Pregnant Shih Tzu panting, hiding, diarrhea. Is this normal?

62 days is around the time of whelping for a dog, so if she is showing signs of early labor it could be related, however if the discharge is an odd color, she seems very ill or in distress, doesn't go into labor, or becomes very weak or lethargic, I would be concerned there is something else ongoing which should be seen by a vet in person ASAP.

No, this isn't normal at this stage of pregnancy, and it could be a signal that something is wrong. It could also be that Sweetpea is hot if you are living in area where it's very warm, or she could be painful. I would put her in a cool area with a fan to see if that helps, but if she keeps panting and acting restless, I would take her into a vet immediately for a health check. It's very important to have any potential problems with a pregnant dog checked out right away for both her heath and the health of the puppies.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Quinn. It sounds like she could be in the first stage of labor. That can last up to 18 hours, so keep monitoring her. If 18 hours pass and she has not progressed to the second stage of labor (contractions and giving birth), get her into a vet immediately. If you feel she is in a lot of pain, you can take her into a vet now to get checked out to be safe. I hope this helps!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Dogs are pregnant an average of 62 days, so Skye is getting close. It is possible that this is a false pregnancy, but the only way to really tell is with an x-ray or ultrasound exam. At this point of her pregnancy it may be difficult to feel individual puppies, especially due to size of the puppies & if this is a rather large litter. An increased respiratory rate could be a direct result of her pregnancy putting increased pressure on her diaphragm. I think it is well worth an x-ray to know how many puppies are there. Hope this helps. Thank you.

Hello. This very well can be the first stages of labor, & this can last 24-36 hours. Once you start to see her having contractions ( can see her actually pushing ), she should start having puppies in the first 15-30 minutes after observing this. If she starts pushing & no puppies are delivered within an hour, you may need to have her evaluated by your veterinarian, but it sounds like she is progressing nicely for now. You may have puppies very soon! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Unfortunately if she is truly going into labor, there is not likely much you can do to stop the process. I am attaching an article here with information on birthing puppies at home: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=678 which provides lots of great information on how the birthing process goes and when to worry/call your vet. If she is truly t his early, I may consider bringing her in to your vet for a few reasons. It is possible she is panting and licking due to nausea or pain for another reason, and they may find this cause. It is also possible for the vet to evaluate the puppies for health/fetal distress with an ultrasound if the vet has access to one. It may also be helpful if the puppies are born early to have veterinary care available if any of the puppies do not do well and need help once born.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Your Vet is correct! The average length of a canine pregnancy is 60-63 days. We consider dogs overdue if 72 days. If she is acting fine and you are monitoring her temp just continue to watch her. Here are some tips: Stages of Labor: -Stage 1 tends to start 10-24 hours after temperature drop (usually below 99 F). -Stage 1: nesting. Can persist for 3-24 hours before abdominal contractions begin -Stage 2: Visible abdominal contractions. FIRST PUPPY SHOULD ARRIVE WITH IN 1-2 HOURS. -Stage 3: passage of placenta. Usually occurs within 15 mins of passing puppy. If it does not happen, don’t worry. When to worry/Call: -Strong contractions > 45-60 mins without birth of a puppy -Weak and infrequent contractions >4-6 hours without birth of puppy ->4-5 hours between puppies (after birth of first puppy without birth of the next puppy). On average a puppy is born every 45-60 mins. HOWEVER, the mother can often rest for several hours between puppies. This rest period is NOT associated with contractions and usually doesn’t exceed 4-6 hours. -If one puppy is born and she is having VISIBLE contractions for >2 hours without 2nd puppy. Recommend calling around 1 hour mark to talk to someone. -Failure to enter active labor (contractions) 24-36 hours after rectal temp falls below 99 F -Mother is in obvious pain: biting at vulva, crying) -No puppy within 2 hours of seeing green vaginal discharge -No puppy within 1 hour of seeing clear fluid from vulva (rupture of allantochorion) -No puppy within 1 hour of seeing a clear/water filled balloon at vulvar lips (puppy is in birth canal) Good luck!!