# is she in labour?



## nikkinuts

well temperature dropped to 36.6 through the night so stayed up all night keeping an eye on her but apart from being a bit restless which is understandable as so big she was fine. this morning is is now 37.1 and she is eating her breakfast as we speak with tail wagging when ever you talk to her. was it a false alarm if so why is temperature so low, and before anyone puts any horrible questions yes i have called my vet and she has said not to worry if she is fine in herself but want another opinion

mucus plug has now gone. how long until contractions start? shes nesting lots but no panting


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## karmidale

I don't know if you have had a litter before so if I am teaching you to suck eggs I apologise but having bred dogs for over 30 years I can ony offer you advice based on my own experiences.
Once the temperature drops to below 99 degrees (which I think equates to 36.7 ish) then generally your bitch will whelp within 24 hours. It is not unusual for the temperature to fluctuate and that is why I always take morning, noon and night at the end of pregrancy. It is also not unusual for her to take brekkie. Providing she is fine inherself just keep a watchful eye providing no discharge. 
Next stage may see her being a little restless and she may be sick or want to empty herself more frequently. Eventually you see the restlessness increase and she my whimper a little. You will know that labour is definitey reaching its final stages when she starts to shiver and really scratch around in her whelping box. Stay with her all day today as they can start pushing at any time but my guess is that sometime between now and tomorrrow morning you will have your babies. Bitches will also lose their mucous plug in early labour which will be very thick and sticky but clear and unoffensive.
Hope this helps.


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## xxwelshcrazyxx

My Teigan ate right up to digging in her box. some go off thier food 24 hours before labour starts. Temps will go up and down, but when it goes down and stays down then it starts. she may start to follow you around and watching everything you do, keep an eye on here from NOW on. 
Whelping Puppies, Breeding Dogs
Have a read at this while you wait. Not all dogs go to Text Book each one is different, but always keep your vets number at hand ok, and good luck.


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## Freyja

My bitches temperature has always gone up and down a bit then gone down and stayed down. Rosie's temperature was 37. something she ate her tea then had another meal at about 8.30pm and promptly went into labour at 9pm.


Yesterday I had to talk my neice through her bitch being in labour. She said she was shivering and straining as if she was having a poo. I told her she was in labour and to watch for her waters to break. The bitch was sitting on her knee and she said to her come on we want them waters to break. Then I heard yukkkkkk and she said I think her waters have just broken on my knee. I told her to watch her and ring back if anything else happened. No sooner had I put the phone down than she rang back it wan't her waters it was a pup. Her waters must have gone earlier in the afternoon she told me the bitch had wee'd on her bed it must have been her waters breaking


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## nikkinuts

thank you guys for your messages, was dreading getting some negative messages quoting i should of had her spayed etc. anyway she has just lost her mucus plug about half hour ago. still cant see no contractions, and she panted and shivered a bit but then stopped. digging/nesting losts and constantly in her whelping box. just refused some chicken which i so unlike her but drank a few mouthfuls of water. now plug has gone do you think it will be much longer?


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## Blondie

It shouldnt be ,btu every bitch is different!

If she is bearing down and appearing to push for too long with nothing actually happening, a phone call to the vets is needed good luck hun

we are here to help ya!! Keep us informed


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## nikkinuts

no pushing as yet. her temperature dropped last night so have literally been watching her since then and have not slept i am exhausted lol. i have already called the vet, 3 times lol. have told them about temperature drop and mucus plug going but they said if she is fine in herself and not pushing or contracting yet to not worry and call them in the morning if im worried and no progress.


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## Blondie

the vet is right hun, take a deep breath and relax, lol!!


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## nikkinuts

lol, trying to keep calm as know she can pick up on me being anxious. i have everything here ast the ready if needed. scissors, disposable gloves, weighing machine, nasal respirator. tea towels to rub pups if needed. can you think of anything else? any advise on how to cut the cord if needed. i have been looking online and reading about it for ages as well as my breeding mentor telling me lol, but they all say different things, i think i have overloaded myself with information. i dont want to use thread as too fiddly i was just going to pinch at 2 inches , sqeezing the blood back to the pup,then cut. is this right?


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## Blondie

We have always either let the bitch cord the cord, while holding it too, so as to not let the bitch get too close to the pup or used round end sterile scissors - we keep them in a jug of water and hibiscrub inbetween pups. We cut exactly as you have described above.


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## Amethyst

nikkinuts said:


> and before anyone puts any horrible questions yes i have called my vet and she has said not to worry if she is fine in herself but want another opinion


You'll possibly take this the wrong way .... but I thought you said in an earlier post that you have mentor to help you with your dog breeding? While we no doubt have some good breeders here, I would have thought you would have been relying on the help and judgment of a trusted and experienced breeder/mentor? Are you not in contact with them? You really need to be able to pick up the phone and speak to someone at a time like this 

I think you said your girl is a Peke? I know many of birthing problems, so please be careful and maybe get your breeder friend to chat with you?

Hope all is well.


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## xxwelshcrazyxx

nikkinuts said:


> lol, trying to keep calm as know she can pick up on me being anxious. i have everything here ast the ready if needed. scissors, disposable gloves, weighing machine, nasal respirator. tea towels to rub pups if needed. can you think of anything else? any advise on how to cut the cord if needed. i have been looking online and reading about it for ages as well as my breeding mentor telling me lol, but they all say different things, i think i have overloaded myself with information. i dont want to use thread as too fiddly i was just going to pinch at 2 inches , sqeezing the blood back to the pup,then cut. is this right?


I have always taken cords in between my finger and thumb squeezig blood back to puppies belly, the squeeze the cord between my finger and thumb crushing it and then using my (previously washed hands) thumb nail rip it like the dog would do herself. crushing the ends help seal the edges. or you can used thread to tie off the cord and with clean sterilized scissors cut the cord. make sure mum dont try to chew too much cord off if she tries to lick and clean the puppy which she will try and clean it. xx


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## vizzy24

How is she today, has she had the pups yet?


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## Blondie

vizzy24 said:


> How is she today, has she had the pups yet?


I was wondering the same!!!


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## nikkinuts

hi guys her contractions started at 10pm last night and 1st pup was born 11.03pm. a black girl. 2nd pup-11.45pm a fawn boy. 3rd pup born dead and had birth defects at 12.03am . 4th pup 12.38am a fawn girl, 5th pup at 1.03am a fawn boy and last but not least number 6 came at 1.37am another fawn girl. mum did not do any of the bags or cords but once all was born she has been brilliant. all are feeding really well and it was one of the best experiences of my life. thank you all for your support. x


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## celicababe1986

congratulations, sorry for the pup you lost.


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## Blondie

Oh well done!!

Now the real hard work starts, LOL!!


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## vizzy24

Congratulations, sorry for the little pup you lost. Like Ceearott said the fun starts here, good luck with your pups


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## karmidale

Congratulations on the safe arrival of five beautiful puppies, sorry to hear you lost one but at least nature dealt with that and you did not have to do so. You will seep well tonight!


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## xxwelshcrazyxx

Congratulations on the babies, such a shame about the 3rd one though. xxx


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## cloverfan

Congratulations


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## Miss Zara A Simpson

I have rescued a Maltese dog i have had her around 4 weeks now, however over the past few days she' been panting alot and digging her bed, my floor, under my bed and sofa she is not herself she restless, distant and panting what' wrong with her ?? Someone please help. My boyfriend thinks she' pregnant but the lady who I rescued her off never mentioned anything ? My Maltese has also stopped eating as much even turned down chicken where before she would eat it..


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## Rafa

Digging/nesting, panting and loss of appetite can all be symptomatic of early labour.

Has she lost hair around her nipples, does her vulva appear slack or enlarged?

I really believe you need to let your Vet see her and ideally today, if you can. If she is in whelp, you need to know and be prepared.


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## Miss Zara A Simpson

There isn' much hair on her stomach or alot of hair around her nipples. Ok thank you.


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## Rafa

It does very much sound as though she could be in labour or in pain for some reason. Her symptoms are a reaction to pain.

If you can't get her in with your Vet tonight, then you need a box and bedding and you need to encourage her to go in it. Supervise her all the time, keep her with you overnight.

If you can, I would contact her previous owner and ask whether any other dog could have had access to her. You need to be persistent to get an answer. If she has been mated by a dog bigger than herself, you need to be extra vigilant and warn your Vet.

I'm assuming she isn't spayed?


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## Miss Zara A Simpson

I have rang my vets the earliest I could get was tomorrow morning . Ok I will get on to them now through my sister as it's someone she works with. And no she isnt spayed.


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## SusieRainbow

I'm closing this as @Miss Zara A Simpson has a thread running in Dog Breeding , moved from Dog Chat.

This thread was originally started 7 years ago.
I would also suggest a change of user name , as using your real name could lead to unwanted attention , it's a public forum.


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