Plover is on day 54 of her pregnancy and is very large. I haven't been overfeeding her (I've moved her on to puppy food and increased her food by a quarter at 6 weeks) but I am surprised at how big she has got. Day 63 will be next Sunday so she could whelp anytime from Tuesday. I was just wondering whether anyone had noticed a correlation between the size of the bitch and how likely they are to whelp earlier than day 63 (it is her first litter). I would make sense that the pups would be born early if they were pushed for space.
I can't imagine how much bigger she can get. She had a scan and we could see 2 or 3 whelps but I think we must have missed a few given her size and the amount wriggling around I can feel in her belly.
With my first litter of LMs the vets were taking bets on how early she would be - she whelped on the 63rd day thirteen pups with a total weight of 17lb. She had been mated on about the 12th. day. More recent litters (different bitches) have all gone to the 60th day with litter sizes varying from four to thirteen.The difference with these bitches has been that I have used blood testing to determine time of mating and have usually not mated until the 14th/15th day.
Bitches whelp from the day they ovulate give or take a day not from when they are mated Have you started taking her temperature? _________________ Claire Minstergate Weimaraners
I had her blood tested and as far as I am aware she would have ovulated on the 22nd February. I am not 100% sure because her blood test on the Friday showed increasing levels of the hormone but as the vets were shut over the weekend I couldn't get another one done but the vet thought that the 22nd would be about right. That was also the first day that she was mated. I have therefore counted the 63 days from when I think she ovulated.
I have put her onto puppy food as the vet suggsted it due to its higher % of protein and calcuim. From books and research on the internet, this is quite common and I though most people did it. She was on Burn's previously and she is on Burn's puppy food now.
On dates and size of litter - Belle was mated on her 16th day, and only once, and she only produced 3 pups at 60 days; she wasn't very big - all three were standard sized whelps for Brittanys, and are growing correctly.
On puppy food - you are right many breeders do this for exactly the reasons your vet gave. In my opinion it gives the pups a better start and keeps the bitch healthy without being overfed and getting fat. _________________ Aberdon HPR's. Good-looking AND Intelligent.
sika was AI'd on the 17th of feb and had a natural on the nite of the 18th.
she is due on the 22nd and is bursting too, i'm sure they look far too fat right up to the big day i also start the bitch on puppy food, but haven't this time round as i have kept an eye on her diet, but will after weds fingers crossed
I only had three pups showing on the scan but had 9 pupppies at birth 8 of which survived. Bonnie was huge by the time she gave birth. Good luck with the pupsters. _________________ These are my personal opinions and do not represent in any way the views of the WCGB.
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Have you started taking her temperature?
What food was she on?
i also start the bitch on puppy food, but haven't this time round as i have kept an eye on her diet, but will after weds fingers crossed 
