Bulldogs World

Not if you know what you are doing and did progestrone testing. Not all pregant dogs go off their food. Unfortunately vets typically don't have a clue. You need a seasoned breeder/mentor who knows how to count the days correctly. If you take them too early they won't survive, lungs aren't formed enough. Knowing how to count days is hugely important as well as knowing the progestrone number when you bred.

I know dates can be off by 5 days but isn't that when you haven't done progesterone tests, vaginal smears and AIs? We did both and her cervix was closed if not closing on the 18th of August so she ovulated a day or two before that for sure.

I don't know if it's the whole plug.. but there's stringy mucus hanging from her most of the time. I've seen pictures of a whole plug and I've not seen the entire thing yet but she could have lost it outside so who knows.

I was at the vet yesterday and I did call today and he didn't seam worried. Her temp was 100.5 and she's started eating (just a little) again.

Yes, we are doing a c-section. I'd love to try and free-whelp in the vets office but I am not sure if my vet would be comfortable with that and I'd hate to lose Stella or a puppy because I made the wrong choice in that department.

She seams more calm today. I bought some laxative suppositories just incase it was constipation but she doesn't seam so miserable as of this moment. Maybe she just had indigestion? She's still losing mucus but from what I've been reading that can happen up to a week in advance.

Today, instead of the Natures Variety raw I just gave her chicken breasts and chicken eggs with a little esbilac powder mixed into the raw eggs. I wanted to make sure she wasn't constipated due to the Nature's Variety. I also gave her a meaty beef rib that she's currently gnawing on. I want to keep her busy so that she doesn't have time to think about being miserable. lol poor girl.

What day are you counting from, day of ovulation or day of breeding?

I hope everything works out well. Please keep us posted

She's an English. I have a mentor who shows and occasionally has a litter.. maybe once a year by one of her bitches and one or two by her studs. She's mentored several other people in the past and is very experienced.

This is my first Bulldog litter. My parents bred show/agility dogs growing up and I've had one Labrador litter myself several years ago but Bulldogs are a completely different story.

We've had several ultrasounds. Early on she had some discharge and I was worried about an open-pyometra. Turned out to be vaginitis. Then we went in for a 35 day ultrasound and saw several puppies but she hates lying on her side, especially on a high table and she wouldn't hold still so we only counted 4 heartbeats. We believe to have seen at least 2, maybe 3 more puppies but the vet said it's difficult to count on an ultrasound because you don't know if maybe you are catching the same puppy at a different angle.

I had an X-Ray 2 days ago and we saw at least 4 skulls but the image was blury as she doesn't like laying on her side and was moving. It looked like there could be several more but we couldn't tell for sure if those were skulls or pelvises.

We had progesterone tests and vaginal smears, every other day for a week before we finally did her first AI and we had a subsequent AI 2 days later. Her cervix seamed to be closing on that 2nd AI day. We did not do any other progesterone tests after that... We were only doing the color coded one that's pink so we don't have any exact numbers.

I worried that she was having a split heat because although her bloody discharge nearly stopped for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday... She bled heavily on Thursday and Friday (after the AI) and then on Saturday evening her bleeding abruptly stopped.

Stella started at 42 lbs. She is currently 52 so she's gained 10. I've heard the myth of 1 lb for every pup but I recently spoke to a lady who's dog did give birth to 10 and had gained 14 lbs (I think it was 14... I know it was a good bit more than 10).

Stella is very wide currently, it looks like most of the pups are hiding in her ribs but her stomach is also wide.

I'm not taking anything lightly. I called the vet 2 weeks ago at 2am thinking she had bloat because she'd eaten to fast and swelled up huge. I'm proactive when it comes to her care. But if I bothered the vet or my mentor everytime I worried I'd never be off of the phone with them...

Stella yesterday(pictures don't really do her size justice. She looks bigger in person and I had to take them at this angle to get the closest match. - btw, my carpet isn't dirty... the spots are due to poor lighting or shadows.

Well she seamed miserable... moreso than earlier in the day. When I went to take her temp I had a very hard time getting the thermometer in. When I brought it out it was caked in poop. So either she had to go or she was backed up because she couldn't. -I also figured she would be refusing food if she was stopped up. Now I will say that after I let her out I lubed up a latex glove and inserted a finger to see if she was stopped up and she didn't seem to be. - So maybe I was wrong about that and maybe she's just miserable because she's pregnant.

Also, I could just be overreacting because it's my first litter and I worry about everything.

You sound just like my mentor. She said the same thing about her dogs. That she knew that they couldn't wait another day. She had to take a litter early and sacrafice that litter because her dog had been retaining water and swelling up like a balloon. The vet said had she waited another day her and the pups would have died. Another litter she said her dog couldn't wait another day and they took them a little early but all were well so it was a happy ending that time.

She said that I just have to know my dog and that I'll know when it's time. I don't doubt that. I get so worried over everything but I think that when it's time, it will be obvious.

Yes, I spoke with my mentor this morning. She called and wanted to see how things were and I updated her, shared my worried and asked some questions and felt pretty good after the talk. She's okay with waiting for Stella to labor. She said it really is better for the bitch as long as I am paying attention and don't miss the signs.

I've arranged with 2 seperate relatives to make sure that if I have to go at 2 am that I'll have peopel who can rush to my house (living less than 10 minutes away) and care for the kids while I take Stella in. I'm feeling pretty good having 2 people for that because if one sleeps through the phone calls the other wont... And if both do, I'll load the kids up and drop them off at their houses... Both have dogs that bark when the doorbell rings so I don't see them sleeping through that. lol

I'm feeling anxious but also  pretty comfortale at this point. I wish I could say the same for Stella. My mentor is experienced but I'm the type of person that likes to hear more than one person tell me something before I'll believe it,lol. Everyone has their own way and even if it's been working for them forever, it doesn't mean it's the correct way, or the best way... so I like to get second opinions. Not because I don't trust or respect her ways, I do... but I like to know what other people think and do also.- It's nice to be able to ask these questions here where I can get more than one opinion in addition to hers.  Thank You!

my girl's name was Stella too!