Hi all

Looking for a little bit of advice, our [Small breed] is 62 days pregnant, she has been off her food for two days and just wants to sleep all nite and day.  Doesn't want to be near anywhere  the other dogs either.  We had her scanned twice and both scans showed only one pup, although we still think there is more.  She also won't let us take her rectal temperature gets stressed with it.  Any advixe would be much appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

Unless there's a nasty smelly discharge, or she won't settle, I'd not panic yet.   Knowing mine would often go into secondary inertia (start but not progress) I wouldn't just wait.   I let them go 2 days over from the first mating, allowing that conception may not have taken place then but if nothing had happened, then I'd involve my vet.   I have never set much score re temperature taking and if she's upset with you trying this, don't bother.    I'd be aware that this breed may not whelp naturally, and if there is only one puppy, it will keep growing and growing, making a C.Section more likely to be needed.   I do think you should take her out for a short local stroll, to keep her muscle-tone up.   And fresh air might help her appetite.

Personally and from my experience with mine (not ***), I'd talk to a mentor, or vet rather than just wait and 'assume' she'll drop when she's ready!   Just my advice.

Thank for your kind advice, we have bred one previous litter before and our girl self whelped 8 healthy puppies, she didn't sort of give us any warning, waters went and within 40 minutes first one was born.  I'm just very worried if it is a Singleton whether to contact vets tomorrow if nothing happened as you say it will more likely be a C section. I will try and take her for a little stroll she just seems very reluctant to leave home, thanks again x

THe problem with singletons, is that they often don't produce enough hormones to get whelping started - it often takes more than one pup to produce enough hormones for that... So you might indeed be looking at a c-section.  But then you need to time it perfectly, using reverse progesterone testing - especially if you didn't do progesterone testing to know when she ovulated to be able to accurately calculate when she should whelp....

Yes definitely, I've heard that an oxytocin injection may help?  I'm going to wait until tomorrow - 63 days then call the vet as they did say they need to reassess again to see how she is doing x

> I've heard that an oxytocin injection may help?

Woa there!  Don't ever, ever just give oxytocin, this can be so dangerous.  A bitch needs to have fully dilated before this jab is given.

Yes obviously I would take the advice of the vet on that x

>I've heard that an oxytocin injection may help?

No! Oxytocin should never be given before the cervix is fully dilated - either after the first pup has been born, or after examination by a vet - or there's a very high chance that the uterus will rupture.

Thank you, just very worried as I haven't seen her drink today, I know they go off their food, but is it normal not to drink too?

Oxytocin is given to aid contractions so the last thing you want to be happening is for the bitch to start having strong contractions before her cervix is fully dilated.    Out in Canada I was given two doses of oxytocin to give one of mine as she really wasn't having strong contractions, despite being fully dilated (I'd taken her in to be examined as nothing was really happening beyond the first stages of labour).   However, I was so worried about doing this myself (this was a mainly large animal practice, out in the sticks in N.Ontario) I only gave her one dose, which didn't produce any response, before taking her back into town where they did a C.Section!!   For 9 of the best puppies we have probably ever produced - on Christmas Eve!!  My husband arrived back up from Toronto (sheet ice everywhere) and we just battened down the hatches and had a lovely cozy quiet Christmas with the new babies.    One of the 3 we kept is my avatar.

Hi all

Update, Rosie has been fidgety and restless since 2am this morning then started heavy panting at 4.20, has been panting since, she then started pushing about 6am this morninf, just pushes now and again, any advice would be very helpful.  Thanks to everyone who have replied already, much appreciated x

So she's been having contractions for 2hrs now and no pup?

Yes but contractions now and again, I think personally now get to vets x

Well for sure I'd be off to my vet - generally no puppy despite strong contractions, within 1 hour means you need to seek professional assistance.  And that goes for each delivery.   I can only answer based on my hounds.

ps   If she's going to need a C.Section, better to get on with that before she becomes exhausted.

You want to see a puppy within 2 hours of visible contractions.  You need to time this for each puppy.  You need to work out how long it would take to be at your vet's (how far they are) and be at the vet's by 2hours after the first visible contractions.

The above applies to the 'lesser' contractions.

Once you get the very strong contractions that are coming every few minutes, then you want to see a pup within 45 mins.

Thank you all, we took her to vets straight away and had to stop on our journey as her waters broke, went in for C section, we have one baby boy very healthy and a big one. Vet said she would have never give birth to him naturally due to his size.  Mum and son doing very well, he's feeding very well too xxx

Hi all.
Ive got a 3 year old [small breed bitch] and i have had one lovely litter of puppies from her over a year ago.
This will be her second litter. We found a stud that was suitable for her with long thought.
She had two successful mating one on day 14 for 25 minutes then a second mating on the 16th day for 30 minutes.
The stud has sired many.
On her 51st day i had her scanned as she didnt really have a belly. It as come back that she isnt pregnant of which i feel is weriod.
Her nipples have gone pink not swollen.
Very efficient.
Im not sure on what to think she would be due in 8 days but not really showing a bump.
Would appreciate any thourght :confused

While it could always be a phantom, my biggest worry would be that it was pyometra and I would be racing to the vet.  Rather safe than sorry.

Hormonally, a bitch which is pregnant and a bitch which is not pregnant are very similar.  That's what phantom pregnancies are - to some extent, all bitches have a phantom after every season - hormonally they are all similar to a bitch which is actually pregnant. 

Which is all to say, from behaviour and physical appearance alone, you can't really tell whether a bitch is pregnant so the pink nipples don't really mean anything. 

By day 51 you should really see if a bitch is pregnant very clearly on an ultrasound scan.  But I guess it's possible if the scanner was not very good or inexperienced, that they missed one or two pups if they were up under the ribs.  You wouldn't see much of a bump if she only has one or two. 

I would keep a very close eye on her until you are past her whelping date, just in case she has one or two pups in there.

OP  Congrats. on the baby boy - Sods Law you get a male in a one-puppy litter, that's assuming you want a bitch like we all tend to want!!  We had a singleton however, and it was a she!!    Unlike my first litter, where there were originally two, she was the only one from the outset.

Hope you rotate him around the teats so she doesn't run into mastitis (clogging).    You may have to cut back on her food - my first litter was only two, with one DOA and being a novice I'd read up on feeding post whelping - LOTS.   With only one puppy she didn't need 'lots' and I was really worried when she wasn't eating tons until I realised why!!   With both experiences, I felt so sad for them not having companions that I stuffed a sock for each to lie against.   It was especially hard once mum wasn't interested and weaning had started.   Both spent a lot of time being carried around with me rather than leaving them alone in the whelping box! 

I would be taking her to the vet in case of closed pyometra, which doesn't have same symptoms as an open one. Had a 6 month old puppy who had a closed pyometra, if I hadn't see the behaviour & symptoms before I couldhave missed it.

Thank you, I'm very tired today but worth every bit of it, he's very strong and crawls around the whelping box alot, we've put a few obstacles in there too underneath the whelping pad.  He will be getting lots of cuddles from us all and spoilt.  I wasn't bothered either way if it was male or female as long as mum and pup are fine that's all what matters