hi,

My Lab/Springer is at day 56. She has the usual symptoms of being tired and hot (down to the nice weather we have been having) She's started to hide her food all around the house much to my daughters dismay at finding a peice of dog chew in her bed. he he. Her teats are releasing a small amount of milk now and her pups have now slowed down in movement. I have a few questions. 1) is it common for bitches to have premature labour? (I'm waking every night now to check on her) 2) I have been advised to cut the cord with the pups but have always learnt that its best to let her see to them herself. 3) she sleeps in a basket by me in the bedroom. Should I move her now to her welping box downstairs in the kitchen or wait and move her when she goes into labour? But I'm concerned that I wont be there for her if she starts without me. I feel like a neurotic parent and am very overprotective of her. I know I'm over reacting but I want this to be the best experience for her.

You have commented on other peoples questions about their dogs being checked by the vet. I called my vet a few weeks ago to get her in to be checked but he advised me that if she was well in herself and happy then I needn't bring her. He assured me that he would be there to help if she got into difficulty but that a visit was unnessesary. Is this wise?

Thankyou.
Regards
Very Overprotective Mummy. (he he)

Hi,
Labs are notorious in the veterinary profession for rarely having problems whelping, and therefore, a poor source of profit!

Are you sure that she was not mated twice, a few days apart, and you are counting from the second and not the first one?

It sounds to me like all is well, and I just think you should get her sleeping in her whelping box ASAP, and you go to bed for a good night's sleep and wake up to your ( and her) new family!

If you do want to be there, if you have a clinical thermometer check her rectal temperature twice daily, when it drops from 101.5 to 100 or so, you will know that whelping is imminent.

W

Hi.

My 2yr old Shar-Pei Bitch mated last saturday on day 17 of her season (taken from the start of the bleeding). Is there any chance that she could get pregnant on this day and if so, should I put her on Puppy food now as I don't want to leave it until her 4 week scan to see if she is pregnant and then only have 5 weeks left to do everything to prevent the puppies being too large to come out naturally? Is there anything else important that you think I should know? I am well prepared. I've got the whelping kit & box at the ready, plenty of clean towells & blankets, lots of newspaper etc. Hope you can help. Thanks

ive got a staff that is 1 year old she is pregnant which is her first litter she cum frm a litter of 5 and my male dog cum frm a litter of 10 how many pups do u fink she will have

Hi, Nic,

Make no changes to her feeding or anything else until you know for certain that she is pregnant - and not necessarily even then - take your vet's advice.

W

Hi Rachel 1556,

You can only tel by an x-ray, which I would not advise. Wait until she whelps and then you will know!

W

my dog is 1 and a staff being that young do u think she will have trouble with her labour and how would i no so i no 2 help or not

Hi,
Rachel.

Make an appointment and go and talk to your vet.

W

my staff dog has about a week 2 go of her pregnancy will 2 much exercise do her pups harm

No. Exercise her normally unless the weather gets very hot.

hi i just put my jack bitch in pup ,its hur first time how meany pups would she have ?

Hi,

A JRT? anything between 0 and 6 at a guess.

W

hi i have a jackrussal and took her to a stud dog yesterday but she did not mate then we came home and had some frends over and thay let my shetland sheep dog out and he mated with my bitch if i let her go on will it do her any arm or would it be best to tack her to the vets .
thanks ja

Hi,

If you do not want a litter of mongrel puppies, take her to see your vet!

W

hi my lhasa apsp is nearly 4, and while in season my mums lhasa appeared to hav stuck to her, since this happened shes ben reall moppi, and tummy is swollen, nipples a large n leakin milk occasionally, ive had her to vets about ten days ago and they were not sure cos tummy muscles were really tight. this all happened 50 days ago now? any ideas pls.
also i there an average amount of pups with this type of breed, pls help.

Hi,

I am fairly sure that you bitch is pregnant. However, since the father is a Lhasa Apso too you will have a litter of lovelt Lhasa Apso pups - I have one myself and they are delightful litte dogs.
The gestation period is 64 days, so you can expect the patter of tiny feet in a fortnight.
Make a whelping box for her, well padded with several layers of newspaper, and encourage to spend as much time in it as possible.
I think you can expect a litter of 4 or 5 pups.

W

thanks 4 replin so soon, it's really helpfull. ill be in touch with the outcome.
thanks again. should i be given her any special diet???

Hi, Clare,
No extra feeding is required - as long as she is on a good diet now - until she starts feeding the pups.

W

me again, she's been really strange 2day, she went 4 her walk this morning,but a litle bit further than normall, whilst out she kept stoppin for long rests, layin down a lot, i understand totally how it feels wen comin to end of pregnacy, but wen she was stoppin she has very long weees. also her tumy seems larger 2day more saggy than norm. im jst wonderin if we hav dates wrong? wot other signs should i be lookin for which suggests its time, or nearly time.
youll av to excuse my ignorantace as im new to all this

Hi, Clare,

Everything sounds OK, but since you have never been involved in anything like this before, maybe you should make an appoitment to take her to your vet to be checked.
If you were to have problems with her whelping you would then have made contact with a vet beforehand, should you need help.

W

hi walter, me AGAIN, i think this could be it, my molly is becoming really restless and panting a lot wot do you think? is it posssible to go early? wot else should i be looking 4?
the past coulpe of nights she's been goin downstairs and doin her toilet business which is very out of caractor 4 her.
wot do you suggest

Hi, Clare,

I can only repeat what I suggested before - take her to your vet, and he may be able to give you some idea about when she will whelp, and advice on how to deal with it.

W

i mated my yorkie 3 times. her last date was due yesterday she showing no sign a part from her tits are a bit bigger she very lively

Hi,

Do you mean it it was 64 days yesterday since she was mated?
If so, and if nothing has happened by Monday, get her to your vet to be checked that she is pregnant.

W

This is a repeat question but my labrador is 64 days today she has been scratching in her whelping box but no signs of labor she isn't in distress. If she had a false pregnancy she wouldn't actually nest would she?

Hi,

es, bitches with a false pregnancy will make a nest, but I would urge you if nothing has happened by tomorrow, Wednesday, get her checked by your vet.

W

i was wondering what the symptoms were because we have a dog and she is leaking milk and i was wanting know if she was pregnant

Hi,

The signs you describe could be either a genuine pregnancy at full term, or a false pregnancy.
Time will tell.

W

hi i have a choc lab who i intend to let her have her second litter, her 1st liter was a year ago at the age of 1, which i know now that was far to soon. when each pup is delievered would you put pup onto the teat as soon as its been cleaned ( which i had to do with every pup the first time) or wait till she has delievered all the litter as with her first litter i was adviced to do it staight away and think because of this i stressed her out a little and she didnt bond with them

Hi,

I doubt if it makes a scrap of difference either way.
Put the pups somewhere near her, and if she is looking for them, put them on, if not keep them warm until she does look for them.

W