The bitch may be in trouble if she is straining for a long time and no puppy is born – or if she strains for a while and then stops straining without producing a puppy or placenta. If you think that your bitch is having trouble delivering a puppy you should contact your vet for advice immediately.
Be sure to call the vet if: Your dog has been pregnant for over 63 days. Stage I labor has gone on for 24 hours without producing a pup. Stage I normally lasts 6 to 12 hours – the dog will exhibit nesting behavior and her temperature will drop.
If there are no puppies within a few hours it is best to see your vet. They can make sure that your dog has had all their puppies or if any are stuck. They can help them deliver these puppies or do a c-section.
Call your vet for advice immediately if your dog is having trouble giving birth or has been straining for 20-30 minutes without producing a puppy – a delay could be the difference between life and death.
Typically pregnancy in the dog lasts for 63 days, with some slight variation. However, a dog that is pregnant for over 66 days is not normal, and the vet should be contacted immediately. You may notice several changes in your dogs that can indicate that she is close to giving birth.
There are many potential causes of dystocia in dogs. These can include issues with the fetus such as its size or position in the birth canal, and maternal problems such as poor contractions, an infection in the uterus or abnormalities in the pelvic canal, vaginal vault or vulvar opening.
– A dog pregnancy can vary between 56 – 70 days. Typically, puppies should arrive about 63 days (just over 2 months) after conception. Are there any tell-tale dog pregnancy symptoms? – Like humans, some dogs can suffer from 'morning sickness' and will vomit in the early stages of pregnancy.
They are ways to help induce your dog's labor. First, take your dog for a short, and not arduous, walk. Second, try massaging her nipples; this can stimulate her contractions. Third, try gently massaging her abdomen starting at her sides.
Canine pregnancy lasts for approximately 63 days, but ranges from 57 to 72 days from a single breeding. This is due to the variability in the ovulation timing and semen survival in the female dog. During this time hormonal and physical changes develop and are observed in the female.
The best way to determine if a dog still has puppies inside her is to x-ray her abdomen. Sometimes, it is possible to palpate and feel the presence of pups, but occasionally a pup may be within the birth canal and be missed using this method.
Return to the vet a few days after her due date.
If your dog still hasn't had her puppies a few days past her due date, it's a good idea to take her into the vet. The vet can determine what problems she's having with the birth by examining her.
Watch for restlessness or spasms.
If your dog refuses to nurse and starts pacing excessively, she may have milk fever. Milk fever, also known as eclampsia, may cause the mother to refuse the puppies. Symptoms begin with restlessness or anxiety. The mother may start to walk with a stiff or wobbly gait.
If the dog is no longer whimpering, moaning, or panting, it may be a sign that it has finished whelping. Count the puppies just to make sure that you have the right number. Supervise your dog for at least two hours. If you're not sure if your dog is taking a break, continue to supervise your dog.
Some pet owners try to avoid these costs by using natural home remedies such as rubbing the mother's nipples which may help stimulate the production of hormones known to induce labor. Others believe walking the dog in short intervals can help along with massaging stomach muscles.
First Stage of Labor
Your dog may suffer from loss of appetite on whelping day. Some dams will regurgitate their earlier meal and act lethargic, often sleeping more than usual. The whelping mother will then go through occasional minor contractions for several hours before active labor with intense contractions.
A normal dog gestation period (or pregnancy) is 63 to 65 days, regardless of the size or breed of the dog. For example, a Chihuahua is pregnant for the same amount of time as a Rottweiler. Though how long dogs are pregnant is shorter than humans, like humans, dogs also have three trimesters.
Your dog sniffs you more than usual
“Dogs can smell changes in the body when their owner goes into labor — these smells come from hormones associated with the pregnancy and labor process such as oxytocin, estrogen, and progesterone,” Askeland says. “They may even be able to smell placenta.”
It usually lasts 3 to 12 hours. In this stage abdominal contractions can be seen. Your dog's waters may break, which will be seen as clear fluid. In normal labour, your dog may show weak and infrequent straining for up to 2 hours (or at the most 4 hours) before giving birth to her first puppy.
The right time to breed your dog is when she is around two to three years old. Her body has then become fully matured to take on the full stress of pregnancy and the things that come after.
The delivery of an entire litter of puppies can take between 1 and 24 hours. Increased puppy survival is associated with shorter total delivery time (less than 12 hours) and an interval of less than 2 hours between puppies.
A whelping box. An absorbent material for the whelping box, such as newspapers (but these may become sodden quickly and often stay wet and cold), puppy pads, incontinence pads or vetbeds. Clean towels or paper towels to help clean up during labour. Towels for drying and cleaning up the puppies.