40 days in and I feel like she's way too big??
 

Hi all! I have a 5 pound Yorkie that is pregnant. She tied with a 4 pound male on Oct 3rd and again on the 5th. If I go by the first tie, she makes 40 days today. She is all clear on health statuses and the vet gave her an okay for puppies since she is a bit older (7). I've noticed her breathing is a little raspy when she tries to move or is in an awkward position or when I try to pick her up. She's still full of energy jumping up and down when I get home, going up the stairs and even jumping off the couch though I don't let her when I see her out of fear of her falling on her belly. Is this breathing thing normal? Also her belly I feel is VERY large for her. She's gained some weight as well. As of today she weighs 7 pounds. The vet said he could only feel 2 puppies as of November 3rd but there's no way she can only have 2 puppies in this belly of hers. Has any experienced breeders seen a belly this big? Am I just being overprotective and overreacting? She's due for her X-ray in about 2 weeks but I'm thinking I may take her in on Wednesday so the doctor can have a look at her belly.

Will attach picture below.

You really need to work closely with your veterinarian to keep your girl and her babies safe.

I think taking her in sounds like a great plan. Although I recognize the raspy breathing sounds like she just has a baby full belly- and I have grown a few myself, I can commiserate- I think it would be wise to have an experienced vet give a listen to her lungs and make sure she isn't having a seperate problem.

If she did have a lower number of puppies, those puppies can tend to grow larger then the pups of a standard size litter and be unable to pass safely through the birth canal- she could require a c section.

Also- and please correct me if I am wrong, there are many clever ladies on this site hat surely have a better understanding than I- my understanding of gestation period in regard to dogs is that the day you start counting from (0-63) is actually the day the egg drops and that is what causes the variance in delivery dates. So although it may have been fertilized on oct X the egg began its journey to the uterine horn on oct X and because of the development being divided into certain stages wherever along that pathway on the first stage the egg actually becomes fertilized does not change that day one of sixty three began the day the egg dropped- so she could be, only by a small number of days, a bit farther on in her prenatal development than it would seem if the sperm fertilized the egg later in the journey. Anywho, if she were human at her age I think she would definitely be in the 34 or later high risk category, so I think you should listen to your gut and get her in early to confer with your vet. I hope all goes well and would love to hear the updates!

Have you thought about getting an ultrasound?

Hi all! Thanks for so many great replies! I called my vet a few days after posting this to inquire about the breathing and he told me that it's just because she's pregnant that everything is shifting around and causing her breathing to be a little different. Mimi went in for her last checkup today. She originally weighed 5 pounds and came in at 8 pounds today! (Wow!!) they did a full checkup and also took some X-rays and I'm going to be a grandma to FOUR puppies!! They said everything looks fine and she should be giving birth within the next 7-13 days but most likely around the 7-10 mark. The puppies aren't in position yet but she said they look a good size and that she should be ok. I'll attach some pictures of the X-rays so you guys can see the puppies!

http://i68.tinypic.com/2zq920k.jpg
http://i65.tinypic.com/2928kyb.jpg

Also here's a link to a cute video I got the other day of mimis puppies moving! My grandma said this is a boy because the puppy in this spot is always moving LOL!
https://youtu.be/qgcYzqg1oeI

Thanks for the update. 4 babies how exciting. Good luck.

Glad to have an update indeed, happy you followed up with your vet. I really enjoy the x Ray pictures when they are posted, thank you for that. Look forward to a mama update soon.

Yes aren't the X-rays so cool!? The puppies look huge in the X-ray and I can't picture them that big when I look at her belly lol. I moved her into my room to sleep now into the playpen where I'm going to set up her whelping box and I wanted her close to me in case she starts going into labor in the middle of the night I'll be able to hear her! She should have puppies by 30-6th so let's see! I'll let you guys know how everything goes! Pray for my baby a smooth labor and no complications 💕

Holding you all in our prayers for a smooth labor an delivery. Loved seeing those x-rays how precious. Please keep us posted looking forward to seeing the little ones...hugs and puppy kisses

Precious babies, modern technology, thanks for sharing love seeing x ray of babies. Keeping momma in my prayers for a smooth delivery and nice chubby babies.:)

Thank you! I will post as soon as they're here! Now I will need help to choose names for the 2 I want to keep LOL!

Just wanted to give a quick update; Mimi is on day 57 today and she's looking like she's about to pop more and more everyday. I'm ready with everything as I know starting tomorrow can be the *safest* earliest delivery she can have but I'm really hoping she will carry to at least 60 days to give the puppies some extra strength. She's still eating and still wants to cuddle. She's been drinking a lot more water and also using the bathroom more frequently. At night she likes to scratch her bed to get comfy lol. Here's some pictures. We should have puppies in the next couple of days or so!

http://i66.tinypic.com/108i99t.jpg
http://i67.tinypic.com/20ha7pz.jpg

Awwww lol, beautiful lil momma all stretched out, so sweet , such a pretty girl, thanks for the up date. Praying for little momma. (((hugs)))

Thank you! She loves loves loves belly rubs now. If I stop rubbing her belly she scratches me for more, ahaha!! I will try to post again when the puppies are here.

Holy smokes she is humongous! :eek: did the vet anticipate her delivering naturally? Woweee that is a big mama! Glad to hear she is still doing well. I know you don't want to start calcium tabs until after she gives birth but I hope you have some on hand because she looks like she will have some hungry babies to feed!

I know!! They said she has some big babies in there. He wasn't able to say by looking at the x-rays..he says she should be fine but he gave me an emergency 24 hour vet referral incase she cant deliver naturally. I have faith in her though, she can do it! (hopefully, LOL!) and actually the vet has had her on like some sort of supplement with a little bit of calcium added in since about a month ago. Everyone is super healthy and the puppies are super active moving around and kicking as well. The vet said not to take her off her vitamins until theyre done and she has about another month's worth in there to prevent pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. I had read on that too how we're not supposed to give calcium to pregnant dogs because they can get sicker from it but he said not to stop them because its such a low amount and its just there to supplement the puppy food i've been feeding her.

I think that is great and I am sure your vet knows what he is doing- I'm so glad you have an emergency vet contact too! I know pre eclampsia is definitely a risk and that adequate calcium levels are important during pregnancy too- did he reccomend increasing the dose after birth to prevent actual eclampsia 'milk fever'? I bet that girl will be needing it once she is in lactation- wowee!

I believe the reason you don't want to give calcium in excess during pregnancy is because calcium works in conjunction with pitocin to contract the uterine muscle during labor;if we supplement the calcium excessively in pregnancy the part of the body that 'wakes up' and pulls the calcium into the blood stream forgets how to do its job because it doesn't need to (got lazy when we supplemented) and when labor comes it can't pull the calcium needed to work with the pitocin to create the contraction.

Our bodies are really amazing structures. I hope all goes well with your girls labor and look forward to more updates- thanks for staying active on the thread, it is wrenching to wonder!

Yes I think he gave us these because she is a little older so I guess to make sure that nothing happens to her. I'll have to ask him on her appointment at the checkup after they're born. The vitamins are by some company called vetco or something like that. He advised me to only give half of one per day so maybe after she gives birth I'll start giving a full one. She's on day 58 now so any day now!!

Oops! I just realized I said pitocin instead of oxytocin which is the synthetic replica!

Oxytocin works with calcium.

Glad your vet is keeping an eye on your girl.

Just a quick update; we're on day 60 today and she refused her vitamin this morning. After a bit of licking she ate it slowly but she usually gobbles it down. Last night she slept in her whelping box and was scratching at the sheets in there the whole time and this morning has been in the box all day as well. I'm hoping within the next 24-48 hours we will have our babies out! Trying not to get anxious lol!

Fingers and paws crossed momma has her babies soon.

oh my goodness, I just realized the time- this was posted seven hours ago! How did everything go? Was she able to safely deliver at home? Were you guys monitoring temperature? My prayers are with that mama dog! :love:

Okay...just re read your post, maybe I was jumping the gun....o suppose she wasn't for sure in labor yet...lol. Sure sounds laborey to me though! Looking forward to an update.

Thank you! Nothing yet :( we have my niece's birthday party tomorrow and I'm scared she will try to deliver alone while we're not here. Hopefully she will deliver tonight or early tomorrow or else my mom will have to come watch her at my house for a few hours lol. Her belly is SO huge and veiny I feel so bad for my poor baby. She's so uncomfortable and doesn't even wanna go out to pee or poop anymore. I'm going to try to take a picture and attach it so you guys can see. I haven't been taking temperature because I read that it's not 100% accurate and I didn't want to stick anything up her butt unnecessarily lol!

Also she has a little bit of redness on her belly. Not sure why? I'll attach pictures of that too.

http://i64.tinypic.com/acz9si.jpg
http://i64.tinypic.com/mja6ar.jpg

Do we have puppies?

No :( Day 61 today. I\'m getting nervous lol but I know she\'s still in the clear until day 63.