beagle pregnancy and birthing

Question
QUESTION: My 10 month old beagle is 65 days pregnant from the day that she and her mate were stuck together.  She hasn't had milk or hard contractions yet.  Should I let nature take it's course for another day or two or get her induced.  She is basically an outdoor dog but has been staying in our laundry room for the last few days.  The room is about 68 degrees at night.  What day should I start to worry?

ANSWER: HI Linda. I would call your vet today. He may tell you to wait until tomorrow, or he may want to see her today. A normal pregnancy can last up to day 65. When it goes over that, it's time to do something about it. It can get pretty dangerous to let mom go much longer after that. Is there any way she could've been bred after the one time you saw them? And some dogs won't get milk in until they actually whelp. My best advice, would be to call your vet. Good luck!

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

QUESTION: My Beagle gave birth to 7 puppies shortly after asking you the first question.  All of the newborns are male.  My next question is as follows.  We won both the parents of the litter and have kept the adults separated since the puppies were born.  The puppies are now 8 days old and doing great with all of them having doubled their birth weight already.  Would it be safe to put the female and puppies back into the same are as the male or do we need to keep them separated for a while longer?

Thanks

Linda

Answer
Congrats ! I'm glad that everything went well. My best advise would be to keep them separated for at least a few more weeks. 8 days old is still really young, and mom probably won't feel comfortable with another dog near her puppies. That's the safest thing to do for all concerned. Good luck with the puppies!