Expert: Jannie Balliett - 1/9/2009

Question
QUESTION: my bitch is 62days today she is very big. shes at 87.9 right now and she has milk comeing out. she looks fine.can u guess at about how much longer im looking at before she go's in to labor. lol the waiting is killing me ...lol thank u so much..

ANSWER: She is in labor now.

Her temperature proves it- a normal temperature is 101, but as low as 97 or so. Once it drops below 90's, she is in labor.

She should be panting, and walking around, maybe going to her whelping area frequently, peeing and pooping more, not eating or drinking.

Be prepared with Pediolyte to offer her to drink, vanilla ice cream (only vanilla) plain, unflavored whole yogurt- as she will eat and drink those during labor, and you don't want her to become dehydrated or have her blood sugar drop low.

Get a large laundry basket and lay a heating pad in it ontop a towel, then baby blankets or another soft towel to put the newborn pups in as she has them. Be sure to dry them well, and put them in the basket on the blanket (with heating pad under it and on) then drape the entire basket with a blanket or large towel. No air should be able to get inside either from sides or top.

Newborns can not regulate their body temperatures for 2 weeks. If they are not kept at 97-100 degrees body temperature, they will die.

Once she has had all her puppies, clean and change her whelping bedding to clean bedding, give her the puppies to feed, and aim a lamp (a bendable desk lamp is good) at the whelping area to keep them warmer, and drape the entire whelping bed with blankets to keep mom's body heat in and cooler air out.]

These pups MUST stay warm at all times.

Check on them... feel them... they MUST feel warm and cuddly to the touch and their ears and paws MUST be warm to the touch- if not, they are too cold and you must warm their area better.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi, i have been taking her temperature with a digital ..would it make it show up higher and low..and is it ok to take it with a digital...and she did poop and peed alot today its like shes trying to poop but nothing comeing out now but she keeps trying ..

ANSWER: Digital if fine, but it needs to be rectally to be accurate.

Be sure to get her the Pediolyte to drink and some vanilla ice cream, and plain, whole yogurt to lap on. These will keep her hydrated during labor and blood sugars in balance. Send someone to the store with the list and be prepared for her.

I hope she has a whelping area that is away from family activities and traffic area, as she will want some privacy and feel secure. She'll want her babies secure and away from people and other pets.

This is important for a successful delivery and happy mama.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi..im sorry too have to keep e-mailing you but i don't whats going on with her..she keeps crying to go and when she gets out there she keeps trying to poo but only alil come out if anything..could it be when she his a contract she thinks she has to poo ??

Answer
If she hasn't had them by the time I am answering this, please always go outside with her to pee and poop.

She could have a puppy outside and it would die. Always be with her, never let her be alone.

The crying and whining can be the labor pains.

If she doesn't have her first pup within 24 hours, get her to your vet ASAP.

If this is her first litter, and it sounds like it is, she could have an obstruction. This is where a pup is in the birth canal and too large for her to birth, and is blocking the rest of the pups to be born. The vet can either manually deliver it or do a c-section. But, it is life threatening for her.

Remember, no longer than 24 hours.