A baseline lab test is going to be a CBC chemistry and urinalysis. That helps us to determine what's going on inside your cat that they can't tell us externally.

Generally, we're going to do this annually and if your cat's a senior we'll want to do it twice a year. We'll also order it if your cat is sick or if your cat is going to undergo any anesthetic procedure to ensure safety.

Once we have confirmed that she's delivered all of her puppies, it's important to make sure all the puppies are clean and dry, there's a warming source available for them to stay warm next to their mom, and they all have access to the mother's mammary glands so they can nurse. For the next several days, you'll need to take temperatures of these puppies twice a day, and record weights two to three times a day.

An ultrasound exam done about a month after the breeding should give us a rough estimate of how many puppies there are to be delivered.

The first part, stage one of dog labor, can take 12 to 24 hours. But once the cervix is open and we see vaginal discharge, we expect to see the first puppy within a couple of hours and each subsequent puppy within one hour of each other.

Sometimes. Many dog labors progress naturally without much need for assistance. However, occasionally, a puppy might get stuck in the vaginal canal. In such cases, with just some gloves and some sterile lubricant, you can gently assist the puppy out.

A whelping box is a comfortable area that the female should be introduced to before she delivers her puppies. It should be large and roomy, with enough space for the mother to stand up and turn around, and it should have a clean, dry area for the puppies.

In a planned breeding, we generally know the due date. If the dog has gone past her due date, there could be complications and it would be advisable to bring the dog in for a check-up. Signs to watch for include extended intervals between puppies or prolonged labor without any puppies appearing.

Yes, in general it is safe. If you are prepared, have a suitable room that is warm in temperature, a clean, spacious whelping box set aside for her, and necessary supplies to assist with the whelping process, home is often the best place for the dog to give birth.