My dog is in labor. How long between puppies is normal? When to worry?

If she is still showing signs of distress or labor, I would take her in to your vet. Your vet will be able to determine if there are any additional puppies. Your vet will be able to give some meds to help with labor or do a C-section on her to get the rest of the puppies out. I hope this helps and the rest of the puppies and mama is okay!

Typically the membranes pass within 15 minutes of a puppy's delivery, but I would not be overly concerned about the second pup's slower membrane expulsion. Puppies are usually born every 30-60 minutes, but there can be up to 3 hours between puppies, which is all normal. Be sure that Maggie is cleaning and stimulating the puppies to breathe very shortly after birth. If she is not doing this, you can use a clean towel to remove the membranous covering from the puppies' faces and rub their bodies to stimulate them to take a breath. This link also has some helpful information about whelping: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=678. Congratulations on your new additions!

If it's been six hours since the last puppy was born and you believe Ahavala still has at least one more pup inside her, this is an emergency - she needs to be seen at an emergency clinic tonight for further evaluation (a physical exam, and likely x-rays and/or ultrasound) to determine if there is in fact another pup present. If so, she will almost certainly need an emergency c-section to remove it. here should generally be no more than two hours at most between puppies once a mother dog has started delivering, so a delay of this long is not normal and requires veterinary intervention.

It is very likely that she will if you feel like she has more. If nothing happens after 4 hours from the birth of the last one a check up at your local veterinarian is needed as there may be a case of dystocia and medical or surgical intervention may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

She may have entered already in the second phase of the labor and it can take anything between 2-8 hours. If contractions stop I would recommend to contact your local veterinarian as medical/surgical intervention may be needed.

Hello. After 5 hours, it is time to see your veterinarian for an x-ray or ultrasound to see if & how many puppies remain in her. You vet may elect to just watch for another 24 hours, especially if Angel seems content with her newborn, & there are no distressed fetal heartbeats. Otherwise, it might be time to intervene, first with trying Oxytocin to initiate uterine contractions , or take her immediately to surgery. But it is best to let your veterinarian decide on the next course of action. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Tara. I would recommend bringing her in to your vet for examination. If your vet has an ultrasound machine they can use it to check the puppies and ensure they are doing ok/ are not in distress. What concerns me is it sounded like she was going into labor a few days ago, and normally dogs labor will progress and not stop. I would be concerned she is not going through a normal labor, and if she seems lethargic today that is even more concerning. I would get her in to ensure her safety and that of her puppies. You can read more about birthing puppies at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951546