My pregnant dog is in pain. Is she in labor? How can I help her?

If she’s having contractions and is not able to push the puppies out through her pelvis she needs immediate veterinary treatment. They will need to do a Caesarean section to remove them and they should spay her at the same time to prevent this from happening again. If she can’t give birth the puppies will die inside her and cause her to become sick and die also. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lucy.

It is very possible Lucy could be pregnant, especially if she got out while in heat last. A dog's pregnancy is about 60-63 days, so if it was about two months ago that she was in heat and got out, it is likely she is close to giving birth if she is pregnant. It would be best to bring her to your local veterinarian to have her examined and the pregnancy confirmed. If she is not pregnant, your vet can also check for other issues such as hormonal changes, tumors or infections that could be causing the change to her mammary glands and vulva, or can let you know if she's ready to go into heat again.

56 days is a bit early, but it is possible she could be in labor, or closer to her due date than thought. Signs of labor can include visible contractions, changes in body temperature, lack of appetite, and waxing of the nipples (producing a milk substance). I would keep an eye on her, and if she doesn't have any puppies within a few hours of signs of labor, or she seems in great distress/is extremely exhausted take her into your vet ASAP for care to make sure there isn't a stuck puppy or other illness or complication causing her early symptoms.

A dog's pregnancy lasts between 58-68 days, so it is possible she could go into labor anytime after that. I would start taking her temperature rectally twice a day. A dog's normal temperature is between 101-102.5F. Once it drops below 100F, she should give birth to her puppies within 24 hours. Should 24 hours pass after this temperature drop with no sign of puppies or she reaches 69 days of pregnancy without going into labor, she will need to see a vet immediately. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

I strongly recommend veterinary assistance as it is possible there is a pup stuck causing such a degree of pain, especially if no pup is born within 15-30mins. Contact your local humane society for advice on emergency shelters

Hello. Dogs are pregnant an average of 63 days, so your girl is probably due any time now. If she is acting relatively normal, just give her a little more time. Keep a mental note on how much movement you are feeling in her abdomen & if it begins to diminish, or she acts lethargic, ill, vomits or develops a dark discharge from her vulva without going into labor, see your vet immediately. She may need a C-section. Otherwise, your dates may be off a bit & labor will proceed when her time is due. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.