Hi new to the forum having first litter with my small hunting type breed she is huge and is producing milk her mucus plug came out all at once yesterday morning like an egg white about the same ammount as an egg white too and she has been panting and restless but only for 30 mins here and there other than that she is sleeping she has eaten literally nothing for 2 days but tonight has just eaten 6  sausages ! She is drinking ok and has normal stool and also looks very well in herself no discharge atall apart from that one time she was first mated at 8 am in the morning and she is day 62 now 63 in the morning

Hi, I’m new here too...also on the site for concerns about my pregnant bitch. Saw your post, above mine and figured I can share with you what I know and hopefully it will help.

Sounds like she has lost her plug or is starting to, which means that either she is dilated and or a puppy is pushing on the cervix. Is it bloody? If so, a puppy could be on its way. The plug is actually kind of whitish in color and thicker than egg whites, the mucous usually comes after the plug falls out...or like I said when she has dilated..this can happen days before a puppy comes though so mucous or plug isn’t always an indication that she is in labor.

I’m wondering if she is continuing to pant or if that has stopped. Panting is always my first sign that my bitch is entering into the first phase of labor, though some others have said that their dogs breeze through this first part and give little sign in the first stage. The first phase can take anywhere from 6 hours to 12 hours..some less some longer. Look at her belly and see if you can see any contractions...her stomach will harden into a tight ball..the contraction in the first phase push the puppies down into the birth canal then in active labor, the bitch begins to push them out. When pushing begins she is in active labor and you should see a puppy within 30 minute to an hour...if no puppy comes within an hour, then there could be a problem which requires emergency care.

Sleeping between contractions early on is normal..they will get closer together as things progress and she will be sleeping less and panting more..she may get restless too and pace, get up and lie down often (like she can’t get comfortable) dig, hide or whine..she will start licking her Vulva and bottom and may keep looking at her butt. She may have only a few of these signs or none at all, it’s all according to the dog.

Not eating is a good indication too that she is well on her way. She may have been hungry enough after two days to eat some sausages, but may throw them up or have diarrhea..

She should have them within the next 24 hours...if she seems to start going into labor and completely stop, I would call the vet. If she goes more than 48 hours from now, I would also get her in as she should have them well before 70 days..I would bring her in at 65 days personally.

Good luck!

With most of mine, they'd go through all the 'normal' stuff but ten to one, shut down ..... secondary inertia.   At which point I had to involve my vet unfortunately.   I think with many of my breed (I can ONLY speak for what I experienced with mine) get to the ouch mum, and that's it.   Pity because the C.Section means more 'ouch mum' than having a normal birth .... not that ALL mine had to have 'Sections I might add.

Again because I knew what to expect, I didn't let mine go over by much more than 2 days from the first mating, or struggle for over 1 hour with strong contractions getting nowhere, with each delivery.

Hi thanks for your reply still no sighn started panting for an hour at about 2am a dry pant she seemed restless but back to normal this morning day 63 from first mating today she is huge and has lots of milk hasn't eaten since yesterday

The first stage of labour can last from 3-36 hours, very occasionally as long as 48 hours.

As soon as you see an abdominal contraction, she's in stage 2.  You want to see a puppy within 2 hours of the first visible contraction (when the contractions are very occasional) and within 45 mins of sustained ongoing contractions.

Hi thanks again for the info does anyone recommend vets at this stage day 63 very lazy  no discharge not eating no loose stools no sighn of contractions have had litters before but always had them by day 63 never had one go over especially as she is so heavy dont know what to do never had much good experiences with vets and pregnant girls usually oxytocin is there answer to everything

She is now looking uncomfortable and panting not heavily but just a constant steady pant has been to the toilet very dark in couler almost black and quite loose should I give her another day

Unless you have done progesterone testing or cytology, this magic "63 days" thing is totally meaningless.

We seem to always get people in this forum who are worried about whether things are progressing fast enough and the sole thing they tell us about is however-many-days since mating it is. 

It is useless to try to time a whelping from when a mating occurred.  Semen can live in the bitch for up to 7 days.  Eggs take 2 days to be ripe after ovulation and then remain fertilisable for 48 hours.  Unless you use progesterone testing or cytology, you have a massively wide whelping window.  You could have bred her just before her eggs died and she went over - or you could have bred her way early, 7 days before her eggs were fertilisable (since some bitches will stand throughout). 

I'm not saying everyone should do timing - since that is problematic for other reasons - but if you're not going to, then you have to accept that giving dates after 1st mating is just totally irrelevant in terms of knowing if a bitch is stalling.

Have to say I have thought this bit I have never done any testing and always had pups between day 60 and 63 even this time she is now on day 63 from 1st mating and day 61 from second mating she is now looking quite restless and has had two runny toilets in past half hour still looks well in herself but I think things are progressing fingers crossed may have pups in a few hours the only reason this girl has thrown me a bit is because she is so heavy and full of milk but she is acting as if she is not even in pup  had her scanned at day 30 with at least 8 and she is small for her breed so was expecting her to go early have asked for the advice of her breeder she came from Wales but after searching for her breeders contact details have learned that she is licenced for 30!!! Bitches she said not to worry until she is day 67 and then give oxytocin if she is fully dilated.
However I will give her until tomorow afternoon and go to my vet for a check up who is also pretty useless when it comes to pregnant girls as twice now he has recommended a c section both times the girls have gone on to have a perfect natural birth

That's why I'm on here to get advice from people not textbooks if only life was as simple as a book

It sounds to me like things are progressing fine.  How long as she been in stage 1 labour for?  It's not been 36 hours yet, has it?

>Bitches she said not to worry until she is day 67 and then give oxytocin if she is fully dilated

Do not give oxytocin except when all else fails.  It can result in all the placentas detaching at once from the uterine horns and the pups which don't make it out in time will suffocate. Let things take their natural course.

See https://dogzine.nl/en/newsarticle/oxytocin-during-whelping

If you do need to use oxytocin, tiny doses should be used - rather than one large dose:  http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/practical-matters-use-lower-doses-oxytocin-dystocia

Thanks for your advise will keep you posted

Still nothing a lot of panting now her tummy bouncing up and down gently with the panting not moving much now hasn't done any nesting atall throughout she is comfy in her bed no more discharge or toilets still not eaten atall since yesterday

How long has she been in stage 1 labour for?

Around 36hrs now but difficult to define stage one labour as she is so heavy she is always panting a little her mucus plug whent two days ago

I think, if you don't see pups very soon, then you will need to take her to the vet for an ultrasound and to check puppy heart rates to be sure none of them are in distress.

> It is useless to try to time a whelping from when a mating occurred.  Semen can live in the bitch for up to 7 days.  Eggs take 2 days to be ripe after ovulation and then remain fertilisable for 48 hours.  Unless you use progesterone testing or cytology, you have a massively wide whelping window.  You could have bred her just before her eggs died and she went over - or you could have bred her way early, 7 days before her eggs were fertilisable (since some bitches will stand throughout).

Sometimes I wonder how anybody managed to mate and whelp their bitches way back before all this 'testing' was available, let alone done.   Yes I hear you - and for sure semen can live for some days post mating but at least counting from the first (or last!!) mating is a guide, not to be thrown aside completely.   And indeed, not mating more than twice, with a day between, is what I always did so the window wasn't too wide. 

I'd suggest that maybe doing all this testing might be a good idea for the novice breeder, but once you've built up experience, and know your bitches (and actually, their breed) and when to call in the help of a vet, and when to wait, it is just a matter of waiting and keeping a close eye on what's going on - with each bitch and each pregnancy as no two are exactly the same.

Going by a lot of what I'm reading here, your vets must welcome you all with open arms re this kind of testing - and that includes scanning.

"I think, if you don't see pups very soon, then you will need to take her to the vet for an ultrasound and to check puppy heart rates to be sure none of them are in distress. "

I agree although at this stage, I'd go for x-ray so you have a far more accurate result, re numbers and size.

X-rays are not a good idea:  https://www.avidog.com/how-badly-do-we-need-to-know/   And they also won't allow you to check heart rates and viability of placentas, which can only be seen on ultrasound.

It doesn't seem like you even read my post or get the point behind it.  Because I don't progesterone test (I do my own cytology at home) and I pointed that out.

Breeders can't have it both ways:  If you haven't progesterone-tested, you're not going to get a useful or helpful answer popping up on an online forum to ask strangers when you should take your dog to the vet - on day XYZ.  Because there is a whelping window of some 10+ days.

Choose which way you want to have it.  If you want to be absolutely sure you are not letting the bitch go over, then think about that when you breed the bitch and do some kind of timing - whether progesterone or cytology.  And if you decide not to do that, then be prepared to sit with the uncertainty, or know that you know your bitch well, or to go to the vet if unsure.  Because we can't help.  There is no magic date when going by the days mated.

Thanks for this if she doesn't whelp tonight it will be vets tomorow she just had 2 pools for want of a better word of dioreah and is looking a bit uncomfortable fingers crossed things are moving along

Any update on your girl?

So she had her pups naturally 3 days ago with no oxytocin although vet insisted to do a c section I refused as did not see any sighn of contractions or uncomfort two days later 5 pups lovely and healthy 3 boys two girls

Congratulations