I have a bitch who is due to whelp on Saturday. She seemed quite big up until last week and was having trouble walking far, but instead of getting bigger she seems to be shrinking and seemed quite sprightly on her walk this morning. She's doing a lot of digging which I would expect but I'm getting a bit worried that something is going wrong. She was scanned at 30 days and there were definitely at least 4 pups then and I can feel some movement so it isn't a phantom.

I suppose it's a matter of wait and see, but I wondered if anyone else had experienced this?

I notice this sometimes and it's when the pups are moving into position to be born, so maybe they are in a better position for her to walk about. My last girl to whelp galloped around right until the end with this pregnancy (4 pups), but her in previous pregnancy(5 pups) she gave up running quiet early on, so it's different every time. If you can feel movement that should reassure you.
Good luck with your puppies.
Liz

Agree with Liz.  I'm betting pups have moved, and she just looks different to you!  On tenterhooks now until Saturday then?  :-)  :-)

Hi, our female is due puppies on Sunday and she has dropped quite a lot which makes her look thinner from the top, as has been said the puppies are now moving into position, OMG i hate this waiting bit, good luck with your babies. lol

same here our pups are due next week and her pups have dropped she looks thin when you look at her from the top ....shes got vey quite and wants to sleep all day ..she dont even want to walk now ..and she llooooovvvvveeesss her walks xx

good luck :) xx

this happened to my girl who had pups last weekend its just the pups moving down ready for birth
good luck

Thank you all for your help. I'm probably being over cautious, but I mated this young lady's mum (now to be granny) last year and she had a singleton which had to be born by cesarean and subsequently had to hand rear as mum had no milk although she did nurse her. Bit worried that this is happening again. With all my previous litters in the past the mum has waddled right to the end:-)

Annette and Izzi