Pregnancy in dogs

Are you thinking about having a litter with your dog or is your dog already pregnant? Then you will probably have a lot of questions. On this page we will give you information about the pregnancy of your dog.

Signs of pregnancy

If your dog is pregnant, you can tell this by a number of things, namely:

• Your dog’s nipples will swell and become more visible after about 25 to 30 days
• Swollen genitals, particularly around her vulva (the outer part of her genitals)
• About a month after mating, vaginal discharge will occur
• Her belly will start to swell
• Some dogs may lose their appetite during the first period of pregnancy, and some may even show signs of depression

Duration of pregnacy

The average pregnancy of a dog is 63 days (9 weeks), a normal pregnancy can vary between 57 and 69 days. If the dog is expecting a large litter, the delivery often comes a bit earlier. If your dog is pregnant for more than 69 days, we call this an extended pregnancy. The advice is to contact your vet.

Determining the pregnancy

The most reliable way to determine the pregnancy in a dog is by means of an ultrasound or an X-ray examination. An ultrasound can determine around the 28th day of pregnancy whether the dog is actually pregnant. An ultrasound cannot count the exact number of puppies, but an estimate can be given. The exact number can be counted by means of an X-ray examination. Ossification occurs from day 43 of pregnancy (the bones develop) and the puppies can be visualized by X-ray. Our advice is to do this after 45 days for greater reliability. The advantage of knowing the number of puppies is that you know for sure that all puppies have been born.

Nutrition during pregnancy

If the pregnant dog is fed a well-balanced diet, it is not necessary to supplement her until after the first 5 weeks of pregnancy. It is recommended to give her 10% to 15% more food every week after day 35 of pregnancy, until the birth. This means that she will be fed 50% to 60% more food than normal at the end of pregnancy. This is necessary because the puppies grow the most in the last half of the pregnancy and therefore need more nutrients.

The puppies take up a lot of space in the last period of pregnancy, which means the stomach has less room. This can cause the dog to want to eat less, while this is very important in the last period. What can help is to give her several small portions spread over the day.

Do you have questions about the right amount of food for your dog? We can give you customized nutritional advice.

Deworming during pregnancy

When your dog is pregnant, it is important to deworm her both before and after giving birth. The advice is to do this 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after giving birth. Puppies can already be infected with roundworms in the womb and via the mother’s milk. In addition, we advise to continue with the normal deworming schedule for both the puppies and the mother.

Delivery essentials

It is important that the pregnant dog has a suitable place to give birth. The best thing to do is to purchase a whelping box. This must be large enough for the dog to lie down and there must be room for the puppies. Whelping boxes have a raised edge so that the puppies cannot easily get out, but the mother can.

Make sure that the place where the whelping box is placed is a quiet, sheltered and warm place (24 to 27 degrees). It is good to purchase and place the box a few weeks before the impending delivery, so that your dog can get used to it. Provide warm blankets and clean towels and make sure that the mother has unlimited water to drink.

Sometimes it can happen that the dog suddenly looks for another place during the birth. Let her go. Holding back can cause stress in this case, and this is exactly what you want to avoid.

What is the process of a dog giving birth?

Dog labour can be divided into three phases: the preparation phase, the dilation phase and the delivery phase.

The preparation phase

The name says it all: in this phase the dog prepares for the birth. This can manifest itself differently per dog. What we usually see is that the dog:

• Starts digging (nesting behavior)
• Is panting more
• Starts licking the vulva
• Stops eating
• Becomes restless

The most reliable way to know when the preparation phase has started is to measure your dog’s temperature. You can start measuring the temperature from the 55th day of pregnancy. This way you know what a stable body temperature of your dog is. Between 12 and 24 hours before the birth of the first puppy you will see a drop in temperature. This can vary from 0.5 to 1.5 degrees lower than the stable body temperature.

During labor, the temperature rises again to 39 to 39.5 degrees.

The dilation phase

In the dilation phase, the contractions begin. The first contractions may not yet be visible, but they do ensure that a lot happens in the dog’s body. The contractions ensure that the cervix is stretched. You can observe the following behavior in your dog during this phase:

• The dog eats little to nothing
• The dog wants to urinate and/or defecate frequently; the stool may become thinner
• The dog may start vomiting
• Breathing becomes faster
• The dog becomes shivering due to the dropping body temperature

The delivery phase

During this phase, the dog will push along with the contractions. Pushing along happens because there is a puppy in the pelvic cavity. The dog will find the most comfortable position for herself. One dog will lie down, the other will squat or stand. She will hold her tail up or to the side to create more space in the pelvic cavity. After the amniotic fluid has broken, the first puppy will be born within a few hours. Keep a close eye on whether the afterbirth comes out after each puppy.

The contractions before the birth of the first pup often last the longest. During these contractions the birth canal still needs to be stretched. As soon as the amniotic sac or the puppy itself is visible, she may push for a maximum of 1 hour. Between the birth of the puppies there is an average of 45 minutes if the dog is pushing a lot. There is no reason to worry if this increases to 1 to 2 hours, but the mother may not push then.

What can you do yourself?

It is quite exciting when your dog is going to give birth. You can’t do much wrong, but it is still nice to be given some handles. During the birth, the following things are important:

• Reassure your dog during labor; remain calm and patient at all times
• Always stay with your dog
• During the birthing process, keep a log of times: note in this log when the dog started pushing, when the puppies were born and whether the afterbirth was expelled after each puppy

Hooray, the puppies have been born!

Nature does most of the work: in most cases, the mother will break the membranes herself and lick the pups clean. She will also bite through the umbilical cord herself. Make sure that this does not happen too close to the abdominal wall, as this is still very weak in a pup. If the mother does not do this herself, remove the membranes, mucus and fluid from the pup’s mouth and nose yourself. You can tie off the umbilical cord yourself with dental floss at a distance of 2 to 3 cm from the belly. Then cut off the umbilical cord. You can also pinch the umbilical cord tightly at a distance of 5 cm from the pup. When you let go, no more blood should flow through that part of the umbilical cord. If this is the case, you can cut the umbilical cord.

Make sure the pups stay warm and put them with the mother. If the mother is still busy with the birth of other pups and is very restless, you can put the pups separately for a while but make sure they come back to the mother as soon as she is done.

If you have any questions about this topic, please do not hesitate to contact us!