Need Advice on my Pregnant Bitch!!!

kat2290 · 10-16-2007, 06:30 AM

Hi, i need some help/advice, plus i was just wondering if anybody has been in a similar situation with their bitch.i have a beautiful, bouncy black labrador
who we breed her responsibly and have been to see the vet twice, the first visit was around the 45th day and the vet attempted to do a scan but as she is a very hyper dog is was hard to get her to stay still for long enough. the vet said she was pretty certain she was pregnant as she could see amniotic fluid on the scan and thought she had felt puppies. we took her back around the 58th day to see if they could say for definite and give a rough estimate of numbers however she was once again too hyper to do a scan accurately. the vet said to expect the puppies on the 65th day give or take a couple day and if she hadnt had them by the 67th night to take her in for a c-section.
Well, it is now the 67th day and apart from nesting and expressing milk, she shows now other signs of impending labour. there is no panting or vomitting or restlessness. I am reluctant to take her to the vets just yet as she seems perfectly happy, she is not is pain and she is not distressed.
I was just wondering if anybody else had experienced their bitch not goinginto labour until this late stage of the pregnancy, and any advice or general thoughts anybody can share with me that will be useful.

wabanafcr · 10-16-2007, 08:50 AM

How are you figuring her due date? The only way to accurately predict a due date is to do progesterone testing when she is in season. If you did not do progesterone testing, your due date is a guess and is not likely to be accurate.

Some bitches will stand for breeding well before they ovulate, and semen can live in a healthy uterus for days, so without testing to pinpoint the actual date of ovulation, you really have no idea what day it is!

And I'd love to know what you mean by "breeding responsibly," as that can mean many different things to different people.

brlady · 10-16-2007, 09:06 AM

I would take her to the vet....
Also, when you say that you bred her responsibly, do you mean that she is health tested?
She may carry hereditary diseases that she can pass along to the pups. Same for the stud dog, who shoule be chosen because he's a quality dog. In fact, responsible stud dog owners won't breed their dogs to bitches who lack health clearances and reasonable conformation and temperament.
Has your Labrador Retriever been in competition or any other serious activities to prove that she is bred to standard? A first choice would be to become affiliated with your breed clubs or other organizations.
Proper breeding will ensure that the puppies do not develop into dogs with problems ranging from life-threatening or crippling to chronically annoying to dangerous.

I hope that you thought about all of this prior to breeding ??

NorthernLights · 10-16-2007, 09:51 AM

I bet your mentor will know the answer.

adidas5676 · 10-16-2007, 03:16 PM

if it's truely day 67 of pregnancy and you are positive of the day of conception, you need to see your vet ASAP. you stated yourself that your vet instructed you to return to her if day 67 came and she still hadn't whelped. The lives of your dog and her pups could be at risk if you do not follow your vet's advice in this matter. Make an appointment today, do not wait. And best wishes on a healthy and safe delivery.

animalcraker · 10-16-2007, 03:27 PM

What do you mean by breeding her responsibly?
What did your mentor say about the situation?
Is this your first time breeding?

The vet told you to come back on the 67th day for a reason. You should schedule an appt asap to have her examined at minimal. Pending the vets exam you can decide to do the C-section or not.

bootss · 10-16-2007, 06:10 PM

Going through it right now. This is day 69 and she is finally delivering. We knew there were 6-8pups through xrays.She spent 4 nights at the vets on "Whelp watch".We brought her home today and she so far has had 4 of the pups normally.She has gained too much weight and i believe this is a factor in the late births.
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ACampbell · 10-17-2007, 02:36 AM

Just as a thought that you might want to ask the vet about, how safe are X-rays for a pregnant dog? I have had 2 children and NO X-ray lab will let a pregnant female around radiation without a lead shield to protect the fetus...the radiation can cause birth defects...I'd definetely question my vet on this one, a dog is not a person, but radiation is radiation.