My dog is past her due date with low temp. When will she start labor?

Dogs will gestate anywhere between 58 and 68 days. Typically, the progesterone level will drop to around 2ng/ml about 48 hours prior to labor and then again to 1ng/ml about 24 hours before labor. You should also monitor her temperature. Labor typically follows within 24 hours of a drop below 100 F. If your vet is not concerned, be patient. Bella is almost there!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Based off of this information, it is possible that Willow is close to whelping. Some bitches stop eating during the last twenty-four hours before labor, and may act differently. The rectal temperature will drop below 100F (37.8C), usually an hour or two before whelping. I would keep a close eye on her tonight to see if she progresses to the second stage of labor. Second stage labor is the stage of delivery. She will start to strain. If straining continues for two hours without any signs of a watery discharge ("water breaking") or puppies, you should contact your veterinarian. Most dogs experience no complications with delivery. First time mothers should be attended by their owners until at least one or two puppies have been born. I hope this is helpful!

It sounds like puppies should come soon - I'm guessing that the temperature of 98.4 is a drop from her baseline temperature which means that puppies should come in the next 24 hours. If she is having contractions you should see a puppy within four hours, and if she is actively pushing a puppy should come in 30 minutes. If not, you should contact a veterinarian right away. Good luck!

Great question! Once her temperature drops below 100F, Bell should give birth to her puppies in 24 hours. If 24 hours pass after the initial temperature drop with no sign of puppies, she will need to see a vet immediately, as she will need help giving birth to them safely.

I would recommend to start taking a rectal temperature on her several times a day. Normally if the temperature falls below 100 they will go into labor within 24 hours. You can find more info on signs of labor at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951546

It sounds like Harley is preparing for birth. Average gestation is 63 to 65 days , but parturition (birth) can happen anytime from 58 to 68 days. When the temperature drops by about 1 degree Fahrenheit from her normal temperature you can expect her to give birth within 24 to 48 hours. This is not a 100% surefire determination, so do not panic if it takes a bit longer. Watch her for building a nest, dripping milk, and general nervousness. These will also be signs of an impending birth. Here is some useful information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/whelping-giving-birth-in-dogs/

It sounds like Hidi could be showing signs of the first stage of labor, however it's difficult to know for certain. A single temperature is not necessarily helpful - in order to use temperature as a predictor for when labor should start you need to take a rectal temperature 2-3 times a day to establish a baseline. Once there is a drop of 1 degree from the baseline then you should see puppies within 24 hours. It might be a good idea to have Hidi examined by a vet since you are unsure of the due date - they can take an x-ray to count the number of puppies and they might be able to estimate about how far along she is by how mineralized the puppies' bones are.