We are going to do an xray on April 29th to confirm litter size but from the ultrasound it appears that we only have one pup.
This makes me very nervous.
When only one puppy is conceived, a variety of problems may arise.
Birth Difficulties. For starters, if it's true that singletons are of a larger sizer, the larger size may lead to problems in delivery. The singleton puppy may be difficult to pass causing difficult childbirth (dystocia) or even the need to deliver via C-section.
Labor Issues. In some cases, mother dog won't even go into labor because a singleton pup may not allow enough hormones to be produced to start the contractions; therefore, there are also risks for uterine inertia. Even once the puppy is delivered, either naturally or through C-section, several other problems may set in.
Hormones, Maternal Instincts, Confusion, Colostrum, and Rejection. If mother dog failed to start labor due to a lack of hormones, this may interfere with the mother dog's maternal instincts, especially if this is her first time giving birth. If she went through a C-section, she may be too groggy and may fail to recognize the pup as hers, which may cause the pup to be rejected.
Tempi has been an excellent mom to her previous two litters so we hope whether she gets one or more she will take good care of it. For the pups sake I am really hoping we have at least 2.