is my bitch having pups?

[mary_meads]

my bitch mated 5 times 3 weeks ago what are the signs i should be looking for if she is having puppies?

[lankeela]

What did the breeder of your bitch or the owner of the stud dog tell you to look for? Or what did it say in any of the books you have read on dog breeding? Or your vet?

Or do you think dog breeding just means letting a dog and bitch mate and sit back and wait for what happens?

[lankeela]

http://www.doggehouse.co.uk/whelping.htm

[pmjblue]

sorry but I am astounded to think you have mated your bitch, and dont know what to look for - have you thought of having her scanned at the vets? Something else to bear in mind is that four/five weeks after the bitch finishes her season she could have a womb infection (pyometra), and you need to know the signs of this, as you could think she is in whelp if she is acting strangely, whereas she could be seriously ill.

[pmjblue]

forgot to say that if she is in whelp, you should be giving her extra food and protein - has she been wormed recently too?

[mary_meads]

yes shes been wormed this is just the first time for breeding n want to be sure im doing things right n checked at vets everyone has to start some where and i have read many books but just want to be sure of what im doing give me a break

[LLASY]

The signs are not very significant at this stage, the bitch should be pregnant for about 63 days and toward the end of gestation you can usually see weight gain and even see the pups moving around inside her tum. she will start to dig in the garden and scratch at the carpet about a week to 10 days before the onset of labor. Have a whelping box ready so she can get familiar with it before the birth and get some books to help you with what to do. Puppies are hard work when they begin to ween. Sorry but I disagree with pmjblue, you should not give her supplementary food and protein, not until she gives birth and is feeding.

[mary_meads]

ty llas for your help jessie my dog is not having puppies well not that we can see i am looking forward to her having a litter but if it dosent happen so be it i am still reading and trying to get as much knollege as posible though she is as all 3 of my dogs a very much loved and spoiled pet but it does seem that she might be barren how sad .

[LLASY]

You are welcome Mary, I think people are being a bit tough on you here. I find that some folk get a bit fanatical about this sort of thing and take it all too seriously. Lets face it dogs bred (and still do breed) quite nicley in the wild by them selves. I didn't have much idea when I started breeding Labradors and I haven't had any mishaps. It all comes naturally. As for scans, they are expensive and not very reliable at such an early stage. Good luck, I hope it all goes well. ;-)

[kathhunt]

theres not much you will see yet my bitch is 6 weeks pregnant and only just started showing on week 5 i found that her nipples were slightly bigger but she looked really slim until then