Is my pregnant dog's struggle to stand normal in late gestation?

It is normal for the ligaments around her pelvis to become stretched in preparation for labor and also for the pups to drop down under her belly rather than stretching her belly wider it should become deeper. Any restlessness, fever or discharge should be checked by your vet

Hello, congratulations on your new coming puppies. Its possible that she is beginning to have signs of initiating the first part of labor. During this time, their temperature may decrease and they may shiver. Keep an eye for any evidence of active contractions. If you are seeing contractions without production of a puppy that lasts longer then 2 hours, then she should be evaluated by her veterinarian immediately. If she seems lethargy, weak, and is not interested in food or water then she should be evaluated sooner. If she does deliver her puppies on her own, you may assist in cleanig the puppies and drying them so that they may begin to nurse shortly after birth. Hope this helps and best of luck.

You can find significant fluid retention in dogs near birthing time. It is similar to the swelling you see in human's feet. If she seems to be unwell or off form I would consider a vet visit as a precaution to check her hear and blood pressure. Most likely it is just a bit of retention due to the pressure on her lymphatic system.

The most likely cause for your dog's pain would be arthritis based on her age and the description of the problem you provided. Arthritis is an extremely common condition in dogs. I suggest you take her to your vet for an exam. There are definitely good medications that can be used to make her feel better. ( https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=8896028 )

Any discharge when pregnant is concerning and i would recommend a vet check as soon as possible to rule out infection or early labor/puppy loss. The lameness may or may not be related and should also be assessed, to minimise pain and discomfort.

H there and thanks for posting. If Stella is pregnant, then she could be in stage 1 of labor which can last 6-8 hours. However, the not getting up as well as the lethargic and bleeding from the vagina is concerning if she is pregnant. This may be an indication something is wrong with her pups and the pregnancy or she may have pregnancy toxemia. If she isn't pregnant, there is another medical reason behind her symptoms that needs to be addressed by a veterinarian in person. It is hard to say what exactly is going on without examining her first. My best advice is to have her seen right away by a veterinarian or taken to an emergency veterinary clinic. Best of luck to you and Stella!

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.