# 53 days pregnant



## JoJo jazzy (Feb 16, 2017)

Hi my butch is currently 53 days pregnant and her belly has dropped loads. Her temp is normal and she is very effecrionate. Is this normal for her to drop so low.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

What does the vet say?


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## JoJo jazzy (Feb 16, 2017)

Vet said all normal. That she can drop low a week before delivery. Sometimes just before delivery. I was wondering what other people's experience is with low bellies


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## JoJo jazzy (Feb 16, 2017)

She went to vets after this post.


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

It is normal and doesn't mean she is in labour.

Have you done much research on pregnancy and delivery and know what to expect or when to seek help when labour begins?


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## JoJo jazzy (Feb 16, 2017)

This is my 2nd and last litter. I have done loads of research. Seen a vet and got advise. A friends recommended this site to etc other people's experiences. The whole process last time was totally different.


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## JoJo jazzy (Feb 16, 2017)

It was totally different. She dropped just before she went into labour I took her to vets as didn't know why she had dropped. Vet took temp and checked her over and she delivered pups at 68 days. This time ever erything seems different. I guess all pregnancies are different


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

53 days would be very early for her to begin labour.

Pregnancies can be different. Breed, age and number of pups can all be factors.

So long as she's eating, weeing, pooping and otherwise behaving normally, it's a waiting game really.

What breed is she and has she been scanned?


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

JoJo jazzy said:


> It was totally different. She dropped just before she went into labour I took her to vets as didn't know why she had dropped. Vet took temp and checked her over and she delivered pups at 68 days. This time ever erything seems different. I guess all pregnancies are different


When whelping is due the temp normally drops to 99F which is about 37.2C or lower and once that's happened 24 hours after the temp drop they should do into the first stage of labour.
I know some breeders don't bother to take temperatures though, and just wait for other signs but my friend who used to breed always took temps and it actually saved her dog and the pups,
as she knew when they were due she started taking the temperatures and there was a drop but no start or signs of further labour 24 hours after at all. It turned out the Mum has uterine intertia which can happen at any stage, but in her case no progress at all, and if my friend hadn't taken temps as she always does, the pups and mum could have been lost. She got her to the vets and she had a successful C-section and everyone mum and pups were OK.

I know gestation is most often quoted at 62/63 days but Ive seen some sources quote as little as 56/58 days.

The AKC has some really good articles on responsible breeding and also one explaining about gestation and probably explains why according to different sources you can get different times quoted

The normal gestation period in dogs is approximately 63 days from conception, although this can vary by several days. While this might seem like a straightforward answer, conception is often hard to determine. Sperm can live for several days inside the female, and eggs can remain fertile for up to 48 hours, which means the act of mating itself is not an exact measurement of gestation. This makes it hard to predict the length of pregnancy without the assistance of a veterinarian.
RELATED: Should Breeders Worry About Zika Virus And Their Dogs?

Hormone measurements give a much more exact time frame for gestation. Many breeders use vaginal smears and blood tests to monitor reproductive hormones during the breeding process. This helps them determine the best time to breed their bitch, as well as the length of gestation and the potential due date.

Gestation length according to accurate hormone measurements:

For the full link the above comes from

http://www.akc.org/content/dog-breeding/articles/how-long-are-dogs-pregnant/


56-58 days from the first day of diestrus
64-66 days from the initial rise in progesterone
58-72 days from the first time the bitch allowed breeding
Pregnancy in dogs is relatively short compared to humans, about 9 weeks total, and each day matters. Knowing the length of the gestation period is important for the health of the pregnant bitch and the puppies and is used to monitor nutrition and veterinary care during pregnancy.

Forgot to add to, my friend usually did ovulation tests when she bred for best and accurate time for mating to take place, and she also only did one mating and not a repeat mating, that was how she was so sure of both the date whelping should be due, and when to take the temp, and when she got the drop and nothing at all was happening 24 hours later that something was up.


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## JoJo jazzy (Feb 16, 2017)

Sweety said:


> 53 days would be very early for her to begin labour.
> 
> Pregnancies can be different. Breed, age and number of pups can all be factors.
> 
> ...


Yes she has been scanned. And vet checked. She is a jack Russell. Scan revealed 6 sacks . Between 4 and 6 pups. Defiantly 4 as pups were seen and heartbeats. But the other two were hiding and was told could be 6


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## JoJo jazzy (Feb 16, 2017)

Sled dog hotel said:


> When whelping is due the temp normally drops to 99F which is about 37.2C or lower and once that's happened 24 hours after the temp drop they should do into the first stage of labour.
> I know some breeders don't bother to take temperatures though, and just wait for other signs but my friend who used to breed always took temps and it actually saved her dog and the pups,
> as she knew when they were due she started taking the temperatures and there was a drop but no start or signs of further labour 24 hours after at all. It turned out the Mum has uterine intertia which can happen at any stage, but in her case no progress at all, and if my friend hadn't taken temps as she always does, the pups and mum could have been lost. She got her to the vets and she had a successful C-section and everyone mum and pups were OK.
> 
> ...


Shell is earing and drinking normal. Her temp is 37.8


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## JoJo jazzy (Feb 16, 2017)

I just find it strange her lying on the cold floor. In the kitchen. She has never really done this before. She has always gone on sofa. I'm wondering if she is too hot.


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## JoJo jazzy (Feb 16, 2017)

Temp is normal 37.8c and she is eating and drinking normally. Vet said she is fine. And I only came on here to seek experience from others. And see what they had experienced


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

She could be a little hot or sometimes, if the abdomen has dropped, the skin can feel tight and uncomfortable and bitches will choose to lie on a cool surface, which appears to ease the tightness.


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## JoJo jazzy (Feb 16, 2017)

Sweety said:


> She could be a little hot or sometimes, if the abdomen has dropped, the skin can feel tight and uncomfortable and bitches will choose to lie on a cool surface, which appears to ease the tightness.


That's good to know . X I thought she might be too hot x


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

JoJo jazzy said:


> I just find it strange her lying on the cold floor. In the kitchen. She has never really done this before. She has always gone on sofa. I'm wondering if she is too hot.


She could well be the first thing mine do when they are too hot is go and lay out on the cold tiles in the kitchen or hall


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