My bitch had puppies last night, she hasnt yet passed the last pups placenta, should I be concerned?

I wouldn't be too concerned just yet.  Is she otherwise fine?  As long as there is no nasty smell, I would give her a chance.

Having said that, I'm surprised how many times I haven't even seen them, the bitch has snaffled it that blooming quickly!

I have always tried to remove some myself, before they get chance to eat the lot.  This time, Suzie was so fast that she gulped down the placentas for the first 3, and a few minutes later the lot came back up, and I had chance to remove them.  After another 3 pups she did exactly the same.  I had dozed and missed number 7 (thought she had finished) so I guess she ate that one.

I try to let a bitch have some, as it's a normal instinct, but if it's a large litter like this one, if they eat the lot, they have the smelliest loosest poo and it's stinky.

Thanks jean, my girl was more interested in eating the placentas than cleaning the pups, she gobbled the first 3 down, she could well have got to the 4th without me seeing I guess.

She is fine in herself, panting as i would expect and very very tired.

She's tired!  LOL

You must be bloody knackered!

Chuffed for you though.  I'm so glad that your bitch is fine.

She still hasnt passed the afterbirth...not that i have seen anyway. She is eating and drinking normally, not panting excessively and seems very well in herself, so I'm thinking that she may have just eaten it as it came out.

This is going to sound like such a daft question! But there is what i would describe as an eggy sort of smell coming from the whelping area...dont know whether it is coming from my girl or whether it is just a normal puppy smell? It doesnt smell nasty...just eggy is the best way i can think to describe it.

The only smell that overpowered me last week with Suzie, was that awful metallic whiff from the blood.  If your girl seems so well in herself, I wouldn't worry unless there was a "nasty" smell and you would immediately suspect infection.

You don't think the eggy smell could possibly be flatulence due to eating afterbirths?

Thanks jean, i think thats what it is, and im maybe a little paranoid about smells as I didnt see her pass the afterbirth.

Another question (sorry!) how soon is too soon for my girl to come on walks with me, i walk over private land where no other dogs go, she was absolutely desperate to come out with the others this morning.

My girls would never ask to leave their whelps this early.  Last night Suzie got on the sofa next to me for a fuss, but went back to her pups within minutes. 

There are split ideas on this one, so I hope others will give you opinions too.  I don't allow mine outside until pups are mobile.  So many diseases are airborn, I feel that little pups don't have enough ammunition to fight this soon.  I do have a huge garden that dogs can race around in, so it's not as if they can't get exercise at all.  It's far bigger than an agility course.

Others will tell you that they still take their bitches out.  I think this is a personal decision (I'm not saying that I'm right, and others are wrong.)

sounds odd to me , I couldn't get my bitches away from their babies to do a wee even , they had to be ushered out and  one wee'd as she went along , she was in such a hurry to get back . My bitches only use the garden whilst pups are in the nest ...too risky disease wise and the bitch might be wet or have a cold tum when she goes back in to them ...

I realise most bitches dont want to leave or be away from their litter in the early days, but I dont think it is odd in terms of behaviour from my bitch, she is generally very 'hard in temperament at times. She is doing a fantastic job of feeding and seeing to them but, I can see she is torn between the pups and going elsewhere. I will definitely hold off on walks for now as she would probably end up very conflicted when out, and thats not to mention the various other reasons.
I've just had a game with her in the garden for 20 minutes and she seems much more happier now!

I'd hold off for a couple of weeks, and if some games in the garden are keeping her happy that should be fine for now. :-)

drover, at the end of the day, you know your own bitch.  You have to do what is right for them.

The general rule of thought now in the veterinary profession is that it's not a problem if a placenta hasn't come out - it will either work its way out naturally or be reabsorbed. In fact there was one thread recently (which I'm not sure I agree with) where the vets actually left the placenta's in after a C-section in order to help the womb contract.

So I wouldn't worry too much about a missing placenta.  Obviously you're keeping an eye on things and would notice anything untoward.

As for walking, *I* wouldn't do it just because I'm paranoid about what she might bring home to the pups.  However the other thing is that while she's torn - I suspect you might get a couple of minutes down the road and you'd end up with her dragging back to the house to look for the pups.  If playing garden games with her is working I'd stick to that.  But that's just me, and I'm still relatively new to this game

Congrats on your litter btw.