All about dog pregnancy
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All you need to know about your dog's pregnancy (or almost)
After your beloved dog has been matched with a handsome stud and successfully bred, the 63 day countdown has begun. A mix of emotions pour over you, of course, lots of excitement but also bits of anxiety as this is the first dog you own to be expecting puppies. As a new owner of an expecting "doggie mom" there are lots of things to know and it is normal to feel slightly overwhelmed at first, but take a deep breath and relax as things will very likely go pretty smoothly as nature will take its course.
There are a few things though, that as an owner you must be aware of, mostly in order to not be caught unprepared or get hit by bouts of anxiety if you encounter situations you were not really prepared for. Below are some bits of information that may help you go through the whole 63 days without worrying excessively.
TO COUNTDOWN OR NOT TO COUNTDOWN?
First of all, even though your dog was in heat and was bred various times, there are still slight chances she may not be pregnant. Add the fact that some dogs are prone to "phantom pregnancies" and you have in your hands a recipe for doubt.
As you already may know, there are particular fertile days to watch for when scheduling a breeding. Most likely, if your bitch was bred during her estrus phase and you witnessed a "tie" where the male stud and your female bitch were "connected together" for some time, chances are pretty high that puppies will be on their way.
A LOOK INTO THE HEAT CYCLE
Here is a an explanation of the heat cycle, so you can better evaluate if your dog was bred at the "right time":
The heat cycle is basically divided into phases which when combined, average about 21 days.
The first phase is called Pro-estrus and you will be aware of this stage because it is when the vaginal bleeding and vaginal swelling occurs. This phase lasts about 7 to 10 days.
If male dogs are around they will be interested in the bitch but she will be reluctant and refuse him to mount.
The second phase is the fertile phase called the estrus phase. This is when the the female is actually fertile. The bleeding has stopped and it is replaced by a yellowish vaginal discharge. This phase will last about 4-13 days. She will be more tolerant and will keep her tail to the side. She will allow the male to mount at this point. If you witness "a tie" where they are both stuck together for a while, then very likely puppies are on the way.
The third and final stage is the diestrus and is when the female again will be reluctant to mate, because she is no longer fertile. The male though may still try to mount.
The estrus phase therefore, is the crucial phase, it usually occurs between the 7th and 10th day after the bleeding has started. This is the time you will be looking for if you are planning to successfully breed.
However, there are really no reliable days to count on and this is why some professional breeders have their dog's hormones checked by a vet to ensure breeding on the most fertile day. Again, even this may not be sufficient therefore there is no way really to "grant" pregnancy, but by monitoring the phases you may be able to heighten the chances.
EARLY PREGNANCY SIGNS :THIRD WEEK
Some bitches will develop typical morning sickness symptoms just as in humans (nausea, inappetence) around the end of the third week going into the fourth week. This morning sickness though may be hardly detectable in some dogs and more pronounced in others.
PROVING PREGNANCY
Your vet may palpate your dog's abdomen as early as 28 days post breeding to feel possible embryos. However, an ultrasound may be a more accurate test, actually this test may even help determine how many puppies your bitch is expecting.
Relaxin (a special substance produced only during pregnancy) can also be detected as early as in the first 21-25 days through an endocrinological test. X-rays may detect puppies skeletons 45 days post breeding. Puppies heartbeats may as well be heard via stethoscope 25 days post-breeding.
MORE ABOUT THE RELAXIN TEST
A Relaxin pregnancy test can be available nowadays to those owners eager to find out if the dog is pregnant or not. This test can be done as early as 20 days after the luteininzing hormonal surge. The test requires a blood sample from your dog and this can be challenging for some owners. You must have a centrifuge to separate the plasma because the plasma needs to be tested.
If this is not an option you can have the vet take care of this part for you for a small fee. He can both draw the blood and have it spun for you. Once the plasma is obtained you can finish up the test yourself.
This kit is especially good for breeders since there are 5 tests in the kit. This test is also great for distinguishing real pregnancy from pseudo pregnancy. Results are fast, it only takes about 10 minutes.
The kit may be available online for those who would like to test at home but if you do not have the equipment then you can have the test done totally at the vet's office
CONSIDERING DIET CHANGES
Once your vet has confirmed pregnancy, make sure to mention diet changes. There will come a time (usually 35 days post breeding) where your dog will need to be fed more often and with a more nutritionally balanced diet. Your vet may recommend special diets and supplements.
EARLY SIGNS: FIVE WEEKS
Usually the first signs may be detected at about five weeks post breeding. Early signs would consist of slightly larger nipples and of a darker color. It is always a good idea to take pictures of the nipples shortly after breeding, so you can compare color and size at five weeks. Also some slight weight gain may be noticed especially if a large litter is expected.
QUANTITY TO EXPECT
Dogs may have as little as one pup to as many as fourteen. These numbers may seem way too apart. However, the breed and the size of your dog can tell a lot about the quantity to expect. As a general rule larger breeds go closer for the tens and medium breeds go more for the fives.
LATER SIGNS: EIGHT WEEKS
At eight weeks post breeding the nipples are definitely much larger and also may start to secrete a whitish fluid. By now, the abdomen will be enlarged as well, and at times when the bitch is at rest, movement of puppies can be detected.
GETTING PREPARED
Now, you may start shopping for a nice whelping box. A whelping box should be comfy enough, allowing your dog to be easily able to stretch with her puppies. You may fill the box with newspaper. A heating lamp may be helpful as well to prevent the pups from getting too cold.
LAST SIGNS:WEEK NINE
Your dog may start exhibiting nesting behavior. This means your dog may show a tendency to rip up papers or any other material to make her own whelping box. Fortunately though, you have already thought about this and made her a very comfy one.
LAST MINUTE PREPARATIONS
Arm yourself with a thermometer and starting around day fifty six start recording the temperature about twice a day. Bitches normally have a rectal temperature of about 100.2-100.8 degrees Farenheit. At about 24 hours prior to birth, the temperature should drop to about 98-99.4 degrees Farenheit.
Keep your veterinarian's contact numbers handy and have your car ready in case of complications. If possible give your vet a head's up about your dog's lower rectal temperature.
BIRTH
Your dog may be panting pretty heavily, shiver and pace but this is normal in the midst of contractions. Check your clock and note down when the first contraction started. A first time mom may not be able to tell the difference between giving birth and defecating so she may want to go outside. You may take her and of course monitor her.
Sometimes simple movement such as walking around may expedite the process which can turn out pretty lengthy, even up to ten hours! You will then notice that contractions will begin to be closer to each other and eventually within thirty minutes of straining the water sac will appear. Shortly afterward, a puppy will follow and then will the placenta. Your dog may want to eat the placenta, only allow this once as further eating placenta may cause a bout of diarrhea.
Once the pup is born, your dog will clean it and chew off the umbilical cord. Do not be alarmed if some pups are born tail first, this is a pretty common occurrence in dogs. Expect a normal vaginal discharge to appear post birth. The discharge may be green or red-brownish and should be odorless. This discharge may persist up to 8 weeks post partum.
COMPLICATIONS
OK, the above scenario looks pretty smooth but what are signs that suggest a vet visit?
In general call you vet when:
-It is past day 69
-No signs of labor begin within 24 hours of the temperature drop
-PRIOR to labor your dog excretes a greenish fluid
-You suspect your dog has more puppies inside and no more pups are born after four hours
-Your dog is straining with strong contractions but no pup is produced within an hour
-A puppy appears stuck in the birth canal
-Placenta is not expelled after each puppy
-Your dog is exhibiting an unusually extreme pain
-Of course, call when anything happening makes you worried or doubt or seem out of the norm
While all this information may seem overwhelming, it can turn out to be very helpful for the first time breeder. It is highly recommended to have the bitch and puppies seen within 24 hours to ensure health of the new family. If you are still concerned about your dog's wellbeing and the possibility of complications, statistics are there to give you piece of mind: over 98% of all dogs deliver without assistance or complications. If you are still worried about that mere 2% make sure you learn this article by heart and have your vet's contact number handy and you should be very likely fine! Best of luck!
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I just wanted to say thanks for the info. I knew a few things about the birthing process for my dog, but was usure about others. anyway your information was very helpful and thanks for having it available to the public.
I have a Brussels Griffon bitch that is about to give birth to her second litter. I noted on Friday she started to have droplets of blood...NO MORE THAN 10 SPOTS A DAY. Today is now Monday and still labor has not started. I do not remember the bitch spotting with her last delivery. Is it normal to have a bit of spotting....days before delivery? (not exactly sure of delivery date, as she surprised us with this one.)
Thanks a bunch for this information... I was starting to panic about the birthing process with my Doberman. She is only a couple days into her pregnancy. and i am already stressed.
Your information has explained things so much better than any other sites...
Thank You
thanks for the help. After reading your info i now have 7 new healthy pups. which are doing fine at the moment
dogs are our best friends, I think human beings should take care of them and give them enough love. never give up them even they have some uncured diseases. I heard a story about two legs dog,which name is Faith. She was born with two legs and can walks like human beings. She brings hope to us and tell us never give up. if you interested, you guys can see my hubs to look at it.
when a dog gives birth and a puppy is stuck can it kill the mother and puppy
my dog is eight weeks pregnant i fink her waters have gone what does this mean
my bitch is on her 12th day of bleeding , i tried mating her yesterday but i dont understand as you say she shouldnt be bleeding now , and that it should be a yellowish discharge , yet she is still beeding , this is my 3rd attempt at mating her and no luck , many thanks
Just as in the menstrual cycle for women, the heat cycle in dogs is quite individual. The bleeding portion can therefore last longer in some dogs. When she is ready she will allow the mating, and if she does not, it could be he is not the right match for her and would not force it.
If my dog had a false pregnancy and her tits dropped can I run her on coon while her tits are sagged?
We are fostering a golden retriever that gave birth six weeks ago. The humane society sent her to us the day before she gave birth. Unfortunately she is a puppy herself. My vet believes less than 5 months old when she became pregnant and not even done growing! It is believed that she will never reach her full size now , so people who have come to look at her have rejected her, we will probably keep her. Do you have any info on this? Are you also of the opinion that she will grow no more?
Anyhoo wish I'd found your article six weeks and one day ago. It is well written and full of useful information. We were lucky on this birth. Foster gave birth in the afternoon, by luck my husband was with her for that first pup. As I said she is only half size, the father was definitely a labrador retriever, the pups were normal size lab/golden pups. Number one, two, four and six had to be hand delivered. She simply could not get them out. Number six also had to have the afterbirth gently pulled out, at the point I was on the phone with a friend who is a vet and getting directions. So even though 98% of births go just fine Foster was nearly in the 2%. Sadly she has been your stereotypical teenage mom. Once they had teeth and could talk back she has wanted to leave them and go party. We've been joking for weeks now that she wants to wean them so she can go get their names tattooed on her back.
Yes, this is why veterinarians recommend not to breed female dogs during their first heat cycle. Any earlier than one year old, generally would likely stunt the growth, since the energy of growing is now focused on the pregnancy. Thanks for taking the time to foster!
had greenish fluid came out 4 1/2 hours but baby is still kicking can there be still baby's ok
Snow, I think your dog should see the vet to be safe. A green discharge may mean that a placenta has detached. With an unattached placenta the pup loses its oxygen supply and cannot really live for more than a few minutes. It is important that the pup is born soon after this discharge appears. Best wishes
my mauxie was bred on October 16th and 19th so she would be 44 to 41 days depending on the day she took. My concern is that she has had one false pregnancy. So I am worried it could be false again, although this time she has done everything by the book as far as development. I have read a lot before attempting this breeding, (I continue to read read and even more reading) and it said that it is not impossible for her to become pregnant after a false but we are not feeling anything in there but think we are hearing heart beats. We did before as well and it was false. She is going back to the vet for an xray next week but in the mean time I am very worried about her. I will certainly never allow her to be bred again. She is going to be spayed as soon as this is determined. She has a wonderful temperment and so many people want her babies that would be wonderful pet owners and that why I bred her to begin with. Not knowing if this is false or not is driving me crazy because if she is going through this for nothing again it is awful her.
My bitch gave birth a week ago. She and the 4 puppies have been fine until last night. My bitch has started panting heavy, she restless and her belly is swole and she looks like she is about to give birth to a large litter. She is still eating fine and nursing her litter, but I am worried.
Lisa, I recommend a vet visit at this point. It may be she has eclampsia or some infection. Here is a link about eclampsia:
My dogs 58 days pregnant and she's no ate that much dinner today she also keeps heavy breathing and then she will pant for a bit , then lie down n try n sleep her panting will stop but she continues heavy breathing , she has been heavy breathing for a few wks now . Could the panting mean she's in early stages or is it normal for this to happen . Thanks
the panting is normal and may indicate the onset of labor. You don't mention breed or size of the bitch. Has she delivered any pups yet, as your post was several hours ago, I am thinking that she should have gone into full labor by now. If not and her breathing seems more distressed than panting you may want to contact the vet.
Hi, on the 29th of Dec I got a dog for christmas (yay!). The bloke who bred her can't remember whens eh was born exactly, but we think she's about 7-8mnths old. She hasn't been spayed (yet, she will be when we have the money) and the guy had entire dogs running around with her. When I feel her belly, it feels bumpy a bit and I think her nipples are getting a bit bigger. She has been sleeping more recently as well. Oh, and she's a mutt, but her father was some kind of pointer (vizla/german shorthaired) and her mother is a border collie looking thing but my dog looks like a pointer xD.
I have a chauha I think she is pregnant cause her nipples are full and sagging she has got a bit bigger in her belly but I dont feel and movement or lumps is it because she is a small dog and she just started getting morning sickness. or do there nipples get full ans big if it is a false pregnancy
@ Emma If you haven't already you need to take your new little girl into the veterinarian. Living in the conditions you described she may have several common illnesses, including worms and mange. Does her vaginal area seem swollen and engorged? She may just be going into heat Also it is quite possible that the er "gentleman" mislead you, she may have already had a litter in the past. A bitch as large as vizla or pointer would have definite lumps for each puppy if she is very far along, not just a bumpy belly as you described.( but without seeing her I of course can't say) Also we could be talking about a false pregnancy, our golden retriever,suffered from those. Anyway she needs the vet exam. In the meantime you have a large breed dog under two years old, so I hope you are feeding her a high protein puppy food, because that is what she still is, not really a dog yet. Good luck though, and having just fostered a "teenage" puppy mom I certainly hope she isn't pregnant.
@ Tannisha You didn't mention if you actually bred her?? I can tell you that with our golden retriever her nipples and even her uterus would swell with the false pregnancies, she would even build a "den" in a corner of our living room. When the puppies didn't come she would then steal stuffed animals and keep them in the den. It was even worse when she suffered a miscarriage, instead of keeping the stuffed animals for a few days she kept them for weeks and carried one with her every where she went. You really need to take your girl into the vet though, especially if you didn't breed her and you're fairly sure a dog didn't get a hold of her. As her symptoms could also indicate other illnesses.Good luck.
That was really informative. I read it just in time and my lovely Lady Malibu had a text book delivery. Thank you so much for taking the time. It was like having you in the room.
my dog is 7months old and having pups will she be ok
I HAVE A PUGG NOT QUIT SURE WHEN SHELL DELIVER HER LITTER/BUT SHE/S HEAVILY BREATHING SINCE THIS MORNING.RESTLESS.DONT EAT AND SCRATCHING EVERY PILLOW OR CLOTHES SHE GET SHE MOANED ABOUT TWO TIMES THE WHOLE DAY.COULD SHE BE IN LABOUR
The heavy breathing and scratching are a possible sign of impending birth. She sounds like she is looking for a place to give birth. Have you prepared a whelping area? How many days is she at? here is a helpful hub:
I have a purebred male German shorthair, and I was interested in breeding him because he has phenomenal qualities. I brought the female home, and according to her papers she turned one year old in January of this year. Within a week of having her, she began a heat cycle, which was about a week and a half ago. She and the male have been caught tied to one another, and I'm not sure if she is old enough. Could her age effect the health of these possible pups? Also, I have a dog that has had the parvo virus and was told that the virus can live for up to 7 years in the home and yard. She has been vaccinated for the parvo virus, but I fear for the pups. Could possible exposure effect them?
If you have great lines the best age would be minimum 2 ideally 3 years of age once her hips, eyes and other tests for the breed come clear and you male does as well. Here is a guide on breeding dogs:
http://alexadry.hubpages.com/hub/Should-You-Breed-
Here is a link about parvo:
My lab is 49 days into her pregnancy with her 2nd and last litter, she has been panting quite heavily on and off for the past hour or so, surely she can't be due to have the pups this early, is this possible? I'm probably over reacting but i want to ensure i'm with her all of the way like i was last time. She went 60 days into her pregnancy last time. Thanks in advance
Panting may be caused by pain, nausea, infection, hot environment, or any other causes for fever. This is too early for a litter to arrive and be healthy, so if it looks like she is getting ready to whelp I would be concerned. Here is an article about panting:
ummm i have a dog and i dont know when she's due i squeezed colostrum from her nipples today and was wondering about whrn she would give birth
Dogs generally take anywhere between 57 and 63 days to give birth and the rectal temperature is a good sign of impending birth, here is a guide: http://alexadry.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-help-your-
LVM 2 years ago
As I read your hub, I feel bad. I remember my maltese pet. I spent money for a stud service but she didn't become pregnant. She's now on her tenth week since she was mated and there's no puppies coming...