232 KENNEL SECRETS. 



of whelping. Cases, however, in which it does not appear 

 are not very common, and many of the exceptional are 

 bitches that have unusually large or very round abdomens 

 or are carrying very small litters. In some, also, the en- 

 largement is less marked and may even be unapparent 

 because of the peculiar rib formation ; and of this class 

 the greyhound family are the best illustration, for a diag- 

 nosis of pregnancy in its members is, as a rule, the most 

 difficult, and in many instances where there are only one 

 or two puppies their presence can scarcely be detected 

 until near the whelping, while in some it cannot be made 

 out with certainty before the pains of labor have set in. 



Where abdominal enlargement occurs early it becomes 

 steadily more pronounced until near the ninth week, and 

 then for several days the increase in size appears to be 

 much more rapid than before, owing to a settling down of 

 the greatly distended uterus and a backward movement on 

 its part. This settling having occurred, if all goes well 

 whelping may be confidently expected within ten days. 

 And he who watches the apparently backward progress of 

 the uterus and the rapid enlargement at its neck — the 

 most posterior part — can generally detect without the aid 

 of any other signs when the last stage of gestation has 

 been reached and whelping is imminent. 



In order to make the most of this sign the examiner 

 should kneel behind the standing bitch and pass his 

 hand between her legs to the abdomen. If she is of very 

 large breed and at the beginning of the ninth week, when 

 his wrist is between the legs and just below the outlet of 

 the bowel he will feel with the tips of his fingers the pos- 

 terior extremity of the uterus. On subsequent examina- 

 tion this will be found to progress backward — approach 

 him — to an appreciable extent each day ; and when at 

 last it has gone as far as it can, whelping may be expected 

 within twenty-four hours. 



