My dog is hiding and acting strange. Could she be going into labor?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Shadow. She is likely displaying nesting behavior. This is an early sign of labor. Body temperature typically drops below 99 degrees approximately 24 hours prior to delivering the puppies. She appears close to this drop. I recommend monitoring her closely as I suspect she will have the puppies soon. However, if you are concerned, please contact her veterinarian. They will know her specific case details and can give you more accurate recommendations. I hope this information helps!

A pregnant dog's temperature will often dip down up to 48 hours before going into labor. It usually drops to 98-99, then will go back up to normal (100-102). I would watch Tobie for any other signs of labor. If she hasn't had any puppies in 48 hours, it may be best to have her examined by the vet.

It sounds like she might be showing signs of early labor, but it also could be normal behavior for the end of pregnancy. I would recommend seeing your veterinarian for an exam and an x-ray if you haven't already seen them recently - it is very helpful to take an x-ray to count puppies late in pregnancy. That way you know approximately how many puppies to expect. You should also start checking her rectal temperature with a well lubricated digital thermometer three times a day to establish a baseline (make sure it's at the same time every day) - usually a dog's baseline temperature will drop by one full degree prior to labor. If Luna's temperature drops but you don't see puppies within 24 hours you should see a veterinarian to make sure everything is okay.

Hi there! Congratulations to Leila! You are correct as it is close to the end. The gestation period for a dog is about 63 days - give or take. It seems like you are watching out for the correct signs, like nesting behavior. I doubt the other dog is preventing her from giving birth, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to separate them during this time, so she can get comfortable and have access to her own private area. You can also start checking her rectal temperature routinely, a couple of times a day, so you will know for sure when it drops, indicating labor will start soon after. Another good idea (if you haven't already of course) is to take her to her veterinarian for an Xray. The veterinarian can estimate the number of puppies she will be having. This way, if you expect at least 10, and she only births 9, you know there is an issue. Her backbone, like you said, is most likely more visible because her body condition is changing. The puppies grow a lot from 40 days until the end, and they are using her energy to do so. She may be losing body condition (even if her weight is staying the same) because she isn't getting enough nutrition. I included a link below about how to feed a pregnant dog. I also will include one about birthing puppies that is great! It has a lot of good information so you know what else to expect aside from your current knowledge. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck! https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feeding-the-pregnant-dog https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951546

It certainly sounds like Xena may be showing signs of stage 1 labor. It would be a good idea to start monitoring her rectal temperature - I typically recommend checking 2-3 times a day. You can establish a baseline and if and when her temperature drops by 1 full degree it is usually a pretty good indicator that you should see puppies within 24 hours. This article might also help: https://www.petcoach.co/article/whelping-giving-birth-in-dogs/

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Based off of this information, it is possible that Willow is close to whelping. Some bitches stop eating during the last twenty-four hours before labor, and may act differently. The rectal temperature will drop below 100F (37.8C), usually an hour or two before whelping. I would keep a close eye on her tonight to see if she progresses to the second stage of labor. Second stage labor is the stage of delivery. She will start to strain. If straining continues for two hours without any signs of a watery discharge ("water breaking") or puppies, you should contact your veterinarian. Most dogs experience no complications with delivery. First time mothers should be attended by their owners until at least one or two puppies have been born. I hope this is helpful!

If she is 66 days I would definitely recommend seeing a vet as soon as you can. It’s possible that she is in stage one of labor, but at 66 days she is past the average gestation length and it’s possible that she is having difficulty with labor or that there are problems with the puppies. A vet can check to see if she is in labor and can also determine whether or not the puppies might be in distress. If you start to see active contractions your should see a puppy within 30-69 minutes and she should not go more than 4 hours between puppies.