My dog is in labor, but no puppies for 4 hours. Should I be worried?

I am very worried about Bebe. If she hasn't had any puppies for 6 hours, but still has puppies inside, I would definitely recommend to take her to a veterinarian. Sometimes a puppy can be stuck in the birth canal or the mom gets so tired from pushing that her uterus is no longer able to contract to push the puppies out. Both of these situations are dangerous for the puppies and Bebe. The veterinarian will examine her to see if there is a puppy stuck in the birth canal and will most likely recommend taking and x-ray to see how many puppies she still has inside. Depending on what they find, they may recommend doing a c-section. In most cases, this is the only way to try and save the mother and the puppies. I am so sorry. I know this is a very scary situation.

I typically recommend heading to the vet if it has been more than four hours between puppies. While it can be perfectly normal to take long breaks in between puppies it’s best to have a vet check for signs of fetal distress if it has been more than four hours, especially since one puppy was already still born. Good luck to Coffee!

That depends....If she is in labor and puppies are already born then hopefully she can give birth to the last puppies as well. Usually there should be 30-45 minutes between puppies. If she stopped having contractions before all were born, or if she has been trying to give birth to a puppy but it appears that is cannot come easily, ie it may block the birth canal, then I suggest you take mama and puppies to a vet for assistance. If it looks like she does not have any problems, you do not need to involve a vet, and just let her have her babies until she is done.

I’d keep an eye on Tessa for now. If more than four hours pass between puppies or she pushes for longer than 30 minutes with no sign of puppies, take her into a vet immediately. I’m sorry about the stillborn puppy.

It can be up to 4 hours in between puppies. They need the break so they do not get exhausted. If she is heavily contacting and trying hard to push a pup out with no luck after 39 minutes then she needs medical attention. If there is a black or brown discharge then she needs medical help. The best thing to do is put her in a quiet dim place to let her rest and have the puppies. Check on her about every 30 minutes. She is unlikely to eat or drink during this hit offer her some just in case.

Normally, a delay of more than 2 hours between puppies is concerning. If Miss Priss is acting normal right now, you can give her some time to see if she has another puppy in the next hour or so. If not, I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam - if you're unsure if she has more puppies still inside her, your vet can take an x-ray or ultrasound her abdomen to find out and see if a c-section or other intervention is needed.

Poor Kimber! If she has been having obvious contractions for several hours with no signs of puppies, then this is a medical emergency. She should not be straining to push out a puppy for more than hour. This can be a sign she needs help giving birth, and she may need a c section to safely deliver her puppies. At this point in time, this is a medical emergency and leaving her without help can lead to the death of her puppies and possibly her. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck!