Due Date? - Page 1

Okay, I have a co-own on a pregnant female. She was in heat when the other owner brought her home, and her stud immediately went to work trying to mount her. He did penetrate her, and would sometimes ejaculate, but mostly outside her vagina. However, they were not able to get a tie, so on day 16 of her cycle we began doing AI.

She has been making bag since Monday, and now has milk. It is 60 days since the stud first had access to her. What would be your best guess as to her due date?

The other owner reports noticing fetal movement late last week, and says she can feel 4 or 5 pups on one side, and probably 3 on the other. 

Depends on the bitch, really.  How many days in heat was she when the co-owner first brought her home and put her with the stud?  Can you express milk from the nipple?  Personally, given what you describe, I wouldn't be making any plans away from home for this coming weekend...

Yes, the other owner sent me a photo of her squeezing milk from the nipples tonight! 

I think she was on about day 7 of her cycle when Kellie brought her home. If she holds to the A.I. breeding, which was done on day 15-17 of her cycle, she will be due sometime around Sept. 3rd.  But, like you said, looks like she's not going to last that long!

And I definitely think she's not going to be getting her BH at our trial on Sept. 6! 

Of course, it's also possible that this is a false pregnancy, despite the other owner's report that she's felt fetal movement....  Generally, they come into milk between 1 and 7 days prior to whelping; my experience has been no more than three days prior to whelp for my sled dog females.

If she does whelp in the next three or four days, she could probably still do the BH, if it's close to home and the pups came with, but it would mean risking exposure of the pups to some novel organisms... Still, I know trial opportunities are pretty scarce within an easy travel distance up there, so it sure might be something I'd have to consider were I in that position.

So....are you going to share the pedigree for the litter? Pictures of mama dog? Is this a GSD, or a Shiloh, or some other breed altogether?

Hexe, I have no doubt she's pregnant! I've seen that belly growing, and her teats getting bigger. It will be her 3rd litter.

The belly:

She's a working line GSD, out of Pando Stepanis's Olympic kennel here in Ontario. Dam is Olympic's Lola and her sire is Figo von der Wilden Nachtbarschaft. Lola is not on the database, but HER sire was Igor von der Reiherwiese

I rehomed my Shiloh. Her temperament was crap...    So many timid, fearful dogs are being bred that I want nothing more to do with the breed!

Pictures:

Sire of the litter is a German show line: Magnum von der Bastille

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/dog.html?id=705147-magnum-von-der-bastillie

Taken from my repro vet's webpage:

The gestation period for dogs is 63 days, counted from when the female’s progesterone was about 5.0 ng/ml, or when she ovulated, and not 63 days from when she was bred.

If you did not do progesterone you can count from day 12 of the heat cycle which is the average ovulation day.  Just whelped a litter of 9 GSD in July and I was spot on with the due date.  Everyone thought I was too early as they were counting from the breeding date.  My female had milk two weeks before she whelped.

Good luck.

I can't add anything constructive except good luck! jackie harris

I saw the bitch, Bella, tonight, and there is NO DOUBT she is pregnant, and about ready to pop. Kellie says she is carrying the babies lower in her belly than a few days ago, and she is actually leakig milk. Her teats are so big, she has to be careful when she sits down, or she will step on the hind ones!

She refused her supper tonight. Kellie will have the whelping area set up in the next day or so, and I went out and bought some bitch's milk replacer and a titty bottle, in case we get a weak pup. Kellie says the ONLY time she's ever needed this were the two times she didn't have it on hand....Murphy's Law at work for sure!

Fingers crossed for an easy whelping!

Sun   you say that her teats are huge leaking milk belly has dropped a couple of days ago a she refused her dinner and you think that you will have the whelping box ready in a couple of days.  Do you think she will wait past Sunrise.  Good luck