BEFORE WHELPING. 233 



Beyond this sign there are others that indicate when 

 the time of whelping is rapidly nearing. One of them is 

 an enlargement of the breasts and the secretion of milk, 

 and another the active movements of the puppies. During 

 the ninth week these movements are generally perceptible 

 to the eye through the abdominal walls when relaxed, as 

 while the bitch is sleeping ; and they can be excited by 

 gentle taps with the fingers and felt by the palm of the 

 hand. 



But when a bitch is heavy with pups there is no mistak- 

 mg the fact, hence it is unnecessary to dwell longer upon 

 the characteristic signs. As for the early manifestations, 

 as already stated, the earliest upon which any reliance can 

 be placed is an increase in size and change in the shape of 

 the uterus. In order to be able to detect this when it 

 appears examinations of the abdomen should be made 

 from time to time with deep pressure of the fingers, the 

 subject meanwhile lying on her side or back, by which 

 means some familiarity with the usual and non-pregnant 

 conditions will be attained, and without which, of course, 

 variations could scarcely be made out. If, now, near the 

 fourth week there can be felt a tumor — or in doubtful 

 language a swelling — quite deeply within the abdomen, 

 there is decided possibility that this tumor or swelling is 

 the enlarging uterus. 



This evidence having been detected, if in the course of 

 a week there is noticeable to the eye an increase in the 

 size of the abdomen, the chances of pregnancy are de- 

 cidedly good ; and as these changes generally quite 

 speedily disappear or grow more pronounced, all existing 

 doubts are usually dispelled in the course of ten days. 



But the inexperienced reader must bear in mind the 

 fact touched upon in the foregoing, that some bitches go 

 through the entire period of gestation without presenting 



