How can I tell if my dog is in Labor? Can she have false labor?

Question

My dog has been vomitting / diarrhea in the last few days. She is about 60 days into her pregnancy. The other day she was very loving and followed me everywhere. when she would lay down she would be there for about 5 min then move. She HATES her whelping box. There is milk coming out of her nipples. I want to be there for her just in case something goes wrong so i can take her to the vet. Can some one please help me this is my 1st time having a litter so i am really confused.

Answer 1

She really shouldn't be vomiting or have diarrhea, a call to the vet is advisable. Having said that here is the information as to what you can expect when she does start her labor.
Good Luck to you & your new mama.

IMPENDING LABOR

When your dog's due date is approaching, you should begin monitoring her rectal temperature. When her temperature drops below 100o F (normal canine temperature is 101-102o F), labor may be expected within 24 hours.

THE FIRST STAGE OF LABOR

During this stage, uterine contractions begin. The mother will appear very restless and may pace, dig, shiver, pant, or even vomit. This is all normal and all an owner can do is see that the mother has water available should she want it. This stage of labor is very long, lasting 6-12 hours and culminates with full dilation of the cervix in preparation to expel a puppy.

THE SECOND AND THIRD STAGES OF LABOR

The second stage is the "hard labor" stage in which the puppy is expelled. The third stage refers to the expulsion of the placenta and afterbirth. Each pup may not be followed by afterbirth; the mother may pass two pups and then two placentas. This is normal.

Puppies are born covered in membranes which must be cleaned away or the pup will suffocate. The mother will bite and lick the membranes away. Allow her a minute or two after birth to do this; if she does not do it, then you must clean the pup for her. Simply remove the slippery covering and rub the puppy with a clean towel. The umbilical cord may be tied in a knot about one inch from the pup and cut with scissors on the far side of the knot.

Expect one pup every 45-60 minutes with 10-30 minutes of hard straining. It is normal for mothers to "take a rest" partway through delivery and she may not strain at all for up to four hours between pups. If she is seen straining hard for over one hour or if she takes longer than a four hour break, a veterinarian should be consulted.

Expect some puppies (probably half of them) to be born tail first. This is not abnormal for dogs.

CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN IF:

30-60 minutes of strong contractions occur with no puppy being produced.
Greater than four hours pass between pups and you know there are more inside.
She fails to go into labor within 24 hours of her temperature drop.
She is in obvious extreme pain.
Greater than 70 days of gestation have passed.
It is normal for the mother to spike a fever in the 24-48 hours following birth. This fever should not be accompanied by clinical signs of illness.

Normal vaginal discharge after parturition should be odorless and may be green, dark red-brown or bloody and may persist in small amounts for up to 8 weeks.

PROBLEMS TO WATCH FOR...

METRITIS (INFLAMMATION OF THE UTERUS)

Signs of this condition are as follows:

fever
foul-smelling vaginal discharge
listlessness
loss of appetite
no interest in the puppies
decreased milk production
If these signs are noted, usually in the first day or two postpartum, a veterinarian should be consulted. Your dog may have retained a placenta or have suffered some trauma during delivery. Animals who have required assistance with delivery are often predisposed to metritis.

ECLAMPSIA

This condition results when the mother has trouble supporting the calcium demand of lactation. Calcium supplementation predisposes a mother to this condition. Usually affected animals are small dogs. They demonstrate:

nervousness and restlessness
no interest in the pups
stiff, painful gait
This progresses to:

muscle spasms
inability to stand
fever
seizures
This condition generally occurs in the first three weeks of lactation and a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.

MASTITIS (INFLAMMATION OF THE BREASTS)

Normal nursing glands are soft and enlarged. Diseased glands are red, hard, and painful. In general, the mother does not act sick; the disease is confined to the mammary tissue. The ***** may be sore and discourage the pups from nursing; however, it is important to keep the pups nursing the affected glands. This is not harmful to the puppies and helps flush out the infected material. Hot packing may be helpful.

Most dogs are excellent mothers and problems are few. The basic rule is to seek veterinary care if she seems to feel sick of if she ceases to care for her young. Puppies nurse until they are about six weeks old and then may be fully separated from their mother. A good age for adoption to a new home is 8 weeks or later.

Answer 2

They also quit eating or do not eat much in the last twenty four hours. Usually they will start to urinate really frequently right before. They can deliver from 60 to 65 days. It sounds like she is in her first signs of labor. If you sit by her and comfort her in her whelping box she will start to get comfortable there. But the first time she had puppy's I still picked her and took her there when she urinated here and there and I seen a puppy starting to show barely. Most Moms does fine on their own as long as you are there to remove a bag from around their mouth and nose so they can breathe, just in case Mom gets nervous etc. A vet should be called if they are in labor and take more than two or three hours without a puppy. You should know that sometimes a puppy will be seen starting to come out, then it will go back in. This happens on the first pup and after about three times the pup will come out, it is helping open the birth canal. Good Luck Let everyone know what you have....

Answer 3

If she's 60 days than she's close to labor. Since this is your first time with a litter, I wouldn't hesitate to call your vet on any questions. Dogs will experience a drop in temperature (to about 98 degrees) 24-48 hours before giving birth. Right before dogs go into labor they'll generally go to the whelping box and start digging at the bottom of it as if they were digging a hole. They'll start panting a lot as if they have been running. They'll lay down and start giving birth to the pups. I've never had my dogs vomit before giving birth so I would certainly call your vet. It's better to be certain than to end up with a big problem. From my experience, dogs know when they're going to give birth and they go to their whelping box regardless of how they felt about it before. It's important for the puppies to be born in a warm box with plenty of blankets.

Answer 4

a dog can not have a false labor.
but she can be in labor for a very long time.
my dog was in labor for almost 6 hours.
also she will find a very comfortable spot this can be YOUR bed or someones in you house.
so dont worry about not being there when my dog had her first puppy we were in the garuge cleaning.
she knows from instink what to do.
she might need help after the first few puppies tho.

Answer 5

I have a miniature schnauzer not sure when she got pregnant but looks to be ready to deliver, She is my daughters and her being here with me is safer. I gave her a bath today when I got her and fixed her kennel with clean pill and blankets. Tomorrow I am going to start taking her temp. She seems to be resting ok now, but my dog weiner dog wont leave her alone.

Answer 6

Here is another one. The dog has been sick for the "last few days" and it is pregnant? So instead of calling a vet you are on YA asking us what is wrong. Sounds like you are very educated in these matters...........NOT!...... Poor dog, Poor pups?????

Answer 7

yeah maybe shes not pregnant to her to the vet
hope she gets better

Answer 8

call the vet

Answer 9

call your vet and talk to them...they know more about her than people on here do