About Puppy Birth

Time Frame

• The gestational period for dogs is 63 days. By taking the mother's rectal temperature starting about a week before the end of the pregnancy, the timing of labor and puppy birth can be pinpointed. The normal rectal temperature of a dog is between 100.5 and 102 degrees F, but within 24 hours of the first stage of labor that temperature will drop by about 2 degrees. Once the mother's temperature has dropped, labor and puppy birth are imminent.

Considerations

• A pregnant dog's owner should make a whelping box for labor and puppy birth before the onset of labor. Whelping boxes do not need to be large, but they should provide ample room for the mother to lay in during labor and with her new puppies. The sides of the whelping box should be 6 to 8 inches high so that the new puppies cannot get out. Whelping boxes should be placed in a spot that the mother is familiar with and that is set off from other household activity.

Features

• The first stage of puppy birth begins with the onset of the initial labor contractions. Usually during this stage the mother appears agitated and restless, often panting, pacing, and refusing to eat. Water should be accessible to the mother dog during this stage and the final stages of puppy birth. This first stage of puppy birth can last anywhere from 6 hours to a full day.
  Hard contractions and the actual puppy birth occur during the second stage of puppy birth. A fluid-filled sac normally emerges first from the mother, followed by the first puppy. About two-thirds of all puppies present themselves in the normal position of nose first, stomach down, but one-third will come out tail first with no difficulty. The puppies are covered in a sac that the mother will usually remove right away, along with the attached umbilical cord. After the puppy is cleaned the mother often rests and expels the afterbirth for that puppy. On average, there is a 45-minute to 1-hour gap between the birth of each puppy.

Prevention/Solution

• Puppy birth should be monitored in case assistance from the dog's owner is required. Sometimes the mother dog fails to remove the sac covering the puppy and the umbilical cord. If this occurs, the owner should step in and complete these tasks so that the puppy will not suffocate. If the mother dog does not clean the puppy after 1 or 2 minutes, the owner should take a clean towel to dry and rub the puppy to aid in circulation and breathing. The umbilical cord can be knotted off an inch away from the puppy's body with thread and cut on the far side of the knot.

Warning

• During puppy birth it is possible for the puppy to get stuck in the birth canal despite the mother's contractions. If this happens, the owner should act quickly to assist in birthing the puppy. The owner can grab the puppy with a towel and gently pull on the puppy to help dislodge it. All of the owners exertions should be slow and steady, as pulling too roughly on the puppy can harm both the puppy and mother.
  Veterinarian assistance should be sought if a lodged puppy cannot be moved, hard labor lasts for 30 minutes without a puppy birth, more than 4 hours pass between puppies when more puppies are expected, or if the mother dog goes past her delivery date without going into labor.