Two weeks ago I discovered my recent rescue is due to have puppies. She's medium sized and around 7-9yrs. Her belly dropped two days ago and pups moving. Her milk is in and clear discharge most days. Last two days she's also been sleeping deeply and panting and puffing away in her sleep it seems. Still eating small portions. As I don't know when she's due I've been awake most nights the last week as she's panting on and off...Shes tried to dig every day for last week down back of garden but used to whelp box now. Vet said she's due earlier this week by his estimation but it's now Sunday! At night time she seems to have all signs she's in labour but then we sleep at 4am and next morning nothing last few nights...just wondering when would be considered overdue if I've no clue of her due date?! I'll bring her to vet perhaps but I don't want to stress her as she has zero energy if I can help it.

Did you get her from a rescue or rescue her from a home ? I'm surprised if you got her from a rescue they didn't know & retain her until she had whelped.

However she is with you now & it's worth getting in touch with an experienced breeder so they can assist you if you didn't get her from a rescue unless you are experienced in whelping bitches yourself. If you got her from a rescue they should be offering you help.

As to when will she whelp all bitches are different & few vets are experienced in normal whelping & TBH they get very little training as a bitch being in whelp is natural normal condition.

Keep a close eye on her & don't leave her alone at all. I've never bred a litter myself, but have been involved with several friends who are breeders & I've delivered too many lambs to count & my ewes whether experienced or first timers are never left unobserved near their due dates.

Sounds like you are in for some sleepless nights

Straight from pound but have rescue support including those experienced with whelping...they reckon she will go soon but I thought the more advice the better...I've done a lot of research and I'm prepared for the birth.

That's good it's a case of wait & see, but keeping a very close eye on her. Her pregnancy is probably the reason she was dumped

Thanks, yes possibly so. If there's no way to tell other than wait then that's what we will do for at least a few more days before going back to vet.

There is a clearish mucus plug that seals the cervix & when this comes away it's a sign that the cervix has started to dilate & soften & that whelping is in the very initial state. You might see a clearish stringy discharge as part of this plug

There is no clear way to determine when she is going to whelp if you don't know when she even mated or was in season. 

The vet's options are limited too, because a c-section too early will mean that the puppies die and are not viable - just a few days too early can mean that puppies will not survive. 

The vet can do a reverse progesterone test, which is used to determine the correct time to do a c-section for bitches having a scheduled c-section.  This will mean daily progesterone blood tests to see when whelping is drawing near:  https://veterinaryanswers.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/pregnancy-diagnosis-and-timing-elective-c-sections/ 

I would really make sure your vet is very knowledgeable about reproduction - they should already know all this... If not, find out who is a repro specialist in your area and see them...

I've just gone through this. Took in a rescue and she turned out to be pregnant. Just had to stick close by her. She whelped about a week after the pups dropped inside her. I never even saw any mucous. She actually started whelping on the couch sat next to me, showed less signs than I'm used to and I'm a fairly experienced breeder. She went to the whelping box when I went with her.

A word of warning though. I have never had a bitch whelp after I'd just had her for 3 weeks before. She is being extremely protective of the pups. I can't go near them at all if the bitch is in the room, despite them being a week old now. She even explodes with aggression if a bird is outside the window. It's been a very difficult week. She will come to me of her own choice and want cuddles, but no way is she letting me near the pups. It hadn't even occurred to me before that a bitch you've not known for months/years could react like this. So make sure she has a lot of privacy once the pups are born.

I also had this happen to me. Took a young German Shepherd bitch and a couple of weeks later, from having a 'trim' outline, got up one morning with a very droopy belly. Confirmed in whelp by vet but too far along to do anything about it.

She whelped 10 days later, 12 puppies who she fed for a week and then would have nothing more to do with them (only a puppy herself) I hand reared them with the help of an older girl who cleaned and brought them on beautifully.