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Dog in labor: Puppy born, then sac. Is this normal? How long until next?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund | Female | unspayed | 12 lbs

My dachshund is in labor. She had one pup and a dark sac came out then nothing. The pup came about 2 hours ago and the sac came about 15 minutes ago. Is this normal. This is her first liter. She is 5 years old.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on May 29th, 2017

Typically the membranes pass within 15 minutes of a puppy's delivery, but I would not be overly concerned about the second pup's slower membrane expulsion. Puppies are usually born every 30-60 minutes, but there can be up to 3 hours between puppies, which is all normal. Be sure that Maggie is cleaning and stimulating the puppies to breathe very shortly after birth. If she is not doing this, you can use a clean towel to remove the membranous covering from the puppies' faces and rub their bodies to stimulate them to take a breath. This link also has some helpful information about whelping: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=678. Congratulations on your new additions!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on

    It can definitely be normal for the sac to come out some time after the puppy, so this in itself is not usually any cause for concern :) But, you do need to keep an eye on the amount of time that elapses between puppies. In most cases, once active labor starts, you can expect to see a puppy born every 30-60 minutes if things are going well. But, up to three hours between puppies can be normal. Since it sounds like Maggie's last puppy was born about two hours ago, I would monitor her closely for the next hour or so. If she still appears be in labor, with visible abdominal contractions, panting, etc. without producing another puppy in the next hour, then I would recommend taking her to an emergency vet for an exam to see what the problem is, as she may need an emergency c-section.

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