How To Tell If A Bitch Is Ready To Whelp?
- Thread starter JennSLK
- Start date
My friend's collie delivered a week early. She said she had a gut feeling it was going to happen early, and was right about the day and everything.
More concrete stuff was her temps, and she went off food the day before she went into labor.
Does she smell the same? Animals always smell different to me within a day or so of giving birth.
More concrete stuff was her temps, and she went off food the day before she went into labor.
Does she smell the same? Animals always smell different to me within a day or so of giving birth.
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2006
- Messages
- 2,993
- Likes
- 0
- Points
- 0
We didn't bother with temps as from what I read it isn't always a good way of telling when a bitch is going to go.
For Teeny I got my phone call at 7:15 telling me to head up because she had diarrhea that morning, she buried her chicken back instead of eating it, and then she grabbed a stuffed rabbit and hid behind the couch with it and refused to let go. Within the hour she had her first pup. I'd say her behavioral signs were pretty darn obvious. LOL!
For Teeny I got my phone call at 7:15 telling me to head up because she had diarrhea that morning, she buried her chicken back instead of eating it, and then she grabbed a stuffed rabbit and hid behind the couch with it and refused to let go. Within the hour she had her first pup. I'd say her behavioral signs were pretty darn obvious. LOL!
I like the temps because its often right (not always) but often. And nothing is 100% (dekka ate right up till going into labour, she nests all the time, etc) The temp also gives you more warning. Dekka wanted to hide in the closet and then went into labour an hour or so later. BUT her temp let me know it was likely happening in the next 24 hours so I would know to not go anywhere that day. We did have once false alarm though.
The following comments are based on my personal experience whelping quite a few litters of Basenjis over the years.
I never take temperatures with mine as I feel observation is far more accurate as well as less invasive to the bitch. My puppy pen is in my kitchen and I am almost always in the adjacent living room so I can keep an eye on things. When the bitch starts early labor, she will start digging and tearing up newspaper. (I don't put anything other than newspaper in at this point because shredding may result in swallowing and I certainly don't want bits of towels or blanket ingested.) The bitch will feel pressure causing the urge to urinate and/or defecate so I take her out frequently, always under close supervision. As labor progresses, the bitch grows more and more restless and will often whine and look towards me for comfort, or in the case of an inexperienced bitch, in confusion. From the very start of labor to the delivery of the first pup can take anywhere from an hour to 24 hours.
Let us know when they get here!
I never take temperatures with mine as I feel observation is far more accurate as well as less invasive to the bitch. My puppy pen is in my kitchen and I am almost always in the adjacent living room so I can keep an eye on things. When the bitch starts early labor, she will start digging and tearing up newspaper. (I don't put anything other than newspaper in at this point because shredding may result in swallowing and I certainly don't want bits of towels or blanket ingested.) The bitch will feel pressure causing the urge to urinate and/or defecate so I take her out frequently, always under close supervision. As labor progresses, the bitch grows more and more restless and will often whine and look towards me for comfort, or in the case of an inexperienced bitch, in confusion. From the very start of labor to the delivery of the first pup can take anywhere from an hour to 24 hours.
Let us know when they get here!
