Dog Labor Signs

Though many women complain of the pain of bearing a child, not many complain of it after they set their eyes on their little bundle of joy. It is as if the little one takes away with him or her all the labour pain that the mother bears. Till that time, however, it is pain all the way. Irrespective of whether the mother belongs to the human species, the leonine, the feline, or even the canine, the pain that a mother has to bear is something she cherishes the most and remembers for the rest of her life. For humans it is usually easy to tell when a woman is going into labour – many know the symptoms of what happens to a woman when she is going into labour. Since many of us do not own dogs, much less female ones, we do not know how to tell when it is going into labour. So if you have a pet female dog, who is about to have children of its own, here’s how to know if your dog is going into labor.

 

How To Know Your Dog Is Going Into Labor 

Here are some ways to know that your dog is going into labor:

Temperature Drop 

Your dog’s temperature may drop to around 97-98 degreesF approximately, around 24 hours before giving birth. This is normal, and a good sign that your dog is going into labor so you can get prepared early! If your dog does not begin labor within a day of the temperature drop, you should contact your local vet. You can check your dog’s temperature using a dog thermometer.

Doggy No Eat 

Another early warning sign, which will make itself conspicuous by its sheer unusualness, is the refusal of your dog to eat anything prior to going into labour. In its confusion and restlessness, it will not be able to eat anything and may also repeatedly vomit whatever it had eaten previously.

 

Find Me A Den 

A natural reaction, much like a mother’s instinct, of most female dogs is to try and find a safe place or a hideaway to be able to give birth in. A very common place is under your bed, (though you must beware in case she delivers her kids over it!) as the dog feels safe and enclosed there. If possible, take her to a comfortable place when it begins to look for one, which you should have preferably decided earlier. The place under the bed could prove to be a little dangerous for it if not her children.

Shivering And Sickness 

Another symptom that your dog is going into labor is when it begins to get sick and vomit repeatedly. It is a way of emptying the stomach to make way for the children and, since it is a major body change, it will also begin to shiver. You could do well to cover it with a warm blanket, in which it could also swaddle her babies.

Just Hold Me Tight 

Your dog, when it is about to go into labor, would want to be near you for comfort. It will look at you with those large eyes, full of expectation and may even whine a little with pain. It is just another one of those needs that living beings feel for each other – seeking comfort and love, so what you should be doing is to draw it close or to talk to it in a soothing tone and give it a hug or scratch behind its ears.