Free-whelping English bulldogs are becoming more common, though almost all breeders still choose to perform Caesarean sections instead. This is not only because English bulldogs have small hips and birth canals, but mainly because they have a high tolerance for pain that may or may not keep them from initiating labor and prevent fetal expulsion. Plus, they have small litters and the chances of pups dying are less during a C-section.
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Pre-Whelping
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Prior to whelping, you should set up a whelping area that is quiet, secluded, dry, warm and draft-free. You can also place a whelping box in the area. A whelping box is basically a four-sided structure that is about a foot high̵1;high enough to keep 3-week-old puppies from getting out̵1;and is washable. The box should also have a pig rail around the perimeter at about 4 inches from the ground. This keeps the mother from crushing puppies when she lays down to feed them.
Line the whelping box and whelping area with newspapers and encourage the mother to use the box as a bed before delivery, so she̵7;ll be used to the whelping area. You should also keep the temperature of the whelping area at about 75 degrees F. Use an infrared lamp to increase heat if need be.
You should also take an ultrasound the week before delivery time (sometime around the 7th week) to see how many puppies are there so you know when she̵7;s done delivering.
Between Day 59 and 65
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The English bulldog can start labor at the 59th day, but can go as late as 65 days. At the 59th day, look for signs of whelping̵1;vomiting, shivering, panting. She will probably also go to the whelping area and begin scratching at the newspapers and blankets.
Take her temperature starting at day 59 and take her temperature daily until it drops from 101.5 degrees F to 99 degrees F. It will drop 12 to 24 hours before labor.
During Labor
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Once her contractions begin, you should give her calcium. You can tell contractions are happening as she̵7;ll twitch more, shiver more, possibly vomit and lick her vulva. You can give her calcium by having her lick ice cream.
Unlike other dogs, you will see a gush of green fluid from the English bulldog indicating that the water has broken. In other dogs, if the green discharge comes out before the first pup is born, it means that the placenta has separated too early and there̵7;s something wrong. With English bulldogs, when the green discharge comes out, it means the first pup is about to come out.
Whelping
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The whelps (pups) will present after the water breaks. She should only push for two to 10 minutes to get the whelps out. If she is pushing for a long time and is no longer contracting, manually stimulate contractions by stroking the inside of the birth canal with your finger.
Additionally, if any of the puppies get stuck in the birth canal̵1;breach or otherwise̵1;you must pull them out. All the whelps should come out within minutes to half an hour of each other, though sometimes there may be couple hours in between.
Always keep a vet close at hand or have a vet on call in case you notice anything out of the ordinary such as massive, ongoing flow of blood from the mother, stuck puppies or stillborn whelps.
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