HALLO EVERYBODY, JUST SOME QUICK ADVICE PLEASE. MY DOG SASHA IS 61 DAYS PREGGES, SHE IS STILL EATING, DOING A BIT OF DIGGING BUT NOT MUCH, I READ THAT HER DATE WOULD BE AROUND 63 DAYS IS THIS RIGHT, AS I AM NEW TO ALL OF THIS, AND FEELING VERY ANXIOUS AND EXCITED FOR HER AT THE SAME TIME. THANKS DONNA

If you haven't already started, I would take your bitch's temperature every 8 or 12 hours and tally the score on a sheet or in a book. The normal temp is around 101 degrees Fahenhait - 102 degrees Fahenhait. You will have to translated that into Celcius. As they get closer to whelping it starts to drop a little but jumps around. Then in the period 24 - 48 hours before whelping you will see a big drop of 1 1/2 - 2 degrees which will pop right back up at the next time the temperture is taken. Every bitch is different though so there is no hard and fast rule as to how big the drop will be but let's say it must be significant.

I'm sure you must have your whelping box ready and all the equipment ready that you will need. Do you have a good book that explains what is going to happen during the whelping? If not there are a number of excellent articles on the internet.

If you can count 63 days from the first day of breeding and 63 days from the last day of breeding, this will give you a target of possible delivery dates. The temperature drop is your best indicator though.

A clear/semi-clear discharge from vulva will appear which is lubricating the birth canal preparing it for the birth. The bitch will gradually continue to get more restless until the contractions will be very noticable. Some bitch's eat right up to the very end and don't go off food until they are in the actual process of whelping.

If you can access the expertise of your bitches breeder or other breeders of the same breed, call on their help. Two heads at the situation are always better than one! :cool

Notify your Vet that things appear to be close just in case his/her services maybe needed in an emergency. I am a true believe in AU NATURAL as far as possible unless problems arise.

Just be Patience and wait it out and your bitch will be calm until she is ready to deliver. If you wish to contact me directly feel free to do so.

Margaret :) Canada

Hi, my dog Sasha is now 64 days preggers. Up through the night panting, has been all day in whelping box digging and very quiet and moody looking and also burying her toy. She hasn't eaten all day but has just had half a tin of food. What does pushing down look like, what signs should I look for now?

First time mum to all this could do with a bit of help, have sisters staying overnight to help, but they are just as clueless as me.

Help.

Thanks very much.

Donna, Sonia and Lorrraine. (and knackered Sasha).

www.chowchow.org/site/pages/html/info/whelping

Sorry cant do links but try this site it may help you
best of luck.
When she starts pushing you will see her pushing almost as if she is constipated and bracing down.

thanks for your reply, she has stopped panting about 1 hour ago, and is just very sleepy and tired, but is still all there if you know what i mean. i'v gone out the back, and am not sure if it is blood, but there is a red patch with dog prints beside it, just a little bit panickey, is the reason for her stopping panting this or what. any replies would be a huge help thanks, donna

Sasha has startedpanting again on a regular basis, every 30 mins or so. We have just found her in the airing cupboard, it is dark and warm. We have put a cover half way over her Whelping box and she seems happier now. She has growled at my sister when she went in to see her, this is not normal. Any idea if we can expect her to deliver tonight , it is 12.30 here. Any reply appreciated

Hi

I am sorry for not replying sooner
How are things??

STILL NO JOY, WAS UP WITH HER ALL NIGHT, SHE IS JUST BREATHING QUICKLY AND PANTING ALL THE TIME, AND VERY RESTLESS, THIS MORNING SHE WAS SHAKING A LITTLE, IS THIS BECAUSE MAYBE HER TEMP MAY HAVE DROPPEED. AND SHE IS STILL DIGGING ALL OVER THE PLACE BEHIND THE SETEES AND UNDER THE DESK, BUT SHE IS STILL NOT PUSHING, HOW LONG DOES THIS GO ON FOR, AND IS IT NORMALL TO LAST SO LONG, AND SHE STARTED LIKE THIS YESTERDAY MORNING ABOUT 9.30. THANKS FOR ANY HELP. DONNA

How are things going? It sounds that things are moving toward delivery. Many bitches like to find a seculed spot/private spot to have their babies.

You will definitely know when she has started into full labour with pushing. As someone else mentioned, it will look like your bitch is trying to have a bowel movement. The closer she gets to full labour you proably will find her sticking you like a velcro toy. Where you go she goes!She should continue to get more and more restless and may or maynot go off her food. The digging in the whelping box probably will continue with her even dragging toys into it. Some bitches use their toys as their babies a day or so before they actually whelp. Short walks outside on a leash can help bring the labour on but it's very important that these walks are NEVER UNSUPERVISED. At the time she starts pushing, while you take her where you want her to have the puppies have someone get the whelping box out of the closet. You need to be able to have full access to all sides. Your bitch might show some apprehension to having others around other than you. Once she has had the first or is into full fledged labour her focus will change so that won't be such an issue as long as the area is relatively quiet with a minimum of people. Depending on the size of the puppy she might cry as the baby is being born. The bigger the puppy of course the more it will hurt as it passes through the birth canal and out the vulva and is born. Your bitch may or may not need encourgement to rip open the sack. If she won't and you can't open it with your fingers have a pair of scissors sterilized in alcohol to do this but mainly the scissors are used to cut the umbical cord if the bitch won't bite it off. Let the bitch do as much as possible with encouragement. Just be careful when using the scissors as all this tissue is very slippery and wet to not cut the pup. Put the pup to suckle as soon as possible. Although the regular milk has not come down yet what is there is called colostrum. It is very good for the puppy and the suckling helps brings in the regular milk. The bitch will now settle down to clean the puppy until the afterbirth is passed. Keep either a mental or a written tally that all afterbirths have been passed. It's okay to let your bitch eat a few but they do cause loose stools. My Wire Fox Terrier bitch would not let me take any of the afterbirths away from her to the risk of loosing my hand, where other bitches like my girlfriend's Std Poodle bitch will eat 1 or 2 then no more.

There are some really good books on the internet as well as articles. Lots of people are praising the this book THE BOOK OF THE BITCH. Another one my girlfriend swears by is REPRODUCTION IN THE DOG ;)

This topic is so vast that to try to cover it in brief is almost impossible. Hope I have been able to give you some ideas and some ideas of where to look for more indepth answers.

Margaret :) Canada

One thing I like to mention is that often the pups won't feed (or be allowed to feed) until all the pups are born. Mine never have, and have come to no harm. The colostrum lasts for a couple of days before the 'real' milk comes in, so there's no rush.

So if it happens like this with yours, don't worry.
:)

YEAHHHHHHHHH!

8 GORGEOUS PUPPIES 4 GIRLS AND 4 BOYS, SHE WAS AMAZING, WHAT A FAB EXPERIENCE, SHE IS SO GOOD WITH THEM, THEY ARE ALL FEEDING OFF HER OK, AND SHE LOOKS DEAD CONTENT AND HAPPPY, BUT A LITTLE TIRED, SHE WENT OUT THIS MORNING FOR A WEE, SO HER WATERWORKS ARE OK, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP AND ADVICE. CHEERS FROM A VERY PROUD MAM DONNA. P.S. I HAVE 3 BOYS AS WELL, AND THEY LOVE THEM ALL TO BITS ALREADY.

congratulations on the new arrivals.give mummy lots of cuddles from me
mel :)