My pregnant dog hasn't had puppies in hours. When to worry?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!