hi everyone i just wanted to ask about when a bitches milk drops. I have read off of different sites that after the mlk has dropped the bitch will welp 24 hours after that though i have also read that the milk will drop about a week and a half before giving birth.  So which info is right. Does it just depend or is there a textbook answer?

Im asking as my bitches milk dropped yesterday and the mucus plug today also she has been digging last couple of days, does anyone think she may have them tonight??

Hi yes it does just depend and there is no textbook answer different bitches will get milk at different times also the same bitch may differ litter to litter.It does sound as if she maybe in the first stages with the digging and the discharge so I would keep a close eye on her. Good Luck :)

HI, A MORE RELIABLE INDICATOR IN MY EXPERIENCE OF MY BITCHES IN WHELP IS A STEADY DROP IN HER RECTAL TEMPERATURE, THIS MAY HOVER AROUND 37.8 FOR A DAY OR SO THEN DROP TO AND REMAIN AT ABOUT 36.7 - 37.2 OUR BITCHES HAVE GONE INTO LABOUR WITHIN 12 HOURS OF REACHING THE LOWER TEMP. THE MILK WONT DROP FULLY UNTILL A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER GIVING BIRTH. ALSO IF SHE HAS NOT GONE INTO LABOUR WITHIN 12 HRS OF  REACHING THE LOWER TEMP RING THE VET .GOOD LUCK AND LET US KNOW.

My bitch had milk a week before whelping, this was 2 years ago,  then it all disappeared the day she whelped and never came back!  So I ended up hand rearing her litter, thankfully just the 4 pups and they all survived.

my bitch has had milk for 3 or 4 days now and she still has about 2 weeks to go but she is very big. this is her first litter. i think she may have the pups a few days early. on the other hand the sire of the pups mated another bitch who had pup 2 weeks ago and she never had milk till about 12 hours before she had pups.