Whelping & Postpartum Care

A fast-reference list of the specific warning signs during whelping that mean call your vet now — for reading in advance or in the moment.

A consolidated fast-reference checklist of every vet-call trigger across labor, immediate postpartum, and the first weeks after whelping.

What normal whelping actually looks like — the three stages of labor, typical timing between puppies, both normal presentations, and placenta delivery.

A ready-to-use whelping log template — litter-level fields, per-puppy fields, and daily post-birth tracking — set up before labor begins.

What dystocia means, primary vs secondary uterine inertia, maternal and fetal risk factors, and how vets diagnose and manage it, medically or surgically.

The behavioral, physical, and physiological signs that whelping is close — and why the temperature drop is the most reliable one to track.

Step-by-step newborn puppy resuscitation — clearing the airway, stimulation, warming, and the swinging technique current guidance now warns against.

What’s normal in the dam’s first 24 hours after whelping — discharge, temperature, behavior — and the specific signs that mean call the vet.

A step-by-step breakdown of canine labor’s three stages, typical durations, and the two specific timing triggers that mean it’s time to call the vet.

When a C-section becomes necessary, what happens under anesthesia, how puppies are helped afterward, and recovery for the dam.

How to judge whether milk supply is adequate, nutritional needs of a nursing dam, and what actually causes low milk production.

A full guide to whelping, from the first signs labor is near through recovery — plus why some articles in this area are written for fast reference during an emergency.

What to track during whelping — temperature, timing between puppies, presentation, and discharge — and why good records help your vet act faster.

Mastitis, metritis, and eclampsia — the three postpartum emergencies to know, their distinct warning signs, and why eclampsia needs immediate care.