Do not grasp the newborn by the legs. After delivery, if the mother does not sever the umbilical cord, tie find thread around the cord about an inch from the newborn's body. Cut the cord on the side of the knot away from the body. Dip the end of the cord in a small amount of idodine. After each puppy or kitten, the placenta is expelled and the mother takes a short rest, usually 10 to 30 minutes.
Cats sometimes take a longer rest between births.
A puppy or kitten is lodged in the birth canal and you can not gently remove it. The mother shows stage-II labor with abdominal contractions but no young are born for more than 4 hours. More than 2 hours lapse between puppies or 4 hours between kittens. The mother has a greenish-black or bloody vaginal discharge with no labor or delivery for 3 to 4 hours The mother appears weak or sick. A placenta is not seen for each birth.