A guide to your dog’s pregnancy

Choosing to breed your dog is a big commitment and should not be undertaken lightly or without doing your research. That said, it can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for you and your dog to share together. 

An overall timeline of pregnancy

• Day 0 – mating
  Exact conception dates can be hard to guess so it is not unreasonable to be plus or minus a few days. Here you can still treat your dog as you normally would.
• Day 21 – first changes in your dog
  Teats enlarge to provide milk which you might start to see from about day 35 and vulva swells. Most dogs will also start to become calmer and more relaxed, although behavioural changes can be variable. 
• Day 28 – her tummy will start to get bigger, firmer and droopier
  Dogs will start to be hungrier and lower on energy from now. At this point it is best to take it very easy with your dog – she can still walk but keep things steady and on a lead. Avoid stress!
• Day 42 – you might start to be able to feel puppies in her tummy
  From day 49 you might also see movements! 
• Day 60 – approaching birth, your dog might start to nest and get ready for delivery
  Expect behavioural changes, panting, very full teats and variable appetite. 
• Day 63 – birth!

For a more in-depth week-by-week calendar, try this one.

Feeding

Feeding your pregnant dog properly is very important – she needs more nutrients and calories, so an appropriate high-quality food is essential. This is the subject of another Pets4Homes article going into more detail but if you are unsure about foods or supplements, please discuss it first with your vet.

Involve your Vet

It is useful to involve your vet even before you consider breeding your dog, for a professional health check beforehand and you can get expert advice on any specific issues or questions you might have. There is a lot on this subject online for example that is just not trustworthy. You need to consider vaccinations, worming and who to call if something goes wrong. Vets can perform ultrasound scans from 4-6 weeks pregnant, although counting puppies on these is very difficult.

Contact your vet if you have any concerns about your pregnant dog, especially if she is:

• Not eating.
• Having severe vomiting or diarrhoea. 
• Showing any other unusual symptoms of being unwell or in pain. 
• Having any abnormal discharges from the vulva (either red or green/black). 
• No longer seeing puppy movement where you were before. 

How to prepare for birth

Ideally, your dog will give birth in a comfortable, warm, enclosed place that she is used to beforehand. It is useful to have a heat source for the puppies and stock up on towels and absorbent pads – this is a messy process! More information is available here.

It is good to familiarise yourself with what is likely to happen during labour. Pregnancies can sometimes go wrong. Remember progress – progression is good, no progression at least requires investigation. 

By Greg Steele, practising vet in the UK.