My puppy is expecting puppies...help!

How do I know when a dog is getting close to giving birth? Snickers is pregant (I know, I'm a bad mommy....she will get spade after this, but I didn't realize she was in heat). She is getting bigger by the day, and her milk ducts are full..basically she has grown boobs!

She currently shares a large dog crate with our pug. There is a seperater between their spaces, but I want to move Buttercup to another cage in another room before she has her pups. What am I looking for? How do I know when she is close?

Basically, what do I need to do for a pregnant dog? She has been extra needy the last few days. Do dogs "nest" like cats do?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Umm I am not an expert... Feed her puppy food... any idea who the father is???

dogs gestation is 60-64 days //// You needd a wheeping area like a nest

I would suggest a vet visit

I know people use those plastic kiddie pools for a whelping box, line it with towels. Mom is going to need a ton of nutrition - I recommend getting her on a super premium food right away, because once pups come, she's going to need all the calories and nutrition she can get.

Has she seen a vet? She needs to be seen. Mamma dogs can die if they have complications from birth, you'll need your vet to be aware so that if she starts whelping and a pup is turned wrong, you can get her right in.

Please, please, don't take the pups away from Mom until at least 10 weeks, 12 weeks is better, and please get the pups spayed/neutered before you place them in new homes. Don't trust other people to do it. Too many dogs are dying everyday in shelters, don't be part of the problem by allowing the puppies to go into new homes unaltered, where they might end up having more puppies.

Screen the new homes carefully, ask for references, do a home visit. Make sure you place a fee on the pups, not just free to good home. Free to good home dogs end up in bad situations, you don't want that for your pups.

OK, off my rescue soapbpx now. I hate seeing puppies born, I know that sounds cold but your litter is taking homes away from shelter pups, who will end up dead because of it. There are not enough homes. Please get Mama spayed immediately after the pups are born!

Good luck!

What kind of dog is mom? If they are pugs or other "large headed" dogs, you could have problems in giving birth. Kinda like a persian cat. So you may be looking at c-section.

I'd take her to the vet to verify about how soon. The gestation is the same as for cats; about 65 days.

BTW who is the father?

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

What kind of dog is mom? If they are pugs or other "large headed" dogs, you could have problems in giving birth. Kinda like a persian cat. So you may be looking at c-section.

I'd take her to the vet to verify about how soon. The gestation is the same as for cats; about 65 days.

BTW who is the father?

Click to expand...

I believe Snickers is a Lab.

Yes, Snickers is a chocolate lab. We think the father is an austrian shepard mix, but since we didn't actually see the deed being done we can't be sure. She just ran off in the woods one day, and came back about 1/2 hour later. We didnt' even realize she was pregnant until her teats started to get full a last week.

She has appointment at the vets next week, and I'd like to make an appointment then for her spaying. How long should I wait after she gives birth?

I know puppies take away homes from rescue dogs. I do feel terrible about this. But, I also can't take her in to have them aborted. We already have some homes lined up with family and friends. Snickers is such a good dog that everyone she meets falls in love with her. I just hope her litter is small (she came from a litter of 13).

Thanks for all the advice!

Then you should be ok if she's a lab - except be prepared for about 10 pups or more!

Keno got away from her original owner and was in heat - father of the pups was a rottweiler! We got her from the guy who adopted her after being picked up and we saw one of the pups that was left - typical rottie markings.

Keno had a first litter of 10 pups and she was only 9-months old when she got pregnant (am assuming 1st heat). We spayed her - no more pups! I'm just glad I didn't have to deal with them. I'm use to 2-6 kittens at a time

Yes, they nest, around the 9th week.
I am no expert either, but I spend a lot of time on a dog forum where some of the members are serious breeders.
This website might help:
http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medica...html#pregnancy
Good luck to you and momma.

you need to take her temperature (rectal) daily. when she drops to around 98 degrees- she's ready. when you squeeze her teats- does milk come out yet? if so she is very close to delivering.

you need to get her into the vet asap for an exam hon. also- discuss a plan for delivery- do you know how to tie off the umbiblical cords/etc and clean the pups up if the mommy doesn't? ask him to teach you how. Also- be prepared to nurse the pups incase she doesn't- have some pro-biolac or other formula on hand and bottles just in case.

you need to get a plastic kiddy pool and line the very bottom with plastic and newspaper- then make the top layers soft old blankets. keep her in a room like a guest bedroom or bathroom/laundry room where it is quiet. do not let her run loose outside- she needs to be leash walked only. Go ahead and get the #'s /maps for your local after hours vets should an emergency arise during delivery (labs are usually pretty good about birthing though so i think you'll be ok.) The last litter of lab puppies i delivered at the shelter was a litter of 6 all healthy and they had a great momma.

Be sure that you have gloves, scissors, gauze, thread, formula, bottles, a kiddy pool, LOTS of blankets, a heating pad, etc on hand! Your vet can also give you other suggestions. I'm only a pm away if you need anything hon! I deliver puppies pretty often at our shelter so feel free to ask away if you have a specific question.

Also -does she have any discharge yet? if it's present- what color? be sure that you feed her a high quality puppy food from now until she's weaned her puppies (6-12 weeks). Definitely make sure that the puppies recieve all vaccinations (they will need several rounds), deworming, and are spayed/neutered before rehoming them. it is also important to microchip them- microchipping is extremly important -especially in natural disasters when rabies tags/files can be destroyed- microchipped animals during katrina were able to be reunited in huge numbers with their owners because the chips unlike tags/paper can be scanned anywhere and when registered- can help unite owner and animal. you need to charge a fee for adoption- don't do a "free to a good home" add. people specifically look for those and will often use "free animals" as bait for fighting rings. So you will be protecting the pups by charging a reasonable adoption fee to cover the cost of spay/neuter /vacs/etc.


I'm glad you've already thought about making the appointment to have the momma spayed when the babies are weaned -that is very good! Be sure she stays indoors only from now until the time she's spayed and away from intact males.

Also- it is normal for her to start "nesting" right now- she might act clingy, tear things up, chew a lot, loose her appetite or increase her appetite, drink a lot of water, look for a "nest" - this is why the kiddy pool is important!, she will also likely want to be right by your side all the time. that's normal.

also- to answer your question: your lab should be spayed about a week after she finishes nursing/weaning her puppies. you want to wait a week after the puppies are weaned because she will need time for the swelling in her mammory area/reproductive organs to go down so that the tissue isn't too inflamed when the vet does her spay.

Nothing to add, just wanted to give you a 'good luck' with puppies!!!

I agree wholeheartedly with Nikki. Make sure you can afford taking care of the pups, they are a lot of work. just be prepared to take care of them and have Snickers checked out to make sure the pups are all in there okay, etc. good luck. btw how old is Snickers??? and please, please have the pups fixed, too before they go to their new homes. see if you can find a low cost spay and neuter clinic for mom and pups when they are ready to be fixed.

Thanks guys! Snickers now sleeps in her crate, but I'm guessing having a wading pool would be better for birthing. Then she can escape to her crate if she needs a break? The crate is huge...2 of her could fit in it. Right now she is sharing it with Buttercup (with a separator) but we have another smaller crate ready for Buttercup. We will probably move her in there this weekend.

She has had some clear discharge, but not much. She isn't lactating yet.

DH and MIL are both farm people, and have raised goats and other animals for years, so they know what to do if there is a problem, but I will definitely ask the vet for advice. Basically, I think she will be in good hands.

I appreciate all the replies and support! This was a mistake that now I must take responsibility for. Snickers is only about a year old, and I hate that she is becoming a mommy so soon, or at all! But, the pups will be well taken care of, and we will find good homes for them.

Heres a forum that might help you if you are already not on it..

chazhound.com

They have great tips on there! I hope this isn't against the rules, but puppies are a lot to deal with. And they have a great section on it. Good luck with it, and I hope everything goes smoothly!!

Thanks a lot! I will definitely check it out.

Another forum that is very helpful is dogforum.org.

Good luck with the pups and be sure to get Mom spayed afterwards.

I second the www.chazhound.com/forums suggestion!!

I wish I had better advice, but I have never personally whelped a litter!
Good Luck !!

Any updates on Snickers? Has she had them? Pics?

I third the www.chazhound.com/forums suggestion, great place! Just make it clear the litter was an accident and you are getting her spayed after this. Good luck with the pups, if you join the forum I will be happy to help with any training and behavior problems you mom and pups encounter and we have some very good breeders there who can be of great help (RedyreRottweilers, Showpug, Spiritus, Bubbatd (known to us as Grammy) does not breed anymore but she knows a lot about raising pups). Grammy will always recommend this book so I will tell you to get "How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With" by by Clarice Rutherford and David H. Neil.