hi my cavie is due anytime, am just wondering if there is anything i can look out for that could give me any clues,she seems fine in herself although spending alot more tome in her bed and bieng a bit down in the dumps(bless) she also has diorrea since this morning and cant hold herself till going out time....i have read about signs of early labour paper shreading etc but im scared that she will go in the night and i'll be asleep!
p.s i still havent been able to get hold of stud owner...looks like you were rite about that val:(

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If she is not due till next week start taking her temperature this way u will no when about she will go into whelp. Once her temperature drops she will have a pup within 24 hours. Her vulva will start to swell. Mine had the runs too, but she had them the same time her temperature dropped. She also did not eat to much and wanted to be cuddled and followed me everywhere. I kept mine in my room and left the t.v on so I woke to every noise, it was a long week.
Good luck

ttfn :)

I found with my bitch that she would not eat a thing the day leading up to the birth. She was panting on and off for most of the day and really did not seem herself. I didn't want to miss anything so I opted to sleep in the kitchen with her but I was sure that the puppies were coming that night and by 12.30am the first one had arrived. She was panting heavily and really scratching at a pad of newspapers we had put down for her. It seemed so quick, one minute her sides were really contracting, then the next the first pup came out. Trust your instincts, you know your own dog and usually they let you know when it is going to happen.We invested in a baby monitor for later on when the pups were downstairs and I wanted to get some sleep and it is brilliant. It is so loud I can hear the clock in the kitchen ticking never mind the puppies!
keep us posted.

Sorry about that Betty. There are some times when it would be better to be wrong, but anyone who allows their dog to mate a pet bitch without any questions or advice, doesn't care about their breed or the pups that they are helping you produce!
Firstly, have you got your Book of the Bitch? Read it, learn it and inwardly digest it!! ;)
Then get your girl used to sleeping in her whelping box now, so that it's not strange when you want her to be in there. Pups can arrive up to a week early and still be viable, and it's quite common for a first litter to arrive early.
Take her temperature twice a day. Dogs normal temperature is 101.5F (Sorry I'm so old, I talk in old money!) For the last week of pregnancy, a bitch's normal temperature is nearer 100.5F. You'll see a pattern of slight variation, but when it drops to 99 or below, you can expect the pups to arrive with 24 hours. This isn't infallible (it's let me down once!) but it's a good guide.
A bitch will often refuse food when they are due to whelp, but that's let me down too!!
She'll pant and get a glazed look in her eye. That's the first stage of labour when the pups are beginning to move along the birth canal. That can last for up to 24 hours, but is often shorter.
My bitches don't make beds and shred paper.
I sleep with my bitches for a week (and 10 days afterwards) before the pups are due, just in case they go into labour in the night. Occasionally it all happens naturally, but more often the bitch and/or puppies need help. At the very least you need to know how long the bitch has been having contractions if no puppy is produced. If she's been pushing for 2 hours and not produced a puppy, then you need to call your Vet - day or night.
When the pups arrive, put your little finger into it's mouth to clear the airway and feel the roof of the mouth. Cleft palates are an inherited problem in your breed and if affected, the pup will need the Vet as it won't be able to suck.
Hope that helps.

I would also ring your vet asap and get the jippy tummy sorted out quicksmart. If she dehydrates, though bad for her it may be worse for the puppies as she will find labour very difficult if she's not 100% well and it may well affect her milk suplly when the puppies arrive. Try giving her a well cooked scrambled egg instead of her next meal which may help til you get the vets advice.