders and they said yes it normal for her to pant while nursing, shess at the vet 2morro, but would like some helpful advice .....

Yes this may go on for a few weeks, it is her way of coping with the pain from the uterus contracting as she feeds the pups.

I am surprised how many routinely take them to the vet post whelping, I would be too worried that some nasty infection would be picked up and brought home, both vet and mentors have told me there is no need if everything went to plan.

ah i see, i was just worried about the panting during feeding, like i said first time, and get told that many things off from different ppl, and my partner reaading books ect ect... but thank u very much :)

sorry to bother u again, is it normal for a dog to take out the blankets from where the pups are,?? i got her a whelping box and she would not go  in it, she had the pups in a closet in our living room, and wont leave there, its has a carpet on the floor of it, but i put blankets, and pads in, but not long ago she she was digging  lot and took the blankets out and the pads, just not sure what to do

Maybe she didn't feel secure in the whelping box, is it somwhere quiet away from the everyday noises of the house and only you are going near her and the pups? It will take her a few days to figure out what is going on and get used to the new routine.

Some bitches won't labour in the whelping box preffering the sofa or Mums bed and then once the pups are placed in the whelping box somewhere safe she will follow them.

Be careful that she doesn't smother the pups, vet bedding is harder to dig up and a heat pad should cover some of the bed so the pups can move on and off freely, tight puppy pile usually means the pups are not warm enough, pups stretched out seperately means they are comfortable, pups can't control their temps for the first few weeks and need to be hotter to ward off Canine Herpes Virus.

I hope she settles soon,don't leave her unobserved so you can intervene sooner rather than later.

Agree with Rhodach that digging blankets could well be that she doesn't feel secure.  I make things as denlike as possible for my bitches, so they don't feel threatened.   I do feel that your girl would be better off with vetbed and a heatpad under part of it.

The panting is perfecly normal and all bitches pant when in pain.  She could go on for a week, I have certainly had bitches that have sounded like a steam train.  Rememeber how hard her body is working to produce milk.  As long as her discharge isn't smelly I'm another one that wouldn't risk taking her to see the vet.  If she really needed to be checked over, I would prefer a housecall to be honest.

Have you read the book of the bitch?  You should do!  :-)

Sounds to me like she is too hot.  My girl used to move the vetbed and papers away till she was lying on the floor.  She couldn't take the heat of the 7 little bodies warming her up!  I cooled the area right down(springtime, opened the window and doors) and I fixed the vetbed, then lay her down ontop and put the little pups on her again and she settled right down.  The pups were a lot more 'together' too as they were trying to keep the heat in.  She much prefered that!
Try a fan or something to move the air around her(watch for pups getting too cold!!) but don't cause a draught in the whelping 'cupboard'lol.

i just want to thank all of u, for taking time out and giving advice, i went out today and got the vetbed, and used the fan for a little bit, the  pups seem more settled on the vetbed, and so does mum, so again thank u :)