In Healthy Parturition the bitch seldom suffers much; but sometimes in a small bitch, when the sire is of much larger size, the disproportion between the whelps and the mother is so great as to occasion great difficulty and danger. This sometimes also happens without any apparent reason.

In order to ascertain whether or not the bitch is in pup,' a careful external examination will generally be necessary; when, on pressing the fingers deeply into the flank, several small round or oval bodies may be felt, in number according to the future litter. Between the fourth and seventh weeks the whelps cannot so easily be felt; but, though they are said to be lost, a careful examination by a practised hand will always detect nearly all of them lying close against the spine. After the seventh week they appear very plainly, and the belly rapidly swells till it attains the size which it presents at whelping time; about three or four days before which the teats begin to swell, and on the day before generally are full of milk - a pretty sure indication of the near approach of labour.

In the Process of Parturition, the bitch should be left to herself as much as possible; and if of good size and healthy, she will nearly always pass through it without trouble. Sometimes, however, her pelvis is too small to allow of the passage of the whelp, and then either she must die, or man must afford his aid by mechanical means; but this operation is too difficult for any but a practised hand, and therefore I should recommend the aid of a skilful veterinarian to be in all cases called in. If a part of the whelp is born, and the remainder does not come away for some time - owing apparently to the exhausted condition of the bitch - it is quite safe to give a little brandy and gruel by the mouth, and then steadily to draw away the whelp, by laying hold of the part presenting with a piece of tape round it, or a strip of calico.

As soon as all the whelps are born, the bitch may be allowed to rest for a short time, unless she is very much exhausted, when the brandy and gruel may be given, as directed in the last paragraph, After an hour, a little lukewarm gruel may generally be allowed; and in the course of four hours another quantity of the same. No meat of any kind should be given for three days, during which time the state of the bowels should be regulated, if necessary, by castor oil; and milk thickened with oatmeal or wheat-flour, or broth with the same thickening, or with arrowroot, if diarrhoea is present, should be the only food. Sometimes, after the first week, the whole litter is too great a draw upon the system, and part mvst be removed from the bitch, and brought up by hand, if it is wished to preserve them, feeding them from a common baby's bottle, with the india-rubber nipple, now so commonly in use; but a very thick and stout one should be selected, or the puppy will compress it too much with its tongue. When the bitch is much reduced by her suckling, she sometimes is subject to fits, for which the only remedy is the removal of her whelps, and the exhibition of strong beef tea, with bark, and ammonia in addition; together with port wine and arrowroot, if the bowels are relaxed.

After the first week, and, indeed, gradually during the fourth, fifth, and sixth days, meat must be added to the other food, or earlier even if the bitch has had much animal food before whelping.

If the bitch is inclined to devour her young, she should be allowed to remain very quiet, and very little animal food should be given her. A dose of oil should always be given a short time before her whelping time, and if she should, nevertheless, devour them, another dose should follow, so as to carry off the effects of so heating a meal.

If a foster-mother is determined upon, all that is necessary is to muzzle her until the strange whelps have sucked her, and lain for some time with her own; she will then fail to distinguish between them, and her own offspring may be removed with safety, leaving the foster-whelps to her care, which she will exercise just as fully towards them as if they were really hers.

If the bitch has been "put by," as it is called, and is not in whelp at the end of nine weeks from her "heat," she will be fat and indolent, with her teats full of milk. At this time it is better to take a little blood from her, and to give her a smart purge once or twice, together with vegetable food; after which she will generally recover her health and spirits, and become much as usual at the expiration of another month or five weeks. This ought to be fully considered in the case of all sporting dogs.