shih-tzu pregnancy lenght

Question
Hi, I bred my shih-tzu on the evening of April 15th.  On monday June13th, I noticed that she has milk.   As of today she has yet to start labor, I want to know how long can she go past day 65?  Does she need a cesarian?

Answer
Hi Lynn:

The average gestation of 63 days is simply that - an average. Plus it can be tricky to know a precise due date since it's essentially 63 days from conception, not from first mating. Conception usually takes place several days later so that may be the situation here. If she's showing no sign of labor then it will probably just be a few more days until mother nature decides it's time. If she shows labor signs & is having obvious contractions yet no puppy is present then yes, it's possible a C-section would be in order but only if necessary. As with all surgeries requiring general anesthesia there's always a risk so if it can be avoided it's definitely for the best!