STAGE I LABOR
Six to 24 hours before the onset of labor, the mother will become nervous and restless (whining, crying, panting, shivering, wants in and out, refuses food, etc.). This is normal. Take the mother outside for mild exercise and to go to the bathroom.
You can predict the time of the first contractions by taking the mother’s rectal temperature. Starting about one week before the expected delivery (day 59), take her temperature at the same time twice a day with a rectal thermometer and record it. The normal temperature is 100-102.S degrees. Within 12-24 hours of the onset of labor, her temperature will drop 2 to 3 degrees (when below 99 degrees, whelping should begin within 12 hours).
SEE WHELPING TEMPERATURE LOG
Your dog will develop a white to gelatinous discharge for up to 48 hours before whelping. If the discharge is tinged with blood, the first puppy is imminent. Don’t leave mom alone during this time; sometimes first-time moms don’t know to free the pup from the amniotic sac, and it could suffocate. If whelping does not begin after her temperature falls, there could be an obstruction; you should consult your veterinarian.
WHELPING SUPPLIES
- • Sterile lubricating jelly (personal lubricant, water soluble)
- • Disposable plastic gloves
- • Several clean, dry terry cloth hand towels and washcloths
- • Alcohol bottle
- • Triodine 7
- • Clock
- • Baby scale
- • Bulb syringe
- • Scissors (clean, sanitized)
- • Unwaxed dental floss
- • Towels, newspapers, plastic garbage bags, etc., for cleanup
A separate box containing a covered heating pad on a LOW temperature setting to put the newborn pups in while mom is giving birth. If the puppies get too hot, they will cry, and if too cold, they will whimper. Do not take the basket out of mother’s sight, since this would upset her and interfere with the remainder of whelping.
STAGE II LABOR
Productive labor begins. Mom lies on her side and begins to strain. Most bitches have their puppies unaided, needing only supervision to ensure all is going well. Too much interference may make her nervous, but you should be ready to act quickly if her instincts do not take over, especially if this is her first litter.
Uterine contractions will intensify, and abdominal muscular contractions will become apparent. Note the time of the mother’s first contractions. Contractions are easily detected. The mother usually lays down and strains as if trying to have a bowel movement; the back is arched, the abdominal muscles are tight, and she may whine and cry. Generally, they show abdominal contractions for around 10-30 minutes.
As the puppy is born, you will probably see the amniotic sac; clear, straw-colored or light pink fluid leaks from the birth canal. Puppies often appear as a bubble because they are encased in the amniotic sac that mom will lick and tear. If she doesn’t, you need to help by gently breaking the sac. Sometimes the sac breaks before the puppy is born. If the sac bursts and fluid comes out before you see a puppy, the vagina could dry out. If this happens, you may need to help mom by using the lubricant.
Once a pup is born, your priority is helping them begin to breathe and nurse on their mother. Your dog can this on her own, but you can save her time and stress by following these steps as each puppy is delivered:
- • Help her break the sac and encourage her to lick the puppy to dry and stimulate it. Rubbing the puppy gently with a rough towel simulates the action of her tongue if she is too tired or will not take care of it. Hold the puppy’s head downwards to help drain the fluid from the lungs.
- • Help them breathe. Use a hand towel to remove the amniotic sac from the puppy’s nose, wipe fluid and mucus out of their mouth, and rub them to help them start breathing on their own. Alternative: Rather than use a towel, a bulb syringe is helpful for clearing out of the puppy’s mouth, especially in smaller breeds.
- • Examine each puppy. Healthy puppies will be active, noisy and should be trying to nurse almost immediately. Puppies are born with their eyes and ears closed. Never try to open them.
- • Check the cord. If mom does not bite the cord herself, you can cut it with scissor rinsed in alcohol. You can trim the umbilical cord to ¾ inch and dip the umbilical in strong iodine such as Triodine 7 to dry out the cord and reduce the risk of infection. Wash your hands with warm soapy water after doing this.
- • Help them nurse. Rub the puppy’s nose sideways on the nipple if needed to encourage them to attach and begin nursing.
After the first puppy is born, you should average delivering another puppy every 30 minutes. After each delivery, the mother goes through a resting stage during which mild contractions and delivery of the afterbirth occurs. When all the pups and afterbirth have been delivered, contractions will stop, and she will devote her attention to cleaning and nursing the puppies. This will happen briefly between puppies, but if there have been no more pups after two hours, she is probably finished. You can check her abdomen area to see if you feel another puppy as well.
If a puppy is not delivered within 2 hours of the first contraction, or if the contractions are very hard and nothing is produced in 20-30 minutes, this could indicate a problem. If it is longer than 2 hours between puppies and she is still actively contracting, call your veterinarian.