What will your springer spaniel do before birth?

Answer 1

This question is a little odd. I am assuming you mean what will your Springer Spaniel bitch do before whelping? Gestation is anywhere from 58-63 days. Signs of impending whelping is her temperature will drop and stay down about 12 hours before her due time. Normal temp is 101 - 102 so if it drops and then stays down for about 12 hours that you know it will be about approximately 12 - 24 hours before she is due to whelp. If her temp drops and then comes back up in a few hours, ignore that. Other signs are, she will get restless and start digging around. Keep her in her whelping box. Some bitches will eat right up until the time so you cannot rely on that. The temp drop and restlessness are good signs. Another sign is when you see her sides rippling as she lies on her side. Some people think that is the pups moving, but it isn't. It is the uterus flexing it muscles, getting ready, so to speak. :-). Good luck. It is another book of what to do when the pups are coming out & afterwards. Be sure to have your Veterinarian on stand by in case there are problems. Pups should come out in about 2 hour intervals. Don't let her strain for a long period of time between pups. She could be in trouble. It is very important to let your Vet know ahead of time when she is due and then again alert him when you see she is near her time. Have lots of clean dry towels handy to wipe down pups and some sharp scissors to cut the cords if she doesn't. Be sure to push the blood back towards the pup before cutting the cords about 1-1 1/2 inches from the pup. Dip the ends of the cords in iodine. Normally the bitch will take care of this. But I still dip the ends of the cords in iodine to prevent any infection. Have fun and I wish you a big fat healthy litter. Make sure to put the Mom on a good name brand Puppy food to insure her good health and milk production. She should be on the Puppy food pretty much throughout her pregnancy and afterwards until the pups are weaned.