Hi this is my first litter.  My bitchis on day 65.  We have seen a mucas discharge yesterday.  Today she is off her food and nesting.  She is very quiet and hiding, dozing in her den.  There is no sign of any panting.  Is this the first stage of labour and is she acting normally.    Just concerned as she won't let us take her temperature and we are trying to keep it stress free as possible.  Thanks

It sounds like she is very very close - you can only keep a close eye on her.  Don't stress her by taking her temperature if that worries her.

Hey thanks for the reassurance, the thermometer is safely away.  Pauline

I don't take temperatures, it's usually pretty obvious once they start going, although they like to start at the most awkward of times in my experience, although that is somewhat limited.

Temperature taking can be a useful guide re at what stage a bitch has reached, but in fact I never held that as important as counting from the first mating, bearing in mind conception may not have taken place immediately.

I never let mine go over by more than a couple of days however.

Another point - if she's only carrying a few, they may 'sit' which is ok except they are growing bigger by the day and that may end up in her needing a C.Section.

Thanks, can she stalk labour at all.  She was in her den, nesting etc, but now she is on the sofa very relaxed.  Can cottage cheese stall or prevent labour.  She is really confusing me right now.  She is on day 65.

Day 65 doesn't really mean anything, if that is taken from a breeding day.  She could have ovulated days before that, or days after it.  You have a whelping window of about 7-10 days without doing any sort of timing.

Labour can be an on and off thing at first - she may go through periods of panting and looking like she's in labour, and then it all stops and she sleeps for an hour or so - and then back to panting again.  Until eventually the panting takes over and she is in labour proper.  You just have to keep a close eye, there's nothing you can do to speed it up.