My dog is in labor. How long between puppies & what to watch for?

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.

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.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Leah. We normally do not see more than 4 hours pass between puppies, so it is concerning that she had so much time between the puppies. If you do not know how many puppies to expect (you didn't have an x-ray taken to count puppies) the safest course of action would be to have her vet examine her to be certain there aren't remaining puppies that need to be removed. You can read more about birthing puppies at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=678 Best of luck to you and Leah.

Occasionally, there can be 2-4 hours between puppies. If she is actively straining for an hour or more without producing a pup then she should be examined by your veterinarian right away. An exam and abdominal x-rays would be recommended in this situation anyway to confirm the presence or absence of additional pups inside Dhorina.

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!

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.

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.