Understanding the Stages of Dog Labor
Be Prepared by Educating Yourself
If you have bred your dog and all is proceeding well, you should be anxiously expecting puppies within 60 to 63 days on average. As the whelping day nears, it's very normal to feel a bit on edge, and the best way to put your mind at ease is by learning as much as possible about what to expect. It's imperative, therefore, to familiarize yourself as much as you can with the canine birthing process and acknowledge the number of things that may go wrong.
By recognizing potential problems early, you will be able to be better prepared to face them, heightening your chances for a safe delivery. Learn more about the whole birthing time frame for your dog from the first stages of labor up to delivery, and learn how to recognize the potential complications. Because each breed of dog is prone to different complications, and each dog is ultimately unique in the birthing and whelping process, it's best to expect the unexpected, and preparedness is the ultimate key for the successful upbringing of litters of healthy puppies.
Time Frame for a Dog's Normal Birthing Process
As whelping day nears, you want to start getting ready for the big event. Make sure your veterinarian is aware of the estimated date your dam will be whelping. You want to ensure he will be available in case of need. You should have a back-up plan in case the big day happens to be on a Sunday or in the late evening or early morning hours. Make sure you know of an animal emergency center open when all veterinarian offices are closed. You don't want to be frantically searching for an open veterinarian office open in the middle of the night losing precious minutes when every second counts! Keep all those numbers handy in your phone book or attach them to your fridge with a magnet.
One Week Prior
A week prior to the estimated big birthday, it's a good idea to clip your dog's hair around the belly and rear, literally from tail to ankles. This will help prevent getting her coat stained with birth fluids which are known for being almost impossible to remove, especially in light-colored dogs. If you are unable to, or unwilling to clip the whole tail, the next best option would be to wrap the tail using vet wrap right when the whelping process starts.
On Day 57
At day 57 you want to start taking your dam's temperature. Invest in a good digital thermometer and take the temperature rectally twice a day, morning and evening. A normal reading in dogs is a temperature ranging between 101 to 102 degrees. Generally, a few days prior to giving birth, a dog's temperature will drop and be around the 100-degree mark, fluctuating but generally not going below 99 or above 101. A good indication that whelping day is less than 24 hours away is a rectal temperature recording below 99. You need good timing on catching this temperature since the temperature will resume to 101 degrees just before whelping. Keeping a graph of any fluctuations may be helpful. Call your vet immediately if your dog registers a temperature above 102 degrees, or as low as three degrees lower than your dam's normal temperature.
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 deeply more than usual. The whelping mother will then go through occasional minor contractions for several hours, before active labor with intense contractions take place. You will notice your dog panting rapidly, moving restlessly, whining and sleeping deeply during the first stage of labor. Veterinarian Kris Nelson claims that some dams will have small contractions that are mostly not visible and will look at their sides as if saying: ''What is happening to me?'' At this moment you may be wondering ''How long should a dog be in labor for?" Generally, you should contact your vet if stage one of labor goes on for eight hours or longer without progressing to stage two.
Second Stage of Labor
Your dog will likely start panting heavily and appear highly alert at this stage. The contractions will be visible when she enters the second stage of labor. Usually, at this stage, a puppy should be delivered within fifteen minutes of active straining. At this point, a grayish-blue slimy looking sac should emerge from the dam's birth canal. This sac contains the puppy and should be expelled within a second or third contraction. Following the puppy, the mother will expel the placenta, which is commonly known as the ''afterbirth''. Your dam may eat the placenta and then eat the sac, tearing it from around the puppy. If this is the case, you must intervene and help the mother by manually tearing the sac from the puppy's head to allow the puppy to breath. Do this within 30 seconds after birth, keeping the puppy always near mom.
Eating the placenta is instinctual, since it removes evidence of birth to prevent attracting predators. However, the placenta also contains nutrients that turn out helpful during a time of strenuous and costly effort. Among the nutrients are some that help maintain strong contractions, explains breeder, exhibitor and trainer Beth J. Finder in her book ''Breeding a Litter''. Eating the placenta, however, remains a controversial topic. Some breeders highly recommend it, while some veterinarians claim they may cause intestinal obstructions or diarrhea. Whichever choice you make, ensure your dog has expelled one placenta per puppy.
The dam should then gnaw on the umbilical cord. It may help to keep one or two fingers between the puppy's abdomen and your dam's mouth, to prevent her from cutting it too short. If this does not happen, you can clamp the umbilical cord with sterilized hemostats just two inches from the abdomen. You should have time to clamp the umbilical cords as needed, since puppies generally arrive anywhere from a few minutes to an hour apart.
Often puppies are born with amniotic fluids in their lungs which causes them to inhale the fluids. To help these pups, hold them at a head-down angle and using a pediatric syringe insert the tube in the pup's mouth and withdraw the fluids so the puppy can breathe. Shaking the puppy down to clear its airways may be necessary.
Don't forget about mom! Being in labor for 6 to 10 hours can be quite strenuous, Angie Meroshnekoff suggests keeping a tub of vanilla ice cream handy, to feed to her when she is halfway through giving birth. The sugar supplementation should give her an energy burst to keep her going!
Third Stage of Labor
In giant breeds, it may be difficult to tell when the whelping process has finished. The puppies are small compared to the dam's deep chest and heavy abdomen, explains veterinarian Dan Rice, in the book ''The Complete Book of Dog Breeding''. During stage three of labor, any retained placentas are delivered. This is why it is important to have a veterinarian perform x-rays or ultrasound imaging to ensure no puppy or placenta is retained. If not, a retained puppy or placenta may result in a serious potentially fatal infection.
The puppies should be nursing as soon as possible after delivery. They need the colostrum, which is rich of maternal immune system boosters, only produced for a short period of time. If a puppy is not nursing, directing it to the source of milk may be helpful. However, a puppy can go one or two hours without nursing and still be healthy, adds Beth J. Finder. Once nursing and receiving the nurturing colostrum, puppies should grow pretty fast and weighing them may be the best way to track their growth.
Potential Signs of Trouble
Of course, the above whelping depicts a pretty normal uneventful delivery with a happy ending. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, and here are several things that may go wrong in your dam's birthing process. The following are warning signs of trouble that will require prompt veterinary intervention.
See your vet if your dog is:
- Not whelping within 24 hours of the temperature drop
- Expelling a greenish or brown fluid without a puppy born within fifteen minutes.
- In stage one of labor for eight hours without progressing to stage two
- In active labor contracting, but not producing a puppy in over two hours
- Not straining in between puppies for over one hour and you know there are more puppies to be born
- Past due the 63rd day from the last breeding and has yet not gone into labor
But most importantly, if you feel something is wrong, do not hesitate to call or see your vet, better be safe than sorry! As much as nature runs its course during delivery and dog owners are told to minimize their interventions and just relax, things do not always go as planned.
Catherine de la Cruz, who has been breeding Great Pyrenees for several years, claims that all sorts of problems have occurred to her at some time during the past 30 years of breeding dogs. So better resort to awareness and advanced planning in order to whelp a healthy litter of puppies and succeed!
Above all else, please keep your vet's phone number handy and don't hesitate to call him if anything appears to be abnormal. All new moms and pups should see a veterinarian for a wellness exam within 48 hours post-whelping.
References
Catherine de la Cruz, White Fire Great Pyrenees: What Can Possibly Go Wrong?
Dan Rice, The Complete Book of Dog Breeding
Dr. Kris Nelson, Normal Stages of Whelping in Dogs
Dr. Kris Nelson, Canine Labor, When to Call the Vet
Further Reading
- The Dog's Heat Cycle Explained
A dog's heat cycle may appear to be something quite difficult to understand. Unlike other species, the heat cycle of canines does not seem to follow any logic such as following a specific seasonality or... - How to help your dog give birth
Sixty three days have passed since your dog has been bred and you think the big day has come. Your dam has reported the typical rectal temperature drop of 99.0 or lower. She has also lost her appetite, appears restless and has started the nesting... - Dog pregnancy test
Determining if your dog is pregnant or not can be somehow challenging, especially for the new owner or the inexperienced breeder. Many things need to be considered when trying to count the odds. Most likely if your dog was at her most fertile time... - All about dog pregnancy
After your beloved dog has been matched with a handsome stud and successfully bred, the 63 day countdown has begun. A mix of emotions pour over you, of course, lots of excitement but also bits of anxiety as this is the first dog you own to be... - Signs of Pregnancy in Dogs
Is my dog pregnant? Signs your dog may be pregnant, nestor4u2, morgiefile.com Dog owners that start looking for signs of pregnancy in their dog are generally split into two distinct categories, on one side there are those that have planned the... - Signs your dog is pregnant
When it comes to canine pregnancy there are two different types of owners: the
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
Questions & Answers
Do dogs go through false labor?
Yes, dogs can go through what's known as false pregnancy and it may mimic labor. Some dogs will start nesting behaviors, their tummy swells and some even produce milk.
Helpful 30Does the mother dog deliver one horn and then the second horn?
Yes, mother dog first delivers all of the pups in one horn before moving to the next horn.
Helpful 18Can a dog give birth at 59 days?
Puppies can be delivered as early as 59 days, but usually, they are born around 63 days. On average, consider that the typical gestation length for a dog is 59 to 63 days. In general, puppies born earlier than 58 days though may struggle as they may not be fully developed. Check your dog's temperature. Once the temperature drops below 99F, your dog should go into labor within 24 hours.
Helpful 10When a dog first mates do they sleep a lot?
It depends. If there was a lot of playing prior and going to the stud involved travel, this may have tired the dog out. Going to a new place may also cause stress which may make a dog more tired. Best to see a vet though if the dog is acting lethargic, is acting abnormally or has lack of appetite just to play it safe.
Helpful 7
© 2011 Adrienne Farricelli
Comments
My dog is having minor contractions and wont stay in one place how long does the first set last
My husky was in heat I took her to a breeder and she was mate during her 2nd mate her lock was only for 10min and after some time she also had a motion with loose stool is any problem with it, and not only that she is not eating anything
My chiauawha is 60 days pregnant today she was leaking white milky fluids yesterday and today been leaking a snot green color fluid she ate some food yesterday morning but now she's not eating anything her temperature has been 97.2 but today its 100.00 what does this mean
My samoyed dog is on the 57th week of pregnancy..she vomit twice is it possible that she going to give birth?
My dog seemed to be going into laber 4 days ago. Very ancy , pantining heavly . she went under bed to get away..she now has her milk in and is acting her normal self. But we dont have puppies??? Im so confused?
Hi my female Labrador is 14 months old I can't understand either she is heat or not but my dog is riding on me and licking her uteres is it a silent heat
do dogs sleep alot before going into labor
I have a bullie pitbull she gave birth to four puppies but for some reason the haven’t nurse and she still pushing but nothing coming out
It's nearly 60 days
My dog is pregnant how many days does it take to giv birth I don't have much idea about dis pls help me
My labrador female started stage one yesterday and has not producerad a pup yet, how much longer should I wait
i have a parsons jack russell who gave birth to 8 healthy happy puppies just 3 days ago. we saw our vet yesterday and he said her and her babies are doing fine. I'm concerned about when she is nursing them she paints like she's been running or maybe thirsty. I try and offer her a drink of water but she will have nothing to do with it. she will however drink a little milk if I offer it to her. do you no why she does that?
My dogs temp has been between 37.7 and 37.9 with 2 temps of 38 since yesterday afternoon..she is pacing and has heavy panting periods with breaks of sleep in between but still eating should I be expecting her puppies soon
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My jack Russell had fluid I'm not sure if it was pee or waters broken, quite a bit, puppies are moving around alot but she isn't in any discomfort or pain, she is soundly asleep, is she in stage one labour? First litter
You guys have been really helpful thanks
I have a weiner dog don't know exactly what she is she had a puppy 2 hours ago and more to come.. still no puppies am getting worried
I have a lab female dog it bleeding milky liquid from Virginia what is the reason
my Jack Russell is just very temperamental with the father of the puppies. is this normal she has always gotten along with all of the dogs she is just now doing that and she fights him all of the time. What can I do? Please help me.
Do dogs tend to go into deep sleep before going into labor stage 2
My dog is pregnant and her puppies are very active is this a sign of her going into labor
My beagle gave birth to two pups about 10 hours ago. Her tummy is still big and I think there are more puppies to deliver. She is breast feeding but there are no noticeable contractions. Is there anything tom worry about?
Our chihuahua is giving birth as I write this she has had 2 healthy pups so far it has been about an hour since her last one was born my question is how will we know when she is done? Any help will be greatly appericated
My amercain bull has given birth litter of 10 but still pushin no puppy bit bloody brown plz help
I have a 5 year old pug that is 61 days pregnant and for 24 hours she has been panting really bad and shivering . she has been passing a little mucus from her private and now she isn't panting near as much ...is she having birthing problems???? I am worried! :(
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My female German Shepherd is 53-54 days pregnant, her temperature is fluctuating between 99.4-100.7
My husband and I don't know whether she is starting to whelp or if she just wants to get me all up tight. The fluctuating of the temperature has been going on for a few days now. Today she has eaten but is very tired and doesn'the want to be very active. Is she going to whelp within a day or so?
Just found out my 9 year old baby is pregnant... And she really close to have her puppies. Today she is panting more than normal. She is being very cuddly. And wherever i go she right there.... Im kinda scared.. First time for her. And im paniky
My pit is pregnant ..today I came home and she has something coming out but she just lays down.its half out I don't know wat is it she's bleeding I try takin it out but I can't it's just hard I need to know wats wrong
My pit was hooked with our male pit for about 5 minutes during her heat cycle I think she is pregnant she has all the signs she is going into her 8th week due date may 15 she sluggish, don't eat as much some bigger in middle area some of her nipples are larger my other question is when about 4 to 5 weeks she had a day that she bled some not a lot but some could she have miscarriage or is that normal
A stray pregnant dog has been in my yard for 2 weeks. I don't want to give her to the pound. I am not sure what I am doing. She looks pretty far along. Any suggestions?
My dog is in labour and its day 40, what should I do?
I'm not sure if my dog was pregnant she got a little bigger but not much she sleeps all the time but today when my dad left for work she's been crying and howling and were not sure why should we be worried?
my jack Russell is due on 20 nov her temp is 97.5 is that normal
MY LAB IS 45 DAY PREGNET . HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN SHE IS IN LABOR?
Very educational! Thank you!
every where i called told me i would have to come in for a price so i went to one before they would do anything they wanted $ 2,000 up front so i had her put down so she wouldn't suffer and that cost me $150.00 they were like to bad so sad :(
what do you do when you lost your job and can't pay for a vet ?my dam had 8 dead pupsout of sack i never had this happen before there was lots of blood she can stand and will eat some and drink a little but i fear the worst what can i do ?any help ?
Useful and educational hub, thanks!
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