Dog Pregnancy - What To Expect During and After

First of all, a normal dog pregnancy will last about 63 days, so if you know when she was bred, you should have a pretty good idea of when to expect the puppies. Some of the early signs of pregnancy include increased appetite, weight gain and increased breast size. Of course these can be signs of false pregnancy as well, so always have your vet confirm that your dog is pregnant.

Once the dog pregnancy is confirmed, it's time to consider the feeding requirements. One mistake many people make is feeding their pet too much during the pregnancy. Actually, her food requirements remain the same for the first six weeks. Only during the last 3 weeks of a dog pregnancy do you need to increase her food intake. Normally the increase is about 30%, or 10% more during each of the last 3 weeks.

Do not be surprised if she temporarily decreases her eating about a month into the dog pregnancy. This is fairly normal and she will pick back up again. On the off chance that she doesn't, you'll need to do what you can to get her to eat more so her body doesn't deteriorate. You can do this (if necessary) by moistening her dry food with water or adding a small amount of canned dog food to the dry.

You also may need to break her feeding up into smaller feedings several times a day throughout the dog pregnancy. This is because growing fetuses tend to reduce her stomach size.

The period a few days before she gives birth is know as whelping. You are now in the final stages of the dog pregnancy. She may refuse to eat and start to build her nest where she plans to have the puppies. It is important that you set her up a whelping box, or she is liable to have them anywhere from your closet, to under your bed, to in your bed under the covers. Of course even with the box she may go off to have them anyway, but it's unlikely.

The whelping box should be large enough to accomodate the birth. It should be in a warm, dry, and draft free area. Place towels or other soft material (maybe an old sheet). in the the whelping box. We like to use a piece of old cut shower curtain at the bottom for easier clean up. Fresh newspapers also work and can be easily removed as they become soiled during whelping. But once whelping is over replace the papers with the soft materials we spoke of.

There are several ways to know when whelping is about to occur. Your dog's body temperature will drop to about 99 degrees, possibly lower. Some pregnant dogs with more hair should have their stomach shaved prior to this point to make it easier for the new pups to nurse.

About 24 hours after her temperature drops, she will enter the first stage of labor. Once labor begins it is best not to move your pregnant dog. You may notice panting, straining, restlesness, and sometimes vomit. Don't panic if she vomits, it's normal at the end of a dog pregnancy. But persistent vomiting may be a sign of illness and you should contact your vet. The puppies will be here shortly.

Most breeds give birth easily without your help. It's important to know if your particular breed falls into this catagory. Boston Terriers, for instance, frequently need C-Sections because of the size of their heads.

Each puppy will come out in it's own placental membrane which the mother will remove and eat so the puppy can breath. Some people watching this fear the mother is nibbling her puppy. That is not the case. The mother will also sever the umbilical cord. She will then lick each puppy to stimulate breathing.

The frequent licking will continue for several weeks and will stimulate the puppy to excrete waste. Puppies need their mother's assistance to do this. At the time of the birth, new mothers are busy cleaning, warming, and allowing the puppies to suckle. The suckling lets them ingest colostrum which contains antibodies. Colustrum helps the pups fight infection in their early days while their own immune system matures.

The nursing puppies demand for milk will increase for about 4 weeks. As it reaches it's peak, the mother's food intake may be up to 3 times what she normally has. Nursing females should be allowed all the food they want. Moistening their dry food with water at this stage is good for two reasons. First it will increase the mother's intake, and second puppies will start tonibble it at about 3 or 4 weeks.

Water intake will also increase tremendously while she is nursing. This is also to aid in lactation. Make sure water is always available and keep the bowl full.

We know this is a lot of information and seems complicated, but if all goes well (as it usually does) we can break the dog pregnancy down into 4 simple steps for dog owners.

1. No need to increase food during the first 6 weeks.
2. Increase food during the final 3 weeks. Moisten if necessary.
3. Get a whelping box ready.
4. Give her all the food and water she wants while nursing.

If we had to add a number 5 it would simply be enjoy your new puppies.

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