OVERDUE Dachchund IN LABOR!

Question
QUESTION: Hi,I asked a question a few days ago about my mini doxie,she was overdue,I noticed that we all needed an update.

She is in Labor today,has labor signs,panting,nesting,loose stools.I was wondering if there was any way we could be able to tell if one of her babies had died?Or do we just wait for a stillbirth?Everything with her pregnancy has not been normal.I am very happy she has gone into labor because her milk came in LOTS yesterday,is this impossible for her to be in her 70's+days gestation and delivery healthy pups?Up until now i have been concerned,but now that I know she is in actual labor some weight has been lifted off my shoulders..

ANSWER: Hi Chris! 70 days? A normal pregnancy lasts between 58-63. Some dogs may go to day 65. Is there any way that maybe you have your days mixed up? Or that she was bred again on a later date? (I'm hoping that you say yes.) Sperm can stay alive inside of the vaginal track for a few days, so maybe she didn't actually take until a few days later. If this is the case, then she may be on track for her, and may give birth to live puppies. If she really is this late, then sadly, the chances of healthy, live pups are slim. Keep a good eye out. If she goes longer than 3 hours between puppies, call your vet. If there are in fact any dead puppies inside of her, they may slow down or completely stop labor. If a puppy has already died before labor started, she could have had a colored discharge. This doesn't always happen, but it's a good indicator that either a puppy died, a placenta came loose from the uterine wall, or that something else is wrong. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed, and please let me know how it works out! If I can be of anymore help, let me know!

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

QUESTION: Well,yes that is the thing..she did have 2 other ties with the male with 5 days in between.That's why our vet didn't seem to concerned,that and we had to hold her still so she might not have even ovulated until way later,but we chose not to take a sample because we have males around to tell us when the female are ready..In this case we used a first time male so maybe he wasn't completely sure?
Well,she is having harder labor pains today and resting inbetween so I guess we should know for sure soon enough..

So,I have always told to count from the first tie,but someone just told me to count from the last,which one is it?

Answer
Hi Chris! This is what I do....count from the first tie, and then count from the last tie. Then you'll know both due dates, so that if she goes over some, you'll know why. If you count from the last tie, does it put her about right? Remember this also: when a dog ovulates, the eggs need 48 hours to mature to become fertile. So say you bred your dog on the day she ovulated. That most likely means that she didn't actually become pregnant until atleast 2 days later. So your girl may not be over her due date at all. I'll be crossing my fingers for you guys. Please let me know how it goes! :-)