My dog paused during labor. Are more puppies coming? X-ray needed?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Mocha. If she had x-rays while pregnant and she was only expecting one puppy, then she is probably doing fine. However, if she was expecting more puppies or you don't know the number of puppies, she will need to see her veterinarian. She will need an x-ray to ensure there are not any more puppies that have not been born yet. I hope this information helps!

Unfortunately I cannot tell you how many puppies Rosy has left. i would recommend taking her to a vet for a current x-ray to see if any puppies remain and if so how many. Dog can really range in how many puppies especially with there first litter. Typically if they stop pushing /having signs of contractions they could be done with delivery but an x-ray would be best. hope the helps

The only way to know for sure is to have an x-ray taken by your vet. If she is still panting and having contractions, then this is a sign that she isn't finished delivering pups yet - so if she's doing this and hasn't had any pups in the past hour, I would recommend taking her to an emergency vet for x-rays. Normally, when labor is finished, the mother will settle down and lick her puppies (or puppy, in this case) and allow them to nurse. If she still seems distressed and panting, or is still having visible contractions, then I would be concerned that there may be one or more puppies still inside her.

If the radiographs were taken after 42 days gestation the puppies skeletons should have been calcified which means your vet should have been able to count heads and spines and give you a fairly accurate number of puppies. If they were taken before the skeletons had calcified it is much more difficult to get an accurate count. I have been surprised in the past when it turns out some of my patients have had more than the original guess from the radiographs. This can happen if two puppies are superimposed, or overlapped one on top of the other in the images, making it look like two puppies are just one. However, if your vet saw 8 skulls and spines and you only see 7 puppies my thought is there is still one that hasn't been born. If Sugar still doesn't give birth to that eighth puppy in the next few hours I would call your veterinarian. I hope this was helpful!

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.

If the mother is acting fine and you have not noticed a foul discharge from her vulva I would not be concerned that there are only two puppies. If she seems lethargic, has a foul vulvar discharge or seems to be straining, I would recommend that you have her seen by a veterinarian. They can perform an x-ray to determine if there are any puppies remaining. I would ensure that you are feeding the mother a high quality puppy food to ensure she has adequate nutrition for nursing the puppies. Please also consult with your veterinarian about a proper deworming protocol for the mother and puppies.

Contractions can continue for several hours after delivery, that is for the purpose of getting all the placenta out of the uterus. It's not possible for you to know if there are more puppies in her uterus just by feeling her belly, but if you are unsure and worried, the only thing that can give you a definitive answer would be an xray or an ultrasound.