I hear smaller toy breeds rarely go over, does this apply just to toys or other smaller dogs? I have a small hound bitch on day 65 and I am a little worried. She shows signs one minute then doesn't the next. Her temperature dropped yesterday morning, so I was expecting delivery soon, so you can see im quite anxious. She's had a litter before of 6 and managed to push all out, so I thought everything would be normal this time.
She digs and fidgets and cries (she is quite spoilt and often cries to tell me how her day has been etc) and she also went off her food yesterday morning (but will eat if she has to, she is naturally very greedy).
I am just waiting until a suitable time to call my mentor and vet, so any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance

Every whelping can be different, over how many days was she mated, did she have tests to confirm ovulation before mating?

As eggs and sperm can live for several days there is no way of knowing when fertilisation took place, we use the dates of mating as a guide line only.

Provided she is not stressed, has no green discharge or pushing with no results I would leave her, if nothing has happened by tomorrow with the weekend looming then I would take her to the vets for a check up.

My first litter my bitch messed about for a week before finally going into labour 63 days from second mating, I had taken her to the vets on day 64 from first mating, scan showed pups were fine and internal that the cervix had started to open and I just had to be patient.

Hope you have a safe healthy whelping

So it is okay if these early signs last a while? She only had one mating on her 12th day.
Thankyou for all the help

I also have a further query. This may sound stupid but what do contractions actually look like? I assure you my bitch is in good hands for the birth etc and I have bred before and seen them but this was 2 years ago. Thanks

One of our Pom's just had her litter on day 64, didn't really show any contractions at all for the first one.  She stopped eating the day  before although would have it if you handfed her.  Started scratching strongly about 3 hours before the birth.

Contractions can look very subtle...sometimes just a shivering, sometimes more pronounced like she is pushing to poo,she will go tense around the belly,but from my own experiences I rarely get a lot of warning it's all very subtle.My bitch that whelped 4 weeks ago was sunbathing in the garden one minute,no signs at all,stood up,bag burst and she started to frantically dig flowerbed so shovelled her quickly into whelping box just in time!! No shivering,shaking,sickness ,diarreah, digging,nothing!

I have had a bitch whelp on day 67.I know which day she ovulated on and only had one mating so she was definitely late. She dug her bed a lot for 3 or 4 days before she finally whelped and I was worried sick phoning the vet every day who kept telling me all was fine. I took her in on day 67 and asked for a scan or x ray to make sure we didn't have a stuck pup but my vet was right....all was fine and she whelped within an hour of getting back from vet....probably triggered by car journey I think. 

I wouldn't panic if she was not actually contracting but I have no experience with small breeds and would not know what is normal for them

Ali

As someone who is experienced in whelping small breeds, I say that not everyone recognises contractions.

And, certainly, very few inexperienced folk would recognised inertia.  If my bitch was this far along I would be at the vets asking for an x-ray.  Before someone attacks my opinion, I would always err on the side of caution.  If the OP doesn't recognise contractions, it is certain that inertia could go unnoticed.  And I wouldn't risk the life of my bitch, whatever the size.

Thanks for all the information.
Unfortunately not all turned out well. She started frantically digging and that's when I noticed the presentation of a puppy sac, but after this she just laid down and had no contractions. I knew something wasn't right so we rushed to the vet. Eventually she had to have a c section, but only after calcium tests and a shot of oxytocin was insisted upon, which i thought was wasting time. I am currently waiting at home for news of how she is doing, and if any puppies survived. At least from this i have learnt to insist on a c section right away if you know in your gut it needs to be done immediately.

I am still rather confused, as even when given oxytocin and contractions were enforced, she slept, as if she didn't have the energy to push, even though shed only been in labour for little under half an hour. If anyone can suggest an explanation to this id be so grateful.

That sounds like inertia.  Our Pom had her first naturally, second with Oxytocin at the vets and then the last 2 were born via c-section as inertia looked likely.....

I'm so sorry to hear this..... really hoping your girl is home safe soon with her new family x

I am still rather confused, as even when given oxytocin and contractions were enforced, she slept, as if she didn't have the energy to push, even though shed only been in labour for little under half an hour.

Definitely sounds like inertia. I'm pretty sure oxytocin should never be given unless a pup has already been born as otherwise it could cause serious problems. Fingers crossed for a good outcome now.

Hope everything works out well, you must be so worried. Hope you get a call from the vet and mum and pups are all fine.
Can some of the more experienced breeders give us details of the signs for Inertia and what to look for ?

Some bitches do have a little rest in-between puppies, so how would you know if the bitch is just having a little nap before the next puppy is born or she has inertia ?

Im sorry to hear its gone this way. Fingers crossed she's ok and puppies too.

My girl did the same just a couple of weeks ago, all the normal signs of whelping, digging, panting, sick, pooing, water sac presented which she popped - but not a single contraction, so I knew things weren't going the way they should, so off to the vet on a Sunday evening,  vet gave her oxytocin, then another 2 hours later but nothing.  Ended with a c-section for 4 strong healthy pups, fingers crossed you have a good outcome too.

Sorry that things haven't gone to plan, hope everyone is home safe now. She must have been in labour to have pushed out a sac, as has been said some are more subtle than others, my girls are noisy when it comes to actually pushing but quiet in between.

There are 2 types of inertia, primary when labour never starts, this can be due to single pup not triggering the hormones to start labour, an abnormally large litter over stretching the uterus and preventing contractions starting or it can be hereditary. It can't be easy to tell whether she has got pregnant a few days later than you thought or she is never going to go into labour and needs help, I would get her checked out if she was a couple of days past her due date from first mating or reached due date from second mating and there is no progress.

Secondary inertia is where labour and whelping has been going along fine and then stops, there is a natural rest between one horn and the next emptying but if this lasts longer than 2 hours and you know you have been giving nutrodrops to maintain energy and calcium to keep levels up and feathering doesn't work then it is time to go to the vets, it may be she just needs oxytocin to kick things off again but if that doesn't work then she will need a c/section to complete the whelping.

How did your bitch get on? Hoping for good news.

Luckily three survived but unfortunately one didn't make it. They are doing well so far, fingers crossed. Just wondering, I know puppies should be fed every 2 (some say 3) hours, but how long should they actually suck for each time? Obviously until they are full, but just wondering of a time frame to make sure the puppies are strong and dont fade.

They should be with the dam and allowed to suck as and when they want surely? Even if she's had a section I think it is normal to leave them together. Though if it helps I guess they probably nurse for around 5-10minutes usually.

In the first few days I expect puppies to be either on a teat or asleep or both.  the almost constant suckling will bring the milk in.

Weigh the pups mornign and night to ensure tney are not loosign ground, though a slight drop the day after, hopefully regained second day is fairly usual.

Pups that have been born by C section may well be sleepy and need to be woken and put on a teat, so that enough milk is stimulated.

I agree with agilabs.  Pups and mum are inseperable.  My pups are normally attached to the teat for some time, and once satisfied, normally go to sleep still attached.  Pups will often give a reassurance tug without waking.

Our litter came out yelling, the nurse handed them to me straight from mum in theatre and they were trying to latch onto my finger...definitely not sleepy from the GA.  They were born day 60 from 1st mating

I had to literally put a lead on mum to get her out for a wee, then she was quickly back in and for the first week I really struggled to get her out, even to change the bedding etc. pups were permanently latched on.

I actually never said the pups weren't with their mum, as they obviously are, its the best way for mum and pups, and she is such a great mum. One or two pups still need a bit of help getting latched on nipples, so I come every two hours to make sure they are fed well. Shame some on this forum automatically jump to conclusions.

>Shame some on this forum automatically jump to conclusions.

People can only respond to the amount of information they've been given.

You asked how long the puppies should suck. The answer: for as long as they want, as often as they want.

So glad your girl has come through the op and you have three babies. Thanks for coming back on and letting us know how things are, I have been checking back on and off for news.
It must have been a very stressful experience and you are naturally anxious about mum and her babies, try and relax and enjoy your litter. Hope all goes well from now on.
I am sure people don't mean to be critical, but the written word sometimes causes confusion, and I am sure some people were just concerned. Please do not let it put you off asking for help or advice if you need it. And please continue to give us updates when you get the chance.

So glad you had a mostly happy outcome, at least mum is ok and 3 puppies is a bonus! Can I suggest you try to spend more time with them? It's not happened to me, but I've heard many times of people leaving the puppies for a short time and finding mum has unfortunately rolled and smothered one by accident. Most of the people on here virtually live by the side of the whelping box, sleeping there too. Hope all goes smoothly from now on - you deserve it after the difficult whelping! :-)

> so I come every two hours to make sure they are fed well.

A big no no on here I'm afraid.  I think you will find that breeders actually stay with their bitches.  It is a worry that pups can be suffocated or crushed.  You often need to rescue pups that have found their way around mum to her back, and need to be replaced before they come to harm.  I stay with mine for at least 4 weeks.  Others may vary depending on breed.  I don't see where anyone has jumped to conclusions.  I expect you are feeling a bit touchy due to the worry.  People on here have many years of experience that would help you.

Glad the mum and pups are fine.

We stay with the bitch and awake (take shifts) for the first 3 weeks and the bitch is not left alone with the pups for a second (not even having toilet breaks unless somebody is taking over and once mum is happy to move from pups she comes to the toilet with me when I need to go!) and after that somebody sleeps in the room till pups are about 5 weeks old...
However, mine is a giant breed so mum is very heavy compared to the puppies and people have lost pups even when there and mum has stepped one one by accident, so we do not leave ours at all till they are bigger and stronger.

I don't mean to be critical but would not wish you to go through a heartbreak of losing one of the precious pups due to mum laying on them or one getting lost and chilled as they really do not keep their temperature when newborn (mum could pick one up and push it of the box when cleaning or even be confused and take one out etc).
In two hours they are left anything could happen so better safe than sorry and stay with the pups.

I have a breed that are not too heavy, normally pretty nimble and careful so do not watch them every minute after the first  week, though do sleep by them until the eyes are open, and usually feel I can leave the bitch and pups for short periods once eyes are open.

I keep a baby monitor on once I return to my own bed,a dn theya re aroudn 3 weeks old.

In the case of a C section though the bitch can be somewhat disorientated and sleepy for several days and I would not leave her and pups unattended.  Also as said before pups may have effects of GA and need putting on to suckle more often.