She's still eating very little, she won't go outside unless I am with her.  How long usely after temp drops should I start seeing active labor?  This is her first and her mom had to have 2 sections. I'm hoping this baby pops them out.

Usually somewhere between 24 and 32 hours. That is a rough guideline but any later than 32 hours and it may be worth a phonecall to your vet to let him know incase your bitch is suffering from inertia - which means they can have problems getting into second stage or lack of ability to push.

Trust me, I know that stage to well. My last litter that my other mom had placenta seperation and never even passed one pup.  All of them were fine though, made it to the vet at 6a.m. Don't need to tell you what that bill looked like!   Well she keeps looking for me. I feel bad, I want her to stay in her room in her box put she just cries for me. Then God forbid I stay in the room with her all day, my husband will want to know what I did all day.
She's not contracting yet.  She just can't figure what she wants.  She keeps pacing.  Her temp has gone back up to 100.4   Just keeping all eyes on her.

Thanks for you help!

Lureina

hi there,
once you've pinpointed the drop which can be as low as 97F,which stay's low for a few hr's you can take this as indication that she will whelp within the next 24hr's if not then maybe a phone call to your vet.if you've had problem's before you'll know what to look out for,hope everything goes well.also some bitch's go off there food for a day or two ,when there about ready to whelp.

She still looking for alittle food.  She'll eat very little which is what is surprising me since her temp dropped.  She's now back to about 100.4 I'm getting ready totake it again soon.

Thanks
Lureina

I took cocco's temp again at around 12pm and she had gone up to 100.4  @ about 8pm I took it again and she went back down to 98.6 is this normal, for her to go down twice?  She is alittle restless at 12:30am she starting to pant a couple of times but that was it. It's now 1:24am  no more panting just aittle resteless.  She has me nervous.

Lureina

it is normal for her temp to go up & down in the week before she whelps.

Once you see a significant drop (below 98) then she should go into labour within 24 hours. If she doesn't - call your vet. 

I'm sure she'll start soon.

She went back up to 99.6 I took it at 6:45  She's panting very little but restless.  I'm sooooooooooo Tired and so is she.  On top of worring about her I had a daughter up with abdominal pains I wasn't winning last night I think I got 3 hrs of sleep. I'm going to call the vet around 8:30  He should be there in 15 minutes. See what he says.

we found with our last litter that mum's temp was all over the place for 3 day's before she had the pup's but on the day she whelp and with a temp drop she was also very quiet,did'nt eat,and could'nt settle,and of course the usual bed tearing etc..
i think you have to look for more sign's than just the temp drop,although it is a good indication,but normally goes along with other mentioned sign's
good luck and keep us posted on future developments

Will after I called the doc at 8:45 in the morning mom started to cry alittle.  We took her out to wee and she started to push, my daughter ran her in and she had ran to her box.  She squeaked twice and her first sonwas born at 9:30a.m. This dog did not nest she gave me no sings except for the temp drop.  She had her last at 3:07P.m.  SHe did a wonderful job.  She's being such a good mommy.  I Cou;dn't even get her to go out last night.  She woke me up in the morning took her out and she's letting me know.  I can't tell her when she needs to go.  I am so proud of her.  All the pups are doing well the smallest weighing 4.1 Ounces and the largest weighing at 5.1  and they were all born 58 days from first mating. 

Oh by the way they were all born New Years Eve. On my daughters Birthday
Thanks for all your help!

Lureina

great news. how many babies in total?

6 Babies.  There all doing Great!!  Tell me anyone of any suggestions on what I can give mom to produce more milk.  She doesn't seem to be having enough there crying on her constantly.   The little guy weighed in at 4.1 when he was born and is only at 4.6 ounces when the others are all at 6.1 or 6.4 ounces. 

Help!

Lureina

Make sure mum drinks lots of fluids. Without that she can't produce enough milk. It may take a couple of days for her milk to come in properly - but the more the pups suck, the more she'll be stimulated to produce. Her food needs to be top-quality, and the amount she needs will be steadily increasing - but the time the pups are 3 weeks she will be needing about 4 times her usual quantity, and still as much fluid as she can take.

Good luck.
:)

I have food available to her at all times.  I even have moist layed out A/D  very fattening only cause she barely ate through the pregnancy.  Lots of water out.  I even have to give it to her as she's nursing. She won't leave those babies. lol

Thanks,
Lureina

I'm sure her milk will come in.
She should be on a premimum quality high protein food suitable for lactating bitches. & should be having feeds about 5 x daily.
Or if she has constant access to food, then I guess that's ok. - I can only pressume she isn't a lab!
Just keep putting the smaller one on to feed & watch him suckle.
A/d ? is that Hills? what are the protein levels in it?

Also, after about the third day, a 15 minute walk in a safe, secluded place, away from other dogs, will be very beneficial to her. My own bitches have always had to be literally dragged from their babies for necessary wee-breaks during the first 3 days (as soon as they've relieved themselves I let them off the lead to run back to their families) but after the third day they are starting to feel the need for more fresh air and come and ask for a walk.
:)

It's now three days, she still has no milk.  She eats very very little and also isn't drinking much.  I don't knwo what else to do and no she isn't a lab she is a shitZhu.  I have her on Science Diet Puppy Bites.

Lureina

If the pups are gaining then she has milk.  I don't ecpect to see a bitch filling up until she is feeding at greater intervals (several hours) when pups are a couple of weeks old and can go longer between feeds, at this stage they wuill take all off as it is produced.

I well rember never being able to express a drop myself when i started breast feeding, but when the demand feeding had paid off and the milk really came in then the baby could go longer between feeds and it felt like walking around with rocks on ones chest if I was late giving a feed.

If she is reluctant to come out to the box then feed and waster her in her bed.  I do this four or five times a day, and also feed the dry food soaked to capacity to ensuer plenty of liquid intake.

She needs to eat, try mixing some meat in with her dry food or offer her some chicken / fish / meat / eggs.
Are the pups contented & gaining weight. Sometimes a bitch will appear to have little milk, but she may have milk. A good way to tell is by the condition of the pups. If they are gaining weight & all settled (but not so quiet that they are lethargic) then they should be ok.
I really would try to encourage her to eat, then her milk should come in a bit better.

I remember nursing my third child was the one that had me always dried up.  I have men giving her alittle meat in her food. I have eggs for her and they all are gaining weight but one.  He seems to be the one that can't get in.  I try to let him on before everyone else.

Someone had told me to out some brown sugar in her water she'll drink it al up and it would help wit bringing in milk.  What do you all think?

Lureina

I put Glucose or preferably a table spoon of Honey in a couple of pints of boiled water, both would be better for her than sugar.  I think this helps keep their energy levels up for such a hard job.  Also try putting the littlest pup on a teat when the others are asleeep, as well as making sure he has a good teat when they are all feeding.

Give her whatever she wants to drink. Put sugar in her water, water down milk for her, whatever she'll take. Boil up some bones and give her the flavoured water, it really doesn't matter. Anything that'll get her drinking.
:)

See if she'll take Lactol or other milk substitute, and when she takes to that, add a raw egg yolk.

Goats milk is good too without upsetting her tummy.Gail :) :) :)

If the pups are gaining weight then the milk is there on demand to the pups.
However, if they are not and the milk does appear to have "dried" up then it COULD be a sign that the bitch has a womb infection. Have you taken your bitches temp. to check she is OK? The only way you can be 100% all is well is to ask your vet to check her. Are you sure she passed all placentas at the birth as occasionally a retained placenta can cause an infection.
As for your "little" pup if he is not gaining you really need to make sure he gets to the teat else maybe consider supplement feeding him.
Hope all is well but best to be sure no infection as if untreated can be very serious.

has she been to the vet's since having the pup's,if not it might be wise to take her along,after one of our bitch has a litter we alway's take mum to vet's for a oxyitocin,calcium and antibiotic jab,i remember once we took one of our lhasa's bitch's and pup's to the vet for the rountine jab's ,but when we saw this particular vet ,new to the practice , she would'nt give any jab's said she did'nt need them,nature would take it's course,i was'nt happy but who am i to argue,but saying this she has and is the only bitch we have had any prob's with ,she did'nt produce enough milk and the pup's became dyhyrated,very worrying as they where born on day 57 and started going down hill fast,i then spoke to a vet i'd used before,and we took them straight down to see him,he checked the mum,and pup's and then administed all jab's needed ,within half an hour polly was dripping in milk,and pup's came on in leap's and bound's,many people think the oxyitocin is just to make the womb contract,but with it bein a hormone injection is does stimulate the milk production.hope everything goes well,just to add we alway's add glucose to our girls water ,when in labour and then maybe for a week after pup's are born,if we have a bitch that won't eat we alway's find a bowl of icecream ,get's the taste bud's going.you could also try syringing water in to mum's mouth,we did this with polly ,and once she got the taste for it she was fine

we also feed mum scrambled egg and rice pudding ,as well as her normal food,while she's nursing a litter.