my bitch is on day 52 and she is huge!! She had a litter last year but seems way bigger than at time of whelping last year. Is this normal for second time, I know that as a woman you tend to get bigger each time!! She doesn't have milk yet, so is a way off delivering, the poor thing!!

Yes my bitch was bigger the second time and she went on to have the same number of pups in both litters. Something to do with the muscles being more relaxed or something like that lol.

my bitch was not so big on the first litter had 10.then bigger on the second 6,got big on the third had one

Yep fraid so.

My Jozi was bigger for hr third litter than her second,a nd same number of pups.

She also showed much sooner for her second and third litters.

Her daughter was expecting her first litter at the same time and was not half her size even though she carried one more pup.

One of ours is pregnant at the moment for the first time and she's absolutely massive.  She's only small so I'm hoping that she doesn't have too many pups!  Her mum had 5 in her first litter which was amazing as she was quite small too but she just couldn't cope and killed them all, so I'm hoping this one doesn't do the same!

My poor girl is on day 59, this being her second litter, the last she delivered on day 62.  She had a few episodes of digging and panting 3 days ago but thankfully it came to nothing, can they have practise contractions like us?? She seemed as though she was going to start although milk still not in then (it is now). Bless her she gets bigger by the hour I'm sure!! We are ready for her but its such an anxious time. She isn't eating much, she has food available all the time but just eats a little here and there, not much room in there I guess??

Ahh hope all goes well, mum's struggling a bit with the first born at the moment so I'm just hoping that he survies as she's put so much into them!

thanks for your reply, now day 63!!  Not sure if they are coming soon, mum very lethargic and fidgety, absolutely huge now too. Milk is in, just waiting for her to get going. Have been up and down checking her during the night for the last 3, only hope it happens soon as I'm already exhausted, goodness knows how she feels!!

Is anyone awake?? My bitch is really restless, deep panting and occassional digging, she is on day 65 from first mating 63 from second, she seems in such discomfort it is distressing to watch. This has been going on for about 4 hours, am I in for a long wait, i'm feeling upset seeing her like this. Her last litter she delivered the first one without all of this (as I remember it)

Any news, Clair?

Oooh hope all's going well!

7 healthy pups, unfortunately first one got stuck, oxytocin given and delivered aided, sadly poppy too tired to continue so given a ceasarian and had to be spayed as bleeding wouldn't stop. Very traumatic for everyone, she is home now but I can't get a bit of sleep as she isn't interested in pups now, she is very restless. Not sure whether to call the vet again??

Just watch her and keep putting pups on teats and if needed rub bots with damp cotton wool balls.  She will be disorientated so you need to keep watch on her so that she doesn't;t hurt the pups by accident or in her confusion.

Milk might be a bit slow to come down after a   C section so keep an eye on that.

Sit with her so that she settles and praise her and the pups.

she keeps on throwing out her back legs as though in pain and digging a little too. I put a puppy on to her teat but she keeps kicking it off, I am frightened she will hurt it. She has pain killers but I was told not to start them until tomorrow as she was given a lot at the surgery tonight, we were there until 8pm.

My girl had a c-section on the 29th May, she at first didnt want the pups, we bottle fed for first 24hrs and then she was fine and can honestly say she is a brill mum now!!  She panted and kicked out alot for first few days,  Good luck and hope all goes well for you and the mummy and new arrivals.

Just keep persevering.  In the first day after a traumatic delivery I had to old my bitch in place as she would not have stayed put otherwise.  She is probably frightened of the whole thing.  The more you can get the pups to settle the sooner she will get relaxed about it, though it might take her a while to clean properly.

A first time mother that I had here to whelp was hopeless after her C section for a few days, but was a great Mum once she had the hang of it.

You need to maximise the bonding process so keep the pups with her, but do not leave her alone with them.

Thanks for all your advice, we have some whelpy and have bottle fed a couple of times but my girl seems much brighter now and is eating and drinking, I put the pups with her and she cleans them and lets them suckle but I watch from a gap in the doorway!!! She still has alot of discomfort and kicks out a little but is sooo much better than yesterday, I am hopeful she is bonding with them now as she was an excellent mum last time round I can't imagine she could permanently regect them

I would sit at her side and talk to her and praise her for taking care of the pups.  I hardly move from the whelping box for first four days, to rescue pups that get behind Mum.  After that in my bred the pups become strong enough to get out of trouble, a d bitch becomes accustomed to being careful and has recovered a bit from the whelping.

Ahhh so glad that she seems happier.  My mums dog had a litter last week, first two born naturally and the other two born by c-section 38 hours later!!  Didn't expect more than two but then started to feel one moving.  Unfortunately she killed one of the first born and we cannot trust her to leave the pups with her but my mum's been able to get her to allow the pups to feed as we didn't want to start the bottle feeding and the are one and a half weeks old now!!  The boy born naturally is still really small but the other two are doing really well.  They were born 8 days early and the last two 7 days early!!

Well what a week, my girl took over caring for the pups late on monday night and is doing brilliantly. She is really gentle with them, very willing to let us look at her pups, very proud of herself in fact. All is well that ends well, she is well on the road to a full recovery and pups are growing rapidly. Thanks to everyone who took an interest, it was lovely to have kind words when I couldn't see a way through.

Ahh brilliant, so pleased for you.  My mum's pups are also still doing well.  We've not trusted the mother to leave them with her but she's great at feeding times.  Doesn't like to clean their bums but does the other well!  The two girls are really big now but the boy born naturally is still only small but he's a tough un!

How are your pups doing?  My mums are doing wonderful and the boy was 3 weeks old today and the girls are 3 weeks old tomorrow evening!  They are getting up on their feet now and are sooooo cute and tiny!

What will be their offical date of birth then?

Think as two were born on the Thursday and the other two the following day that we will do it from the date of the first two pups!!  Still can't believe that she had so many pups in her because our average litter is 2 and she's only small herself and she was a singleton and the sire from a litter of 2!