I have a little bitch staying with me that I'm whelping for a friend. Unfortunately she doesn't know the mating date so I'm working a bit in the dark! The vet who did the scan a week ago estimated due day any time from yesterday.
This morning she has a noisy "bubbling" tummy. No diarrhoea. What can I give her to stop it? I don't want to medicate at this late stage.

I wouldn't medicate with anything. It's normal for a bitch to have diarreah just before they whelp so it could be her tummy loosening up for a clear out. Her appetite may decrease as well just before birth and she could be sick.

Good luck

That's what I'm hoping but not knowing her due date complicates things a bit.  I've always known the date with my own dogs.  Even though it's not an absolute!  At least you know when things like this happen that it's just part of the process or it's something you need to worry about.  She did have a very slight mucus discharge yesterday so I think we're getting close.  I'm always a nervous wreck in the last few days!  On the one hand I want the puppies to stay in as long as possible to be fully developed and strong, but on the other I want to see them to know they're all ok and normal and healthy.  And of course I want the birth over for the poor little bitch

I'm not sure whether this has anything to do with her impending whelping to be honest.   I've not noticed this with any of mine.   Try adding a bit of natural, unflavoured, yogurt to her food (if you can find goats yogurt, so much the better) as this can sort out uncomplicated digestive upsets.    And if she's due anytime soon, feed her protein-rich food, little and often.   If she has a significantly big litter, she won't have much room in her tummy for food now.

Was it vital she was with you for the whelping - I'm just wondering whether she'd not have been better with her owner in familiar surroundings, with you 'around' to help if needed?  It's kind of you to be doing this, but was it kind for the b itch?

Although her person is a friend of mine, unfortunately the conditions she keeps her dogs in is shocking! It's a complicated situation and this isn't the place to go into it. Puppies born there have a very low survival rate and the poor bitches battle too.
This person is also in a situation where she sometimes has to be away from home for many hours. This little girl has very little personal attention or interaction. She didn't even think the bitch was pregnant until she was 7 weeks along and so had not been feeding accordingly.
My intention was to try to give her and her pups a fighting chance, and her especially some love and comfort ( that she would not otherwise be getting) during, what I think must be, a very difficult time for a first time mother. So yes, I believe I'm being kind to this little girl, and it may be vital to the pups survival. It's the only small thing I can do for now to improve this awful situation which breaks my heart every time I'm there.

Oh bless you for what you are doing. Will she have to go back? Could you report her anonomously? A difficult position for you. Wish you lots of luck and do hang around here.....a lot of experience here that the vets don't have

The original plan was for her & pups to go back when pups about 3 weeks. But she has just fitted in so well with my two girls, and me of course! Sweet gentle affectionate personality. I've started wandering if I could maybe wangle keeping her! I first need to get her through this then take it from there. A serious decision I don't want to make with just my heart.
Our SPCA won't take anonymous complaints and our dog community too small that my name won't eventually get out. But I do need to work on a plan.

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> On the one hand I want the puppies to stay in as long as possible to be fully developed

They are fully developed and viable at day 56.  My breed will normally whelp on day 56 and I've never had a bitch go to day 63 so don't worry too much about dates at this late stage.

Just to say, in my defence, there was NOTHING in the OP here to suggest this was a potential bad home/rescue situation.  So of course I went to where I did re whether the bitch should be in familiar surroundings.....    Clearly not the case so well done for stepping in.   Next step - get her to spay her bitches so this isn't repeated?

"get her to spay her bitches" - Never going to happen! She's a breeder! As I said, a complicated situation I really wish she would stop breeding.
Poor thing still hasn't produced. I took her for a check up on Monday with her owner's vet and his opinion is because of not knowing mating date we must leave her as long as possible - even if it's around 65 - 67 days!! In a toy breed? So I'm going back to him this morning just to satisfy the owner but then I'll take her to my vet at my expense. I know there are risks to a caesar but this is a breed known for having primary inertia and I don't want to have got her this far just to lose the puppies now.
Should I be pushy about wanting her vet to caesar today? She's definitely on or over 60 days from when a mating could have happened. I've never had one of my bitches go more than 61.

I'd imagine he won't do a C.Section unless she's started?    As you don't know the mating date, this is a difficult one and as I've learnt being around here, toys do tend to whelp earlier than the 62 - 63 days I prefer to let mine get to.   If mine go over by more than a couple of days, then I at least had my vet examine them.   X-ray?

Some of mine would go into labour, but once feeling pain, stopped (secondary inertia) at which point if an oxytocin shot didn't get them going again, my vets would go for a Section.  With my TOTAL agreement 

There's also the possibility of there only being a small number of puppies, which can 'sit', needing a shot to get things moving, IF over the 62 - 63 days.   Leaving them to 'sit' means they kept growing, making a Section more likely to be needed (big puppies).