my pregnant dogs temp has been down for 2 days

Question
QUESTION: Hi, my mini dachshund was due as early as yesterday, although we did not witness the breeding she could be due anytime this week. I started checking her temp 2 days ago and it was 98.6 then the next morning it was 98.8 and then that evening back down to 98.6. Yesterday morning it was 99.1 and this morning 99.3. I think she lost her mucous plug last night. It was clear and sticky looking. she is still showing no signs of labor. Should I be concerned? She is also still eating a little.

ANSWER: This can be really tricky because these dogs can vary so much in how they deliver. I assume that this is her very first litter.

Most bitches will start labor shortly after that temperature drop, and most will stop eating, but my very first schnauzer, with her first litter, had her temperature down similar to yours for DAYS before she whelped; I was a nervous wreck! When she finally decided to go into labor (at the appropriate time), her temperature dropped to 96.9! (And she never stopped eating...)

On that bitch's last litter, her temperature was fairly low for several days, she was due, and then she started having a green discharge.... a really bad sign. She ended up having a C-section and one of the puppies had died earlier and was apparently holding everything up.

My bitch's daughter had one litter where her temperature did not drop; she was due. During the night she was really restless, so I got up to check on her about 2AM or so; her temp was down. The next morning at 7AM it was back up to normal and she started delivering. If I hadn't taken it during the night and observed that it had dropped, I would have thought that her temp never went down.

So those are some variables that are not in the norm. Yours could be similar to one of those.... or not. I really hate whelping puppies since it is so very hard to know when/if things are going south. And you have no idea when the bitch was bred which makes everything even more difficult; a really bad situation to let yourself get into.

You could try waiting another day to see if anything changes, or you could head to the vet and see if he/she can make any determination. Usually with no further signs they will suggest waiting a few more hours to see if delivery initiates by itself. Since you have no idea of the breeding date, it could be a few more days before those babies are ready to hatch and taking them early could compromise their survival. Sometimes it just boils down to a judgement call.

With no further signs, I guess I would be tempted to wait another day or two and see if anything changes. I would definitely be in touch with my vet, however.

While I have never used it, in the future you might consider using WhelpWise http://www.whelpwise.com/. I know a number of breeders who have used it and swear by it. Apparently it can tell if any puppies are in distress and if the bitch might need a C-section to get them out before there are losses.

Karen

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Karen,
Thanks for your response. It really helped and made me feel better. When I went home last night I took her temp again and it had went up to 100.8. I noticed that she was breathing harder but didn't seem to be nesting. She has been sleeping a WHOLE lot. I got up this morning and took her temp again and it was back down to 98.8 so I think her time is near to whelping. It is now been 7 hours since I took her temp and she is still showing no signs of labor, just sleeping alot. Is this normal or should I be giving my vet a call?

Answer
This could still be normal; some do rest up before the big event. If concerned, you could give your vet a call and have him take a quick look-see. If she is still eating and otherwise acting normally, though, she probably isn't quite ready yet. Most will start nesting and act restless as the time approaches. If you see a green discharge, get her into the vet immediately.

By the way, almost all bitches seem to prefer whelping in the middle of the night.  :)

Karen