Pregnancy Facts And Information

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Pregnancy Facts And Information

What to Expect When Your Dog's Expecting

The normal length of pregnancy or giantess period for dogs is about 63 days. Pregnancy can be detected by abdominal palpation at about three to four weeks, although using ultrasound is a more accurate method. Ultrasonic monitoring of fetal heart rates can also help determine the health status of the unborn puppies. In general, the fetal heart rate should be about twice that of the mothers. A heart rate of less than 150 beats per minute indicates fetal stress or a possible emergency situation. Abdominal x-rays can be done at 45-50 days in order to count the exact number of puppies and is not considered to be harmful to the bitch or to her puppies.

The diet for the pregnant bitch should be a high-quality commercial growth or puppy diet in order to meet her increased demand for energy, protein and minerals. Slowly increase the size of her daily amount fed so that by the last third of her pregnancy she is eating 25% more than she was fed before her pregnancy. By the last third of the pregnancy the bitch should also be fed smaller meals more frequently (3 to 4 meals) because the enlarged uterus will prevent the stomach from expanding fully to handle larger meals.

Your veterinarian may recommend pre-natal vitamins, however, giving additional calcium during pregnancy may actually predispose the bitch to eclampsia and is not recommended. Fatty acids, folic acid, and other B vitamins are considered safe. Dogs make their own Vitamin C, so it is not necessary to supplement. Excessive vitamins, particularly Vitamins A, D, and calcium are actually harmful to the developing puppies. Your veterinarian may recommend calcium supplementation to the bitch after whelping for dogs with large litters or for those who have previously had eclampsia. Bitches that are too thin prior to becoming pregnant (many field trial dogs) are at risk for pregnancy toxemia. Lack of adequate fat stores puts them in a dangerous position when their bodies need more and more calories as their pregnancy advances.

During the last week of pregnancy it is recommended to take the dog's rectal temperature twice daily as a temperature drop coincides with the prewhelping drop in progesterone. The dog's normal rectal temperature is about 100 to 102.5 degrees F. The temperature may drop to 98 to 99 degrees and is generally followed by labor within 12 to 24 hours. A clear mucus discharge may occur up to a week before labor as the mucus plug breaks down. Any blood, green or black discharge should be a warning sign to contact your veterinarian immediately.

Three Stages of Labor

Stage 1 - In this stage the uterus begins to contract and cervix starts to dilate. The bitch may appear to act restless or begin panting, and she will generally stop eating or experience vomiting. The bitch may also exhibit nesting behavior (digging, tearing up papers). This stage of labor may last from 6 to 24 hours and ends with the cervix fully dilated and ready to allow the first puppy to pass through the birth canal.

Stages 2 and 3 - Stage 2 ends with the passing of each puppy and stage 3 ends with the passing of the placenta and afterbirth. Occasionally a bitch may pass 2 puppies followed by two placentas and this not considered a problem. Stages 2 and 3 will alternate until the bitch is finished passing all of her puppies.

If a puppy is passed still covered within it's membrane sac this needs to be removed in order to prevent the puppy from suffocating. The mother may do this herself by chewing or licking the sac. If she hasn't done this within a few seconds after birth you will need to intervene and do this yourself. Carefully remove the sac with your fingers and then rub the puppy with a clean towel in order to stimulate the puppy to breathe. If the umbilical cord is still attached you should tie a piece of clean thread or dental floss across the umbilical cord about an inch from the puppy and then cut the umbilical cord on the opposite site of the knot away from the puppy.

Generally puppies tend to be born about 45-60 minutes apart, with 10-30 minutes of hard straining. Sometimes the bitch may rest between puppies and may not strain at all for up to 4 hours between puppies. If the bitch strains for more than one hour without resting or without producing a puppy, or takes a break for more than 4 hours between puppies (when it is known that there are more puppies yet to pass), a veterinarian should be consulted.

After delivery, it is common for a bitch to have an ordorless vaginal discharge that may be dark green or red-brown present for up to 6 weeks. If the bitch has a foul smelling discharge and/or other signs of illness such as a fever or lack of an appetite or lethargy, she should be seen by a veterinarian.

As a reminder, be cautious about where you take and what you expose your pregnant bitches to. Fading Puppy Syndrome can result in the loss of entire litters and is caused by exposing a naive (never exposed) bitch to Canine Herpesvirus during the last 3 weeks of gestation or the first 3 weeks of the puppies life.

As an additional reminder, have your bitch tested for Brucella Canis at least a month before breeding. False positives can occur as a cross reaction to the Bordetella vaccination as well as certain non Brucella bacteria. A retest is necessary one month later to make certain the results are not a true Brucellosis infection.

by: Dr. Erik Weisgerber

Canine Semen Bank of Columbus