Recent Event Highlights: Whelping Day 1 : A Rest for Mom, Dinner for her Whelps, Whelping Day 0 : Wicket Delivers, Whelping Day 0 : Muffin Delivers, Whelping Day 0 : The First Puppy Emerges, Whelping Day -1 : Temperature Drop, Whelping Day -8 : Final Development Stage of Fetus, and 3 more...
Created by EZwhelp on Feb 25, 2010
Last updated: 09/17/10 at 07:42 PM
Mom and the puppies are all cleaned up. Mom gets some well deserved rest, while the puppies nurse.
It's a long, tiring day, but Wicket delivers.
Nature takes its course. Humans offer helping hands.
As vaginal pressure builds, the bitch may feel an urge to eliminate (some may rush to their usual exit door). Vomiting is a possibility. The water sac will typically appear first as a bubble at the vulva.
Breeders will monitor, and often plot, the temperature of the bitch as whelping nears. Upon commencement of labor, her temperature drops from approximately 101 deg to 98 or lower. This is a very good indicator that whelping will begin within 24 hours.
At 55 days, body and brains of the puppy fetuses are in their final developmental stages.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/dogs-4046/Photos#tab-Videos/06237_00
By now the bitch is looking pregnant. Her nipples are enlarged and may darken. Her abdomen continues to grow in size and she may shed abdominal hair.
The puppy embryos implant themselves in the two horns of the uterus. About days 26 to 35 following fertilization these "locules" can be felt on the lower belly of the bitch. Detecting the locules later is difficult due to continued enlargement.
This view of the fetus lying unwrapped from, and next to its placenta. This photo reveals the rich vascular structure of the placenta and the umbilical vessels.
The outer membrance has been removed here to reveal the fetus encased inside its amniotic sac.
A fetus wrapped inside its fetal membranes with the placenta visible around the middle section. The placenta interfaces with the uterine wall to provide nourishment to the fetus.
This picture shows two puppies formed inside the uterus. The view is the end of one uterine horn (see the ovary at the upper left most tip).
The embryos are implanted in the uterus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implantation
Ejaculation occurs. The male remains tied to the female for 5 minutes to an hour.
http://www.ansci.wisc.edu/jjp1/ansci_repro/lec/lec_26/lec26out.htm
Mating occurs during estrus. The male licks the vulva, the bitch stands with tails to one side. The male mounts, dismounts and turns. He remains "tied" to the female.
http://www.ansci.wisc.edu/jjp1/ansci_repro/lec/lec_26/lec26out.htm
The proestrus stage begins. The female is in heat. Diapers help to control the initially bright red bleeding.
When Proestus begins, bleeding discharge starts. Bleeding is bright red at this stage. During Proestrus there will be an increase in urination and the vulva is swollen and pink. The female is attracted to the male but does not mate.
http://www.oregonlabrador.com/docs/TypicalCanineEstrusCycleWhelpingChart.pdf
Learn how to spot dog heat symptoms. Heat begins at the first stage of the canine estrus cycle, called proestrus.
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