Whelping question

[wems2371]

Probably a neurotic question , but how much contact do you keep with a female, prior to her due date. According to whelp calendars, 63 days from the first tie, would put us at next Tuesday May 14th. Second tie was 2 days later. I have read that they can deliver as early as anytime after the 8th week. I have two different Mother's Day dinners in the next few days, that would require me to be away from home a couple hours each time. Both of them will understand if I don't make it. I also want to go to a very good friend's NA test tomorrow, and there will be a 5 hour window, where no one would be here. This is my females first litter too. I have been taking temps, and she always runs on the low side, more so in the morning. Any suggestions or experience for a nervous ninny?

5/06/13 7pm--99.9
5/07/13 7am--99.7
5/07/13 7pm--100.2
5/08/13 7am--99.2
5/08/13 7pm--99.9
5/09/13 7am--99.5
5/10/13 7am--98.8

[mountaindogs]

I Need to READ next time
Watch that 98 that seems like its sliding down. Some dogs do slide and nit a sudden drop... Id probably check 3 x day today and see. IF midday was still lower Id be sure to be around tonight.... but it could also be a fluke.. and will go up again. Your girl is running low like mine did so makes me crazy since the textbooks say 99-100 is nearing d -day

[Chukar12]

Wems,

I see she is lower in the am...they all seem to be that way. Your biggest drop in that stretch is 1 point, I don't think its without fail but my anxiety sets in at two points. You may also PM k-nine aka Arlette...when I get wigged out at whelping time she sets me straight. My guess is unless you see that drop or STRONG nesting behavior you will not have to worry about your brief absences.

Joe

[cjhills]

My female from the same breeding had two litters, each time one tie. Both litters at 59 days. She always runs a low temp so that didn't help much. Not that it means yours will do the same. I would for sure have somebody stay with her if I was gone for five hours.
I ran my female in the field with the other dogs in the morning, Put her in the whelping kennel went out an hour later and she had the first pup. two hours later she was done 8 puppies all doing well. I like that. Some take forever. Good luck Cj

[wems2371]

Thanks for the input all! I opted out of a Mother's Day dinner tonite, since they were going to be an hour from home, so there goes a big juicy steak at Texas Roadhouse. My husband found an alternative class to tomorrows, so he'll be on puppy watch all day. Temp was back up to 99.8 at noon.

[RoostersMom]

Make sure to get some good pictures! And don't stress too much, they truly have been doing this for centuries. Just be there if she needs you.

Good luck!

[ezzy333]

I know everyone will say I am old fashioned but I found that the less I got involved or interfered with natural birth that has been around for a few years the better things were. I would check in once in a while when I was nearby but that is as much as I got involved. And mom and the pups seemed to be very happy I didn't interfere. Had lots of litters and only had one where I needed to assist and though I wasn't with her I was able to do what needed doing when I checked in on her. But that female had a problem that we knew about so I made sure I could check on her in case she needed help.

Ezzy

[mountaindogs]

Fyi - recently had a baby goat born on the "farm " and the goat people say that you have to get mom up and walk her around or get her moving for 20 minutes or so before taking the temp. They said it is always low in the morning and goes up a little when they get going. Maybe it applies to more species than goats

[smoothbean]

I am with you ezzy. Give them a good place to have their babies and time to adjust to it if being moved there then stay out of the way. I think it makes new mothers more nervous if you are messing with them and trying to "help". I have never monitored temps etc.. I can see if you have a mother that has had problems in the past checking a little more often. Mother nature has been doing this for a long time, put your thermometer away and let her handle it.
I would watch for when she goes off feed as a good sign things may getting close.

[frontline]

It's 63 days from ovulation not first tie. There's no accurate way of determining the whelping date (in advance) without progesterone testing.

[wems2371]

It's 63 days from ovulation not first tie. There's no accurate way of determining the whelping date (in advance) without progesterone testing.

I do realize that, and am only using the first tie as a reference, for the earliest possible day. I did have three progesterones done, but my vet sent me when I still had a low number. We tested her on a Saturday, and the results came in Monday morning at a .90, and he told me to leave. I asked him if that wasn't a low number to leave on, but he said the numbers can rise fast at that point, and he knew I had a days worth of driving to do on my own. We also didn't have a # for Sunday at that point, and if we'd tested on Monday, we'd have had to wait until Tuesday for the results. So I left and it worked out. I have read about the rule of 2's, regarding LH surge and ovulation, so that makes me think it will be more like Thursday.

[frontline]

Do you know how many she's having? If it's a big litter maybe Thursday but I'm guessing more like Friday or as late as Monday. Of course this is only a guess since you only have one number. Sometimes they can stall before ovulation or their progesterone can shoot right up, ovulation isn't predictable. Once she has them you can count back 63 days and know her ovulation day, this could be helpful if you plan on breeding her again.
Good luck with her litter! I hope she has an easy whelping without complications..

[kninebirddog]

Watch for a big temp drop...I am in the court of supervise as if there is a major temp drop and temp stays below the 99.5 mark and get lower and stays you should see something with in about 24 hours....when temps drops to the 98 even upper 97 and stays...12 hours I like to see something if not this is where I will contact my vet so he is up to date on my dogs progress...At this point I look for his final mark of better come in for a c section
If you do not monitor and something does began to go wrong and you have just left them alone you will not have that important information which may save the pups but most important to save the female.

I find just being there for my dogs helps them to relax and I also know how long it has been between pups makes for long sits but that what the laptop is for

[wems2371]

Vet could see 5, probably 6 with ultrasound, and he says it's not unusual to miss a couple. Brandi's mom has produced litters of 12, so who knows.

I obviously have no experience, but I think it will be soon. I put her out to potty this morning around 6 AM, and a few minutes later heard a ruckus. I have a Dog Den doghouse in their potty yard, up against my house wall, and she was scratching it up inside good. I don't believe either one of my dogs have EVER been in that doghouse in the couple years I've owned it. I brought her in for her morning kibble, and the chow hound refused it. Temp drops haven't been huge, but she had her first low evening temp last night, at 98.6 and was the same this morning. She's very restless and needy. She has gone back to my picture window and whined a few times, and when I let her out, she goes and sniffs that doghouse again. Two bowel movements in the last hour too.

[cjhills]

Watch closely or you might have puppies in the dog house, yard or under a bush. If ultra sound shows five expect ten. Cj

[Chukar12]

puppies coming

[kninebirddog]

puppies coming

Yep it sounds like she is at the beginning stahges of labor,,,mark down when she scrtaches and goes through those extra needy stages
Good luck

[frontline]

Any puppies yet?

[wems2371]

Yes and I think I should have bought one of those energy drinks for tonite. I'm going to have to doublecheck sexes tomorrow, since I'm a little sleep deprived.

7:00 PM girl
7:35 PM boy
7:50 PM boy

9:18 PM girl
9:38 PM girl

11:16 PM boy
11:45 PM girl

[Ricky Ticky Shorthairs]

[sdoliver]

Great Job!!!!! You will make a great Gramma or aunt or what ever you want to call your self

[doco]

Weeellllll, what do we got? Congrat's!!!!

[wems2371]

The final count was 7, with 4 girls and 3 boys. Last pup was delivered at 11:45 PM. She's being a very good mom, although she had a moment after the 2nd one was born. She licked it clean and it started screaming, along with the first one. Her panicked face said, "What in the heck did I get myself into?" She wanted to bolt out the x-pen door. I calmed her down and she was all good after that. I have to persuade her to come out of the box to go for a potty, and I think they've all been licked one million times each. All the pups look good, although there's a little size disparity between a few of them, so I've had a talk about "sharing" with the big white male I nicknamed "Dozer" already.





Girls to follow

[wems2371]

[Carolina Gundogs]

They are beautiful!

[High Voltage]

Very nice, now the real fun starts! Can't wait to see more pics of them as they grow.

[Chukar12]

Congratulations

[KwikIrish]

Congrats on a solid litter and a great split of sexes!

[RoostersMom]

Beautiful little devils. I like to call them the "semi-sweets" and the "milk chocolate Hershey's" when they have the darker liver and the lighter ones. They are beautiful - keep sending pictures!

[ezzy333]

I think they are crossed with a pointer from the length of their tails. They look good and with only seven they all should have a place to eat and get as much as they need.

Ezzy

[Munster]

I think they are crossed with a pointer from the length of their tails. They look good and with only seven they all should have a place to eat and get as much as they need.

Ezzy

Or a certain Munsterlander I know! LMAO