A bitch's behavior will usually change in the week before whelping. She will make off with various objects to use for her nest, search for a quiet spot or seek her owner's company. Reduced appetite, constipation and swollen nipples are not reliable signs, particularly in primiparas, whose milk sometimes does not come in until the day of whelping or even after the birth.
In the three days before whelping, the vulva becomes swollen and relaxed due to estrogen saturation, which sometimes causes symptoms of a false heat.
Rectal temperature falls by 1°C in the twenty-four hours before whelping. This indicator can be used if the temperature is taken morning and evening in the four days before the predicted whelping date. A fall of one degree relative to the four previous days indicates that whelping is imminent.
This temporary drop in temperature accompanies a fall in progesterone levels. These two examinations are signs of the fetuses'maturity and indicate that they can be born either naturally or by Cesarean section without a major risk to the newborns. Note that inducing labor by medical means is dangerous in dogs.
Finally, the appearance of the mucus plug from the cervix indicates that whelping is imminent, and precedes the first contractions by a matter of twenty-four to thirty-six hours.
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