bitch in pup

Question
hi i have a 2and half yr old rottie who is 6wks pregnant this is her first litter she is a very large rottie for a bich any way she has really filled out and her milk bags are slowly getting bigger ,is it true that some bitches that are quite fat to start with it is difficult to feel the pups as she seems to be carrying them up high you can feel them when shes lying down ,and how much do i increase her food? ive increased it slightly but because shes quite fat anyhow i dont want to make her to fat as she will have difficulty given birth .

Answer
It can be difficult to feel pups in a fat dog because of the fat. I believe that Rotti's are known to carry their pups kind of closer to her rib cage anyway. Put these two things together, that's probably why you're having so much trouble feeling them. :-) When she hits day 40, or after, I'd maybe think about taking her in to the vet to have an x-ray done. This will tell you how many pups to expect, and if there are any really big ones that you need to be concerned about. If she's that overweight, I'd worry about a too large puppy that may make delivery difficult. I wouldn't increase her food too much right now. I'd leave her where she's at. Make her get plenty of exercise, try to slim her down a little before the birth so her chances of a c-section won't be so high. Good luck!