Litter size and ease of delivery....

[Theresa]

What are people's experiences with small litters? My girl is due in 10 days, and barely looks pregnant! I am fine with a small litter -I am just worried that it will be one, huge mongo pup and that I'll need a C-section.

Anyone have stories to relate about this?

Thanks!

[WildRose]

It's just going to depend greatly upon the bitch. If this is new for you I'd strongly suggest you get a sonogram done, or perhaps an Xray sometime during the last week of gestation.

With small litters (numbers wise) you can actually end up with more birthing problems due to the puppies being too large to pass through the pelvis without help if at all and may well HAVE to be taken by C section.

THis is due to the simple fact that the fewer the pups in the womb there are the pups individually get more nutrition each from the mother.

THink of it this way. You have equal nutrition provided to the same mother for two consecutive litters. If one litter has eight pups, and one has only three which litter do you think is most likely to have very large puppies?

CR

[phermes1]

Sounds like we have completely the opposite problem. Our dog is starting her 7th week and she's already gettin' BIG.

Week 7 pictures will be up by tomorrow. I swear, she's getting bigger by the hour.

http://www.socovs.com/Buffy_Pregnant.html

[ezzy333]

phermes, don't think you have a problem. They should be getting big by the 7th week. After all 2/3rds of the growth of the puppies comes in the last weeks of the pregancy and the placenta grows just as much at the same time. All in all the female should be putting on a lot of weight normally starting in the sixth week.

Ezzy

[phermes1]

Cool. Then she's doing her job well. She's gonna be a real porker by July 2!!

[winchestermodel50]

Several years ago I drove across two states to breed a GSP to a high quality male. She was allowed one hookup on her 12 th day. She remained small during her pregnancy and had only one pup. We experienced no unexpected difficulties or unusual circumstances, although the pup did grow rapidly. It turned out to be a very nice but small statured female.
The last two breedings of this same dog, I have put her together with one of my own males once each day from the 9th through the 12th day of her cycle and she has produced healthy litters of 9 and 10 pups in that order.
Contrary to what the breeders tell you, I think you are taking a big risk of no litter or small litters in the event of a single breeding. My veterinarian pointed out to me that dogs are bred multiple times over a period of days in Nature, and there is a reason why.

[ezzy333]

I have only had one litter of one and we ended up with an extremely large dead pup and aninfected uterus that required spaying. The bigger litters normally are easier deliveries with smaller pups. I think because of the easier delivery the small pups come through it stronger and take off quicker.

Ezzy

[Theresa]

This is the third and final litter for my girl. She has not thrown a mongo pup at birth before, tho she has thrown some tinies that did not survive.

This litter has been different all around - the pup/s seem to have implanted more toward the pelvis rather than farther up in the horns.

CR - thanks - I have heard the same, hence my concern; then too I have seen and heard of mongo pups in full sized litters, the explanation given being 'genetics happens'

I am just hoping I won't need that C-section - but if she stays as slim as she is then my concerns may be moot!

Winchester - thanks for giving me something positive to focus on other than being worried! Fingers crossed her delivery is a breeze!

Phermes - good luck with that litter! I have had HUGE litters from my girl, and am ready for a small one; I raise mine in the house, and big litters are alot of work!

[Hotpepper]

Get a thermoneter and start 7 daysa befoe she is due taking hr tempereature, when she drops a degree, should happen within 18-24 hrs.

Just for the sake of the bitch, get a shot to assist during delivery and if she has not had a puppy for a couple of hours, give her the shot.

Pepper

[mountaindogs]

My advice get an x-ray. They you know how many. If she has one and seems to stop laboring, you KNOW whether another one is having trouble or whether she is done etc.

Secondly, if they take a "VD" (ventral-Dorsal) view, a view straight down while she is laying on her back, they can possibly tell a few days before if the puppy is really close to the size or already larger than the size of the pelvis. If it's close, then you know to go in if she is taking too long. If it's aready bigger then you'd better schedule a C-section.

[tfbirddog2]

When I breed my GSP female last year the stud had full acssess to her from the 8th day to 13th or 14th and she had 7. In fact she had pup six at 1:30am and we got her up to strech at 6:30am and she started having contractions again and had the last pup which I figured with that long of a break in labor it would be dead but it hit the ground breathing.Im plaining to breed her again next spring and hoping for 7 to 9 size litter but I guess its up to mother nature.And honestly she really had a easy labor time except for the last pup and labor delay.