Community | Ask The Vet

pregnant dog

16.08.2006

can you tell me how long after bitch coming into milk we can expect the puppies




this email came to me last night - the pups may have arrived by now!
milk production is very variable - the glands develop for several weeks before birth in most bitches, with milk appearing in the last 1-3 days of pregnancy. Some bitches whelp with virtually no milk, though milk is usually produced very shortly afterwards in these cases (the hormone Oxytocin is released during the birth process, and this stimulates the release of milk into the glands.
The bitch will whelp when she is ready, so dont worry if she is milky for a day or two, providing that she doesnt start whelping and then stop ( time to call your vet if this happens!)




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