Childbirth in dogs

Pregnancy of dogs, depending on the breed, lasts from 55 to 72 days. If this is a planned pregnancy and you know the date of mating, it will not be difficult to calculate the date of birth of the puppies. It is worth preparing for this moment in advance.

Preparing for childbirth

The first thing a responsible dog owner needs to do is arrange with a veterinarian to come home for delivery. This is vital if you are inexperienced in this matter or this is the first birth for your pet. In addition, it is advisable to take a short vacation from work to care for the dog and puppies. In the early days, the animal needs your support and control.

A couple of weeks – a month before the expected date of birth, build a “playpen” for the dog – a place for childbirth, right there she will live with puppies. The animal must get used to it, otherwise, at the most crucial moment, the dog will hide in a corner or hide under the sofa. Some owners prefer to give birth on the sofa or on the floor, having prepared oilcloth and sheets in advance for this. This is especially true if the animal is quite large.

Childbirth

The process of giving birth to puppies can be conditionally divided into three stages: preparatory, contractions and the actual birth of puppies. The preparatory stage lasts from 2-3 hours to a day. At this time, due to the beginning, still invisible fights, the behavior of the dog changes dramatically: it becomes restless, rushes about, trying to hide, or, conversely, does not move a single step away from you. If the preparatory stage lasts more than a day, you must urgently call a veterinarian: delaying the process can lead to irreversible consequences. In any case, this period is a sign of the imminent start of visible contractions and that it is time to call a veterinarian to conduct labor.

The onset of labor is marked by the departure of amniotic fluid. As a rule, the water bubble bursts on its own, or the dog itself gnaws it. The first puppy should be born after 2-3 hours.

Childbirth lasts from 3 to 12 hours, but sometimes the process is delayed up to 24 hours. Puppies appear in turn with an interval of 15 minutes – 1 hour.

As a rule, their position does not affect the process: they can be born head first or hind legs.

The final stage of childbirth is the contraction of the uterus and the expulsion of the placenta (it will come out after each new puppy). Do not be surprised that the dog will eat the afterbirth – the placenta with the membranes of the fetus, but carefully monitor this process. Do not allow the dog to eat more than 2 afterbirths, this is fraught with vomiting.

Postpartum care

A new mother and her puppies need special care in the first days after birth. First of all, it is related to nutrition. During lactation, provide the animal with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Use special types of feed for pregnant and lactating animals.

Most often, being a caring mother, the dog is reluctant to leave puppies unattended. And this means the emergence of problems with walking. However, the dog needs to be walked, as walking stimulates the flow of milk, and also helps to restore the animal’s prenatal fitness.

The birth of puppies is not an easy process, and the dog owner needs to carefully prepare for it. But remember: whatever the preparation, the main thing you have to do is to seek help from a veterinarian in time.

15 2017 June

Updated: July 6, 2018