when is she whelping?

Question

my Chihuahua is about 63 day pregnant, 20 days ago I took her to the vet and he said I should take in side the house and prepare a whelping box, I took her to my room, then 5 days ago she started nesting "on Saturday" I took her to the vet again he said she is about to have her puppies and I should be checking on her and never leave her alone and when she start to deliver I could take her to him or help her my self at home, I read every thing I could find and I prepared a whelping tray and I moved with her to the guest room since Saturday because I don't want her to give birth in my room, I haven't had a good night sleep since put her with me in the house and she is very attached to me she follow me every were and keep going to my room I think she wants to give birth in my room, my question is when is she about to have her puppies ? I really need to sleep.

The reason I don’t want her to give birth in my room its carpeted with beige carpet, that’s why I moved to the guest room with her its granite no carpet easier to clean if she decided to have them under my bed, I also put her whelping box near my bed where I could see her and she could see me, when she see me sleep she start barking she want me to talk with her all the time and petting her. Her whelping box is wooden I had the carpenter specially make it for her, she hasn't been eating since she got pregnant so I spoon feed her, the last 5 days she is drinking too much water and sleeping a lot specially if she her the TV is on or hear the key board of my laptop she knows that im awake so I think she feels safer.

Answer 1

I noticed you said you do not want her to have her puppies in your room.
You may need to make allowances for a few days.
She is very insecure in the days close to birth, she feels she needs to be near you. You are her pack leader, she looks to you for comfort and protection.
You may have to put her bed beside your bed, if you are a light sleeper you will hear her when she goes into labor.
As a general rule, a few hours prior to birth she will start hassling like she is really hot, but she will also be shivering. She will start digging in her bed and trying to chew and rip it all up.
I like to put old newspapers in a large cardboard box and use it as a temporary whelping box.
It will allow you to sleep, but when she starts ripping the papers up you will hear her and wake up.
It also allows easy clean up due to the fact you can throw the entire box and papers in the trash when she is done.
Just transfer mom and babies to the new, clean whelping box after all the babies are born.
You will need to keep her in your room with her babies at least 3 or 4 days. That way you can keep a check on the babies and make sure they are warm and that mom is caring for them. It also allows you to make sure they are drinking as often as possible.
I am a firm believer that you should handle the babies at least a few time a day, I usually just make sure they are attached to a nipple or I put them in close vicinity of the nipple several times a day, and they take care of the rest.
The babies are unable to maintain body heat at all as a baby, the mom will have to stay with them pretty much 24/7 for the first 5 to 7 days.
They will also need a warmer room, away from direct air conditioning.
Babies only cry if something is wrong.
If you are using cloth in the bed, use a material that is smooth, like an old sheet, not a towel....the babies tend to catch their fragile toenails in the towels. That does not happen with the sheet material.

Answer 2

Take her into your room, use a blanket and trash can bags cut open and spread on everything or a vinyl shower curtain so it doesn't mess up the carpet. She may be unsettled because she knows you don't normally sleep in the guestroom.

If she was nesting on Saturday, then I would have expected her to have puppies by now. Ring your vet and check with them that it's ok and if there is any concern, take her in. My Mom used to breed Chi's and we had a lot of trouble with them giving birth, nearly everytime, one stillborn puppy would be stuck and need a shot of oxytocin to get it out or a cesarian to get them all out safely.

Good luck, I hope it all goes well for you.

Answer 3

IF she is really 63 days along and you have no puppies, you have a problem.

Sounds to me like she may need a c-section. Check your dates again to make sure you are right. Dogs that go longer than 63 days rarely have good outcomes.

You should also be checking her temperature twice a day. Once is drops below 99, she should have pups within 24 hours.

Answer 4

just be patient she will have them soon , if she crawls underneath the bed, let her because dogs like areas like that when giving birth to their puppies.

Answer 5

you can noramlly tell when she does not eat her food