Hello, my name is Debbie and I have a bitch that is on day 53. She is carring 8 pups and started a discharge on day 50, emergency vet said elevated white blood cell count of 27,000 and thought it looked like infection, did ultra sound and did hear heart beats. Next day my reproduction specialist said ultra sound showed 7 live and 1 dead pup. She is on medicine now and has had a pregesteron test that showed 8.8. It is now day 53 and we took new blood tests for white cell count and progesteron count that we will get back tomorrow.

1st Litter last year whelpped on May 25th 2003 11 pups all healthy and strong. Nugget is a Golden Retr. 3 yrs. old.

Question whelpping a dead pup. I know from the book of the bitch and the reproduction specialsit what to look for, what I'm looking for now is lst hand experience with advice. I know that it's possible that she may pass this pup before whelping or she may carry it until she goes into labor. It's the first pup on the left hand side closest to the valva, which means it could be the first one. Unless she starts with the other horn first.  Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

By the way I was dede1001 last year with Nuggets first litter and all of you were such wonderful helpful people that I thought I would sign on and ask your advice again except for that my account would not reactivate.

 

Goodness you are lucky to know so much about the number of pups etc.  Mostof us just have to wait and see what happens at whelping, even if a scan has confirmed pregnancy, ffew people are anything like accuarate enough to take notice of.

My bitch whelped last week, and the second pup was born dead.  It was minus the mebranes and took an hour from expelling contractions to be born (rather than the more usual few minutes), and I did have to apply some traction and ease it out, as it was hard work for her.  I have in the past had stillborn pup born with little or no effort, so I don't think there is a hard and fast rule.

You will really have to wait and see.

Hi Debbie
you shouldnt have any major problems with the whelping of the dead puppy and if it is the first leave it with nugget to avoid distressing her by taking it away,you can remove it when she has some live puppies to keep her occupied,dead pups are part of nature so let it take its course.
nice to hear from you again ! :)
kate