Caring For Your Pregnant Dog
It is important to educate yourself about canine pregnancy,
puppies, and labor if you are going to be breeding dogs. Your
dog needs special care and atttention throughout her
pregnancy.
The average gestation period for dogs is approximately 63 days.
Record the date your dog was bred so that you can estimate a delivery
date.
What should I expect throughout the pregnancy?
Three Weeks:
Four to Six Weeks
3 STAGES OF LABOR
Although this is an exciting time for the whole family, it is
important that the female is in a quiet environment without noise
and distractions. Too many people in the room may hinder the
process.
First Stage:
4. At this point the puppies are expelled. This stage is called hard
labor.
5. The puppies will be covered in a membrane. Give the mother a
couple minutes to bite and chew the membranes off. If she
does not remove them after two minutes, they must be removed
so the puppies can breathe. Once the membrane is removed,
gently dry the pup with a towel.
Third Stage:
6. Tie the umbilical cord one inch away from the puppy using
string. Cut the umbilical cord on the far side of the knot, away
from the puppy.
7. The afterbirth and placenta are expelled.
8. The second and third stages can be in reverse order. For
example, the female can pass two puppies, and then two
placentas.
When to call your veterinarian...
Afterwards...
The mother will require twice as much food in order to sustain her
energy while nursing all the puppies. Have food available at all times.
At five to six weeks old, the puppies can be weaned. They should be
examined by a veterinarian to check for any birth defects.
It is important to observe the mother after she has had
puppies. She can develop some medical conditions that would
require veterinary care.
Metritis - Inflammation of the uterus
Eclampsia - Lack of calcium caused by supplementation during
pregnancy. Usually occurring around 3 weeks into lactation and
most common in small breeds.
Mastitis - inflammation of the mammary glands.
Disclaimer: Vista Animal Hospital makes sincere efforts to ensure the
accuracy of information posted on this website. VAH cannot and will not
be held responsible or liable for errors, inaccuracies or improper use of
information by the reader. Readers who rely on the information
contained on this web site or on other web sites accessed from this one
do so at their own risk and are advised to consult with their veterinarian
before acting on it.
*For More Information Please Contact Your Vet!*
It is important to educate yourself about canine pregnancy,
puppies, and labor if you are going to be breeding dogs. Your
dog needs special care and atttention throughout her
pregnancy.
The average gestation period for dogs is approximately 63 days.
Record the date your dog was bred so that you can estimate a delivery
date.
What should I expect throughout the pregnancy?
Three Weeks:
- Some dogs will experience nausea and a decreased appetite
similar to morning sickness. This should only last for a week. - The puppies are usually palpable. By this time, their skeletons
have calcified so they will show on an x-ray. - Normal exercise is safe.
- The female will require twice as much food as she normally
does. This is a good time to slowly switch her to a high quality
puppy food for extra nutrients. - Do not give her supplements such as calcium. It may cause
the hormone that produces calcium to be suppressed during
lactation. - Heartworm medications are safe to continue if necessary.
- Some flea medications are safe. Contact your veterinarian for a
recommendation.
Four to Six Weeks
- Restrict exercise to walks only; no training, showing or hunting.
- Prepare a whelping box where the female can come and go
freely but the puppies will be confined. Be sure to have a lip on
the edge of the box so the puppies will not be accidentally
smashed under the mother. - Monitor the mother's temperature. A normal temperature is 100 -
102.5 degrees. Once her temperature drops below 100
degrees labor should start within the next 24 hours. - She will begin producing milk up to one week before delivery.
3 STAGES OF LABOR
Although this is an exciting time for the whole family, it is
important that the female is in a quiet environment without noise
and distractions. Too many people in the room may hinder the
process.
First Stage:
- Uterine contractions begin. Within 6-12 hours she will be fully
dilated. - She may be restless and begin to pant, pace, dig, vomit or
shiver during this time. - She should have access to water at all times.
4. At this point the puppies are expelled. This stage is called hard
labor.
5. The puppies will be covered in a membrane. Give the mother a
couple minutes to bite and chew the membranes off. If she
does not remove them after two minutes, they must be removed
so the puppies can breathe. Once the membrane is removed,
gently dry the pup with a towel.
Third Stage:
6. Tie the umbilical cord one inch away from the puppy using
string. Cut the umbilical cord on the far side of the knot, away
from the puppy.
7. The afterbirth and placenta are expelled.
8. The second and third stages can be in reverse order. For
example, the female can pass two puppies, and then two
placentas.
When to call your veterinarian...
- The female is straining (in active labor) for more than one hour or
she takes a break for more than four hours. - She does not go into labor 24 hours after her temperature has
dropped below 100 degrees. - She is in obvious extreme pain.
- She has past 70 days of gestation.
- A foul smelling vaginal discharge is present. (An odorless green
or red vaginal discharge is normal up to 8 weeks.) - A fever for longer than 48 hours along with other clinical signs of
illness.
Afterwards...
The mother will require twice as much food in order to sustain her
energy while nursing all the puppies. Have food available at all times.
At five to six weeks old, the puppies can be weaned. They should be
examined by a veterinarian to check for any birth defects.
It is important to observe the mother after she has had
puppies. She can develop some medical conditions that would
require veterinary care.
Metritis - Inflammation of the uterus
- Fever
- Foul smelling vaginal discharge
- Decreased appetite
- Lethargy
- Decreased milk production
- No interest in puppies
Eclampsia - Lack of calcium caused by supplementation during
pregnancy. Usually occurring around 3 weeks into lactation and
most common in small breeds.
- No interest in puppies
- Restlessness
- Stiffness and a painful gate
- Muscle spasms
- Fever
- Seizures
Mastitis - inflammation of the mammary glands.
- Hard, sore, red glands
- Discouraging puppies from nursing
Disclaimer: Vista Animal Hospital makes sincere efforts to ensure the
accuracy of information posted on this website. VAH cannot and will not
be held responsible or liable for errors, inaccuracies or improper use of
information by the reader. Readers who rely on the information
contained on this web site or on other web sites accessed from this one
do so at their own risk and are advised to consult with their veterinarian
before acting on it.
*For More Information Please Contact Your Vet!*
 |  |  |  |  |