Wehee!  Pepsis going into labour (I think).  She has been very unsettled, has been letting off all night and going to the toilet quite a lot, going in out of whelping box, standing for ages, turning round looking at her nether regions and now it looks like shes having contractions.  Shes almost arching her back as if shes getting the pains.  Theres been no significant discharge or panting yet, although she has been wimpering now and then.  Could this be it.  I,m on my first cup of coffee for the night as I don,t want to go to sleep!

oooooohhhhhhh!!!!!!
good luck and keep us posted

jjr

At about 3.30 pepsi settled down again, I had two hours sleep before my kids woke up and still nothing has happened.  Could it be that she was just having like practice contractions.  She was def. in pain last night.  Still pumping well and going to the loo alot (pepsi that is!) and she just wants to sleep at the moment(don,t we all).

Hi, Hows it going?  Sometimes the first stage does stop and start. Though once she enters the second stage - (pushing contractions) - if pushing contractions have started and are fairly regular and then they stop, this could be a sign of a problem.
If you think that she has been actually pushing and there are still no pups I would ring your vet for advice. Normally: after the first obvious hard push contraction, there is no mistaking it, where the back arches right up and sometimes they grunt or whine) if there is no pup within 2 hours then its definately time to ring the vet.

Best of luck

The first water sack needs to come out first, that sometimes takes a while, she will give gentle contractions to move it down.

Hopefully by now things are progressing, keep us posted!

Good luck

Pepsi has just rested this morning and I have just offered her some food.  She,s eaten half of it and actually seems quite settled at the moment.  No signs of anything happening in the nether regions though.  She does,nt seem to be getting any real pains at the moment either.

Good Luck!!!! Keeping fingers crossed and everything else for that matter for you. Keep us posted. Big kiss for Pepsi.

Lynn

good luck mate, no news here abbie day 58 and happy to sit outside and enjoy the weather

fingers and paws are crossed

kerrie

hpoe everything is going fine we have 4 days to go getting no sleep already just thinking about it , she does,nt want to know her whelping box just keeps digging a deeper hole to australia at the bottom of the garden so i,m watching her constantly

Have you noticed a change in your bitches shape too.  Pepsi has changed shape over the last few days.  Not quite as rounded around the sides and top.  Everything seems to have just dropped away to the floor.  Her spine sticks out so much.  Is this quite normal.  Her nether regions seem to have extra wobble too.  Shes still no further, infact shes gone outside to laze in the sun.

If she's changed shape then I expect the panting was the pups lining up to be born, all being well she should whelp pretty soon.  I've not seen my bed either for 10 days, stayed up for a few nights before she whelped and have been up ever since. 

Good luck

ive noticed that in abbie, her spine sticks out and her nether regions seem to have extra wobble and after a night of digging in her whelping box she is now out sunbathing :)

I,m just wondering if it,s safe to go out for a couple of hours later when I,m supposed to be horse riding and pick the kids up from school etc, or should I just cancel and stay and keep watch on her.  Shes still settled and no further on.
You say that you've not seen your bed for ten days (Sandra 33). Did everything go okay for you.  How many puppies do you have?

Yes we have 7 pups, first pup born within minutes of the first water sac presenting.  She also ate 1/2 hour before!  First litter too.

Not sure what to suggest about going out, but I don't think I would risk it, especially as she has shown signs that something is on the move.

I definitely wouldn't risk it!

hi pepsi mum. any news ?

Sorry I have,nt kept in touch much yesturday, very busey day.  OH birthday and all that.  Pepsis looking very settled.  Nothing seems to be happening at all.  I just wonder if all the signs I thought she was getting the other night were practice contractions etc.  No sign of anything at all from the nether regions and pups are still quite active in mums belly.  I actually went to bed to sleep last night as I was starting to feel quite ill myself (prob just no sleep).  Pepsis temp around 99.4 this morning so still no big drop yet. This feels as though I,m in for a long wait now.  

ule have to let us know as soon as how many she has and how they all are,its so exiting! :)

Oooh, if the pups are kicking away I say that it will be a while yet.  With my girls the pups usually go a bit quieter, must be moving into place a couple of days before :d  I've got everything crossed for you :d

Hi
What day is Pepsi on?

Hi, she's now on day 63 (sat).  She's not eating much at all and she's peeing and drinking more than usual.  Most of the time she's asleep.

Hiya, just to let you all know that pepsis temp went down tonight til 98.5 and then 98.1 and things look to be on there way now (Sun morning).  We have def. panting, wandering in and out of bed, crying, and wanting to scramble the carpet up even though I've put loads of newspapers down.  Hope I've got everything ready.  Just put the steriliser on and got my box of tricks to hand.  Anybody else still up tonight busy whelping?

Morning - any news? :)

Well, she's seems to have stopped the panting bit and is now in her whelping box lying down, awake, sort of twinning away to herself.  Ive just taken her temp again and it is 96.8.  Is this too low do you think?  She's refusing to get out of her box to go for a wee or anything.

Morning
How it going? Maddy's temp dropped to 36.5 (97.7) sat morning (day 60) 24hrs ago and has stayed low since. There's no panting and very short scrapes of her bedding between sleeps, I think she is just rearranging her blankets to get comfy not to make a nest! I managed to get a few hours sleep, not because of Maddy keeping me awake it's the nervousness and excitement that doing it. The waiting is a nightmare. I've read that some dogs don't pant or digging for very long before having their first pup, it's hers and my first litter so I don't want to fall asleep and not wake up because I'm a very heavy sleeper and I mean heavy! It shouln't be long now I'm sure.

I don't think 96.8 is too low, it can drop down to 96. I would check if it stays that low for a long time, I'm not sure if it should rise slightly after a short time.

I take that back about her bedding, I've just checked on her (computer is in another room) and her bed looks like a bombs hit it, could this be it? Are the pups on there way? We shall see, soon I hope

hi it sounds like things are close, abbie went though over 20 hours of the heavy panting and bed ripping before her litter came,
good luck and keep us imformed

kerriexxx

How is abbie and pups?  Have you managed to get any sleep now that there here?  It's funny, I feel so sorry for pepsi being in all this pain and you can't do anything to help her.  She keeps standing looking at me and trying to talk to me as if saying 'ow this hurts, do something for me please'.  She's panting away again after her little restbite.  OH has taken kids to mother in laws to give us some peice and quite. Pepsi has'nt really been shredding her bedding or anything, it's more like she's wanting to rearrange it.  She did start to dig a hole in the garden before when she went out for wee.

abbie and the pups are fine, no still no sleep, abbie has to be reminded to lay on her side and not on her belly so the pups can feed, some of the pups are less than 24 hours old and they alrady have diffent personalitites, they are amazing to watch
good luck with pepsi
kerrie xxx

Looks like I might have a bit of a wait, How long was abbie's temp down for before she had her puppies?

abbies temp was down for 32 hours before she had hers
good luck jules369
kerrie xxxx

May be it wont be that long, I'm sure it says in "the book of the bitch" that it starts 24-36 hrs after temp has dropped, if that's the case Sat morning 8.00am it dropped which could mean only the max 10hrs to go! I'm getting excited now. You never know she might not bother with bed shredding and panting she might (hopefully) just drop them (excuse the phrase). I'll go and check her now she will probably be still asleep!

Still asleep, hasn't moved.....

My girl panted very gently from 2am then without any digging or heavy panting produced the first pup 9am next morning, not a groan or grunt, she slept peacefully all night too, she has to be the calmest bitch I ever have whelp and it was her first litter too!

Pepsi is frantically ripping up her bedding at the moment, still losts of heavy panting.  She keeps trying to dig herself a little den when she goes out for a wee so I,ve decided to put a clothes horse over the top of her whelping bed and then put a large sheet across to help her with that cave craving she seems to have.  Don,t know if it'l help or not.  Her temp is on the up again too. Any news off anybody else.

Hope all's going well.

No news from me, maddy is still sleeping most of the time she has been outside a few times today then gone back to bed! Her temp is still only 36.5 and it has been for over 31 hours!!!

Pepsi has been having painful contractions which now seem to have eased off and she's taking the time to rest.  I rang my dogs breeder for advise as it's now been over 12 hours since first real pains.  She has said it all sounds okay and to take her for a walk around the garden, see if that gets her going again.  Pepsis temp has now gone up to 98.9.  Shes also had a little clear watery discharge but no signs yet of any bearing down or puppies. Looks like another night of no sleep. Oh the joys!!!

If she's showing signs of a watery discharge it could mean that first water sack is about to appear, I agree walk her around under close supervision it may get things moving along.

Good luck

Hiya, me again.  Pepsi had a gush of water at 9.30 this evening and now I'm starting to get worrid.  She has'nt had any real urges to bear down yet and it's now 12.00.  Phoned the vet and she said it sounds as though there on their way.  If nothing comes by morning then take her in.  Has anyone every had a delivery like this (waters breaking and not much happening)  Sorry to sound paranoid but I do feel so alone in all this at the moment.

Hi, have been reading your posts with much interest.  I cant be of any help really but you sound as though you could do with someone to talk to. I dont know if there is anybody else on who has experience with what you are going through so I thought I would give you a bit of moral support until some one else turns up.  I am sure that everything will be fine but I know that you must be worried, just try to relax and get that kettle on and make some nice strong coffee, here if you need to talk :)  Sarah

Thanks Sara.  I just feel so useless.  She's been panting away there, most of the day and I just don't want her to get so exhusted and not be able to cope.  She still seems to be losing water from her nether regions, then she licks it and it makes her nearly sick.  Now I'm confused.  The vet said that a greenish water discharge is normal.  Pepsis is clear.  I just thought she would be pushing by now.  I must sound like a right pillock. Sorry, but like I say, I'm worried for her.

i think  it must be soon sounds like my girl  she did the same 8 days ago we now have 7 little fellas :) im here to m8y

Did you have similar exp. with her waters going (Discusdave)?

Hi Christine,

Sorry you're finding that things are dragging on with Pepsi - I can understand you'll be concerned.  I've only had one litter so don't have much personal experience to draw on as my girl whelped the first puppy within minutes of her water breaking.   That said, I know they are all as different as women :(   I hope someone else more experienced is up and about and comes along soon but on a personal note I'd be in touch with my vet again soon as I know I would have been worried about leaving my girl until next morning if I thought labour had actually started already.  Does your vet have 24 hours cover out of hours?  Ours is affiliated to a network that runs a special clinic from the PDSA facilities in the town centre covering all the local vet practices - a sort of NHS 24 but for animals :)  so there was someone at the end of a phone and a full time team on stand-by in a surgery environment all night and weekend if we needed it (which thank God we didn't).

Thinking of you and Pepsi - bless you both, Teri x  

Our vets have a on call vet.  That's who I was put through to before but I don't think there's any surgery open round about.  Everybody has been so kind.  I think perhaps the lack of sleep is getting to me as I'm starting to feel all emotional and that's not really like me.

I think we can all understand how it's getting to you - even though we know we should be resting up ourselves before labour starts it's impossible to relax when the time starts to draw near because these girls like to keep us guessing :rolleyes:   Don't blame you at all for being emotional - believe me, been there and done that and that will apply to any caring breeder.

Do you have a good friend or close mentor in your breed that's had a few different whelpings before who you could telephone for advice?  I know it's late but I'm sure if it's someone who knows your position they could at least advise if they've been in a similar position and what they'd feel was best to do now.

Teri

I feel for you I really do, it must be such a worrying time for you both.  Don hesitate to call the vet if you really feel that there is something wrong.  I am sure that all will be well and tommorrow you will be telling us all your good news :)  Sarah

Oh, I think I can feel something. I have just felt her nether regions and it feels like there is a hard lump (poss puppy).  She's lying on her side and it almost feels as if this lump is behind  the top of her back leg.  Could this be a puppy moving down towards her vulva.  Knowing me, it's prob. just her bone sticking out a bit cause she's in a funny poss.  Mind it does seem to be slowly moving towards the important end.