My 52-day pregnant dog has mucus plug. Is she going into labor?

Yes, you can certainly expect her to go into labor here real soon. Mucous discharge is normal for pregnant dogs, and the typical gestation period is 58-72 days, so she is definitely within those parameters. Here is a website link that talks about the stages of labor and what things to watch out for --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951546 I hope that Amara has an uneventful labor and healthy puppies soon! Best of luck and take care.

She may be very near whelping. You should make sure she has a whelping box where she can nest. Here is a good Petcoach article on whelping: https://www.petcoach.co/article/whelping-giving-birth-in-dogs/ Observe her, but do not hover....

It can be anywhere from hours to days, but this is a sign that labor will be soon, so it's best to have everything ready that Luna needs, such as a whelping box, supplies to care for any rejected puppies, and your vet or an emergency clinic's number on-hand in case anything goes wrong. If you know how many puppies you'll be expecting, you can also use that to gauge how well labor is going for her (she should have a puppy within a few hours of each previous once labor starts). Other signs of labor include body temperature changes, changes in eating/drinking/bowel habits, and visible contractions along the abdomen.

Dogs are pregnant for approximately 63 days, so she is fairly on. It is not uncommon for them to pass some discharge in pregnancy so unless it is very profuse or smelly i wouldnt worry too much. If you are really worried you can have her scanned at the vets to check the pups are ok. The other possibility is that she is further on and gettibg ready to give birth.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Your Vet is correct! The average length of a canine pregnancy is 60-63 days. We consider dogs overdue if 72 days. If she is acting fine and you are monitoring her temp just continue to watch her. Here are some tips: Stages of Labor: -Stage 1 tends to start 10-24 hours after temperature drop (usually below 99 F). -Stage 1: nesting. Can persist for 3-24 hours before abdominal contractions begin -Stage 2: Visible abdominal contractions. FIRST PUPPY SHOULD ARRIVE WITH IN 1-2 HOURS. -Stage 3: passage of placenta. Usually occurs within 15 mins of passing puppy. If it does not happen, don’t worry. When to worry/Call: -Strong contractions > 45-60 mins without birth of a puppy -Weak and infrequent contractions >4-6 hours without birth of puppy ->4-5 hours between puppies (after birth of first puppy without birth of the next puppy). On average a puppy is born every 45-60 mins. HOWEVER, the mother can often rest for several hours between puppies. This rest period is NOT associated with contractions and usually doesn’t exceed 4-6 hours. -If one puppy is born and she is having VISIBLE contractions for >2 hours without 2nd puppy. Recommend calling around 1 hour mark to talk to someone. -Failure to enter active labor (contractions) 24-36 hours after rectal temp falls below 99 F -Mother is in obvious pain: biting at vulva, crying) -No puppy within 2 hours of seeing green vaginal discharge -No puppy within 1 hour of seeing clear fluid from vulva (rupture of allantochorion) -No puppy within 1 hour of seeing a clear/water filled balloon at vulvar lips (puppy is in birth canal) Good luck!!

This is likely the dissolution of the mucus plug. She will give birth within the next week and should start lactating soon. If the discharge looks like pus or has a bad smell. you need to take her to your veterinarian right away for an exam. Your vet can also take an x-ray and tell you how many puppies to expect so you know when she is done giving birth.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dogs are pregnant for on average 63 days from the breeding date. So if she is currently 7 weeks or 49 days, you have anywhere from 10-14 days. In 9 days starting taking her temperature rectally the same time each day. They usually go in to stage 1 labor with in 24 hours of a temperature drop below 99F. But some don’t follow the rules. Stage 1 labor consists of nesting, pacing and panting. Good luck!