Giving birth or farrowing

THE 3 PHASES OF CHILDBIRTH

In all animal species, as in the human species, childbirth takes place in 3 successive stages. If one of these stages goes wrong or is incomplete, the whole birth process is compromised:

• stage I: uterine contractions begin to occur, but are initially imperceptible from the outside (onset of labor). At the same time, the cervix opens and dilates to allow newborn babies to pass through.
• stage II: the fetuses are expelled one by one.
• stage III: corresponds to the expulsion of placentas.

Stages II and III are usually mixed in the bitch, with each puppy's exit generally followed by that of its placenta a few minutes later. Occasionally, these stages overlap, with two puppies emerging before the two placentas.

WARNING SIGNS
1 - PHYSICAL SIGNS

The appearance of milk in the udder is not a very reliable sign, as it can occur at different times from one bitch to another. In bitches that have whelped several times, it is usually visible about a week before delivery. But in young bitches giving birth for the first time, it's not uncommon for this sign to appear only 2 or 3 days before term. Finally, in bitches that are “bad milkers”, milk may not be available until after the puppies are born, i.e. after delivery.
During the last week, there is dilation and relaxation of the vulva, which becomes very clear 48 hours before delivery. Again, this is less noticeable in bitches with their first litter. The pelvic ligaments distend to allow the puppies to pass, resulting in a tilted appearance of the hindquarters, with the pelvic bones appearing more protruding and the tail planted higher (the bitch is said to appear 'broken').
In the final hours before delivery, the melting of the mucous plug in the cervix results in the discharge of a liquid flowing to the vulva. This is often a good sign that labor is about to begin. Just before the first puppy comes out, there's usually a greenish discharge from the vulva. This is due to placental abruption, which leads to the release of a hemoglobin-derived pigment called uteroverdin. This dark-green substance therefore colors the liquids emitted from the vulva for the duration of childbirth. Don't panic, it's normal!

2 - BEHAVIORAL SIGNS

In the last 12 to 36 hours before the puppies are born, and sometimes up to a week before delivery, the uterus begins to contract. At this stage, these contractions are imperceptible from the outside, but they trigger a change in the bitch's attitude. She is usually restless, anxious and panting. Young bitches may show signs of irritation, scratching the ground furiously with their forelegs or moving in all directions exaggeratedly. In such cases, they should be confined to a smaller space to prevent the puppies from being killed at birth by an overly restless mother.

WEANING :
BEWARE OF MISLEADING WARNING SIGNS

The signs given in the text of this book as indicators of impending whelping are by no means 100% reliable. For example, some bitches start scratching the ground several days, sometimes a week, before giving birth. Translucent discharge, a sign of cervical opening, can occur several days before term, as can a drop in rectal temperature.
When in doubt, don't rely on a single sign, but take into account a whole range of things and observations about the bitch to predict when the newborns will arrive.

Some bitches isolate themselves in the place they've chosen to give birth (closet, bed, basket...) and sometimes summarily try to prepare a kind of nest with rags or pieces of paper. Finally, some females seek solitude and seem more aloof. Others, on the contrary, seek out their master's presence, following him around the house wherever he goes.
Finally, most bitches refuse to eat in the hours before giving birth, which is usually a good sign.

3 - FUNCTIONAL SIGNS

Parturition is triggered by hormonal changes. Progesterone, which, as we've said, is secreted throughout gestation, begins to drop slightly in the blood in the last two weeks of gestation. But in the last 48 hours before delivery, progesterone levels plummet to almost zero.
This drop in progesterone is essential for the onset of labor. In fact, it determines the effectiveness of the uterine contracting hormone oxytocin, which we'll talk about later. As long as progesterone levels are high, oxytocin cannot act on the uterus, due to a lack of action points (receptors).
With progesterone assays now available in veterinary practices, it's possible to determine whether the bitch is at term in this way.

ANTICIPATE WHELPING :
THE BENEFITS OF PROGESTERONE TESTING

At the end of pregnancy, levels of the gestation hormone progesterone fall in the last 24 to 48 hours before delivery. What's more, delivery cannot take place unless progesterone levels have fallen to a basal level.
Now that this dosage is available to all practising veterinarians, it is possible to determine whether a bitch is at term or not. As the apparent duration of gestation is highly variable, this reduces uncertainty, on the eve of a weekend for example. It also helps to avoid unnecessary panic at post-term, when the bitch still hasn't given birth at 66 or 67 days gestation, if you realize that she's not yet full term.
In breeds where caesarean sections are frequent (e.g. English Bulldogs), progesterone measurements taken in the last days of gestation can help avoid performing the operation too early, thus increasing the vitality and chances of survival of the puppies after the operation.

CONTROLLING CERVICAL OPENING

Despite numerous studies carried out on women, we still don't know how to effectively control the opening of the cervix before delivery. For this reason, it is not possible to induce labor before the cervix has opened.
In women, prostaglandin-based gels (Prepidil ND) are used with reasonable success to dilate the cervix. Their efficacy in bitches is unknown.
What's more, with the exception of small breeds, which can be examined more easily, the depth of the vagina makes it impossible to visualize the cervix and its opening with a simple gynecological examination.
Uterine contractions should therefore never be induced unless the first puppy has already emerged or at least entered the genital tract.

This drop in progesterone causes a drop in rectal temperature. In the last few days, we therefore recommend taking the bitch's temperature in the morning and evening, and you should normally observe a drop of around 1 degree compared with the average of the previous days in the 12 to 24 hours preceding delivery. The temperature should then rise again, before the birth. Unfortunately, this sign is not always reliable: in a number of cases, the temperature drops several times in the last 3 or 4 days of gestation, and sometimes does not rise again after dropping. Nevertheless, this sign is a good indication to the owner of the readiness of things to happen, and is easily explored.

THE BIRTH PROCESS
- EXPULSION TIMES

Normal durations for the entire whelping process, i.e. the expulsion of all puppies from the first to the last, are extremely variable and depend of course on breed, litter size and whether or not the mother has given birth previously. In general, the entire delivery takes place in 4 to 8 hours, with extremes of up to 24 to 36 hours in young primiparous bitches (i.e. those giving birth for the first time), or in litters of 10 or more puppies, i.e. in medium or large breeds.
Each puppy is expelled within a similarly variable timeframe, from a few minutes to an hour and a half. Often, the first puppy comes out more slowly and the following ones more quickly. The average time between expulsion of each puppy is 20 to 30 minutes. Again, this is highly variable. In fact, at the end of the birth, and due to fatigue, delays are generally increased. Some bitches have even been observed to expel their last puppies after 12 or even 24 hours of apparent rest. In practice, however, it's worth remembering that if a puppy appears at the vulva and isn't out within an hour, you should speak to a vet, and that if a delay of more than 3 or 4 hours separates the birth of two successive puppies, it's best to consult or at least seek advice from a practitioner.

- PUPPY BIRTH

The bitch generally lies on her side. Sometimes she squats, in a position reminiscent of defecation. Strong contractions are visible in the abdomen, rapidly leading to the appearance of a greenish-coloured pouch in the vulva. This is the puppy surrounded by its amnion. This pouch may burst spontaneously or be punctured by the mother licking her genital area. There's no need to worry.
Often, the puppy is expelled very quickly by a contraction a little more powerful than the previous ones. The surrounding pouch is usually torn open by the mother within 30 seconds to 2 minutes. If this is not the case (e.g. when the mother is inexperienced, or in 'flat-faced' breeds where the implantation of teeth does not allow the pouch to be torn), it must be broken, otherwise the puppy, which is beginning to take its first breath, risks drowning. The umbilical cord is often not broken at this stage.
The placenta emerges after the puppy within 5 or 10 minutes. It is frequently eaten by the mother, who also cuts the umbilical cord if the breeder has not already done so.
In 60% of cases, the puppy will be born in anterior presentation: head first. In this case, the limbs must be extended on either side of the head. Similarly, when the puppy is born in posterior presentation (in 40% of cases), the limbs must be extended. This means that if you pass a finger into the vagina, you should feel the two little legs. In anterior presentation, you should also feel the puppy's muzzle. If one of these sensations is missing, there is a malposition that may prevent expulsion.