Signs of Whelping
First stage of Labour
1.The appearance of the mucous from the cervix indicates that whelping is imminent, and precedes the first contractions by a matter of 24 to 36 hours
2. Lack of interest in even the most tempting food is usually a sure sign that whelping is approaching..
3.The bitch becomes restless, getting up, lying down, and changing her position frequently. She may vomit from nervousness.
4. She may paw and scratch at her bedding as if she were preparing a nest. She may tear newspaper up into little pieces in her attempt to make a nest.
5. Milk can be expressed from the nipple near or at the time of birth in those bitches having their first litter and about 4 days prior to whelping in those bitches which have had one or more litters previously.
Second Stage
The second stage is the passing of puppies and this stage lasts a variable amount of time, usually 3-12 hours, but occasionally up to 24 hours. A puppy should be born within 20-30 minutes of strong contractions and 2-3 hours from fluid being passed.
Puppies are usually born within 20 minutes of each other, but it's normal for bitches to 'take a rest' part-way through delivery and they may not strain at all for up to two hours between pups. If you know the bitch has more puppies to come and she ‘rests’ for more than two hours, contact your vet.
Expect some puppies (usually 40% of them) to be born tail first. This is not abnormal for dogs. Mum will deal with them, licking each puppy to ensure the sac is cleaned from the face so they can breathe easily, and biting through the umbilical cord.
If your bitch is giving birth for the first time, she may need a little extra help and reassurance, so be ready to offer some soothing words. Occasionally, one will need help while the mother is in the middle of delivering the next. If this occurs, remove the membrane the puppy is in and quickly dry the puppy against the grain of the hair, using a clean cloth (facecloths work well because they're big enough to cover the puppy but won't get in your way). Finally, vigorous rubbing with a warm cloth will dry and warm the pup and also stimulate it to take its first breath. Crying clears all the fluid from the puppy's airway. If you have a suction bulb, you can gently use it in each nostril. Then take a piece of heavy thread and tie a knot approximately one inch from where the cord attaches to the pup’s body. Then tie another knot a little further from the first and use clean scissors to cut the cord between the knots. Don't cut it too close to the puppy, as this may cause infection or even death. Do not leave long ends on the thread in case it is chewed or swallowed by the mother. If you notice the mother trying to chew the cords too close to the puppy, stop her and do it yourself.
Stage 3 is the passage of the placentas and this usually occurs after each puppy. Try to check how many placentas have been passed (note if she eats any) so you will notice if any are left in the uterus: and then contact your vet if required.
Contact your vet if…
Before and during labour/parturition:
- The bitch goes off her food during pregnancy, or is unwell in any other way (a drop in appetite may be normal for some bitches after 30 days of pregnancy or just prior to delivery but she should be bright and well in every other way).
- More than 73 days of gestation have passed since mating.
- No puppy is born within four hours of the bitch passing a green or red/brown vaginal discharge (after two hours, be prepared to call the vet).
- Strong contractions for 20-30 minutes fail to produce a puppy. Contact your vet and take any puppies already born with you if you go to the surgery.
- More than two hours pass with the bitch resting or having only weak contractions between pups, and you know there are more inside.
- More than 12 hours of second-stage labour has occurred (second stage is when puppies are being born).
- She fails to produce a puppy 2-3 hours after foetal fluids were passed.
- She is unwell at all, depressed, crying or in pain during labour.
- Any abnormal vaginal discharge occurs including bleeding, or a foul-smelling discharge, at any point in the pregnancy or labour.
- You can see a puppy at the vulval entrance but the bitch’s straining fails to expel it.
- The bitch aborts puppies during the pregnancy.
