Hi All

My girl has been panting, mostly constantly for 24 hours now, maybe even a little more as i only noticed at 6am yesterday. She has been shivering and digging too. The digging stopped about 12 hours ago, she was digging in the gravel in the garden and digging in her whelping box. She has had very little sleep, only light rest for maybe 10 - 20 mins every couple of hours. Apart from the panting and occasional trembling, she seems fine. Has been drinking plenty water throughout the day and night and has eaten 3 small hand fulls of cooked chicken breast from me throughout the evening. Her temp was 36.4 at 11am yesterday.

I know stage 1 can go on for upto 36 hours, but i am wondering if i should be concerned or not. This is her first litter, and sections are common in my breed. However, saying that besides the panting and occasional shivering she doesnt appear to be in any distress at all. She's resting again now.

She is day 61. We've been going out into the garden every 1-2 hours for toilet breaks, but i'm not sure if anything is really happening yet? I've been up with her all night, just dosing off next to her whelping box.

Any advice is appreciated!

Sounds frustratingly (for you) normal.

Stay by her side.  You should definitely wait 36 hours before even starting to worry.  Sometimes it can take 48 hours, but that's less often. 

What you need to look out for is any contraction - because as soon as you see a contraction, you're not in stage 1 anymore, you're in stage 2.  You want to see a pup within 2 hours of the first contraction (when they are occasional).  And when the contractions are ongoing (every few mins), you want to see a pup within 45mins.  So you really move onto a different time scale from the start of contractions....

See if she will go outside for a toddle around the garden, sometimes that gets things moving.

Hi both

Thank you. Her water went at 7am and it burst. There had been no contractions after that just a lot of panting, shaking and vomiting. I had a feel but there was no puppy in the birth canal that i could feel so i have taken her in for a C section. The vet checked her over and there was still no contractions or puppy in the canal. I felt it was right for my girl, she has been up (so have i) for over 36 hours of panting and restlessness so i didnt think it was wise to wait any longer. I have a breed with a lot of birthing difficulties so i thought this was best option for her.

I am just awaiting a call from the vet later on.

Thank you for your reply!

Hmm, it can take a while after the water bursts.  I wouldn't expect to see a puppy there right away. 

I also would never leave a dog with the vet for a c-section - I want to be in the room, helping revive puppies.  Of course, deliberately breeding from dogs which are known not to be able to whelp naturally, only means that the puppies they produce will be less likely to be able to whelp naturally in future - and so it all gets perpetuated - which is also something to think about.  Good mothering skills and easy births are something we should be breeding for, as breeders.

I hope all goes well.

> I also would never leave a dog with the vet for a c-section

After a dire C.Section situation with one of my bitches, neither would I, willingly BUT as I've discovered in the UK, to my regret, more often than not vets don't let owners stay with their bitches through C.Section.   I expected, and did that, with my Canadian vet where it was quite normal.   When we first came back, it really bothered me to have to hand my hounds over and have the door SHUT - C.Section or not.

Hope all has gone well.  It bothers me however, that apparently no strong contractions, and getting nowhere fast, were seen in this case.   It was only if my girls were having trouble producing a puppy (at any stage of the whelping) for at least 1 hour, that I involved a vet.

Hi all

Everything went smoothly, and i am glad we did go for a section as the puppies had pooped in their sacks and the vet was conserned they may have inhaled some of it but thankfully they seem strong and no issues so far. 3 healthy babies all happy and well. Mum doing great. Although she has very little milk, puppies seem content though.
Thanks all

Congrats on the litter

> Although she has very little milk

Perfectly normal, there will not be lashings to start with..it will be supply & demand