A Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Your Dog’s Pregnancy

Who doesn’t love puppies? They’re adorable, they smell so sweet, and they generally bring joy to all they encounter. The path leading up to their birth, however, can be overwhelming for everyone involved, both the dog and its owner. There’s a lot of nuance with dog pregnancy, so we’ve created this handy guide to help you navigate.

The “heat season” begins around 6 months of age, on average, for unspayed female dogs. It can sometimes come as early as 4 months in some breeds, though. While the season isn’t constant, female dogs have a 2- to 4-week window of opportunity for getting pregnant, and these take place on average every six months. Once inseminated, the pregnancy lasts between 56 and 70 days, with puppies born around day 63 on average. Whether this is your first or fifth time welcoming puppies into the world, there are definitely some pointers to consider, steps to prepare and items to have on hand throughout every stage of the pregnancy.

Conception

It’s wise to prepare for a possible pregnancy if you have an unspayed female dog. You may maintain a watchful eye, but it’s all too easy for her to get impregnated by a male dog. Being in heat sends a biological signal to any curious male, and often during her cycle, a female dog may seek out a mate. While “doing the deed” doesn’t take long, the success rate is fairly high: experts estimate that as many as 40% of female dogs will become pregnant after just a single mating session. To put that in perspective, human success rate for getting pregnant after having sex just one time is a scant 5%.

First Symptoms

There are several tell-tale signs that may point to pregnancy. Your dog’s body will begin to change, slowly at first but more rapidly as the pregnancy progresses. The first thing you may notice is a change in eating habits. A pregnant pup will either increase its food intake or reduce it considerably. An increased appetite suggests she has more than one mouth to feed. A decreased appetite likely means she is nauseous. Like morning sickness in human females, nausea is not uncommon in the first few weeks of a dog’s pregnancy.

Over time, a pregnant dog will likely grow lethargic. They might not be interested in activities they previously enjoyed, but this is a natural part of pregnancy. Carrying puppies to term (the average litter size is 5-6 puppies) puts considerable stress on a female dog’s body. The change in her hormones can contribute to this sudden disinterest in games and activities as well.

As the pregnancy progresses, your dog’s nipples will begin to change. This is most evident with the nipples closest to her hind legs. They will grow larger and pinker. About two weeks after conception, the nipples begin to expand in preparation for milk production and eventually, breastfeeding.

Another obvious sign that your dog is pregnant is that her belly will begin to grow and become harder and more round. She may also exhibit behavioral changes, growing irritable and reclusive as she prepares a nest for her incoming puppies.

Pregnancy Timeline

Dog pregnancies are typically divided into three stages:

• 1-3 Weeks: Small changes take place with a female dog’s body and behavior. It’s often hard to tell that they are pregnant this early, thought here may be occasional nausea, vomiting, and morning sickness.
• 4-6 Weeks: During this phase, you may notice changes in appetite, energy levels and body shape. The abdominal area will begin to swell and nipples will take on different characteristics.
• 7-9 Weeks: Signs of pregnancy become most obvious. Her belly will become large, her nipple color will deepen, you may notice changes in behavior as well as nesting activities as she prepares to give birth.

Dietary Adjustments

No matter how you slice it, a pregnant dog will gain weight. Female dogs may weigh significantly more than they did at the time of conception, with the amount varying based on breed and litter size. It’s important to adjust her diet accordingly since she’s now eating for more than just herself.

You can feed your female dog her normal diet for the first two stages. If you notice her lose weight during this period, add more food so she can maintain a healthy weight. Once she reaches about day 40 of pregnancy, however, the fetus or fetuses will begin a rapid period of growth. Adapt by increasing her calories 25-50% more than usual.

Look for specialty foods if you’re worried that your pregnant dog isn’t getting all the nutrition she needs. Plenty of dog food options are specifically designed for growth, puppies, or lactation/reproduction. Do whatever needs to be done to ensure your pregnant dog stays happy and healthy.

As she approaches birth, the mother will struggle to eat large portions, so transition her to several small meals throughout the day. If you are implementing a new diet, be sure to transition her to it slowly.

Preparing for Birth

It’s important to gather all the supplies you’ll need to make the process safe, comfortable, and (relatively) painless. After that, prepare a dry, cozy place for your pregnant pup to nest, called a whelping box. Ideally, the whelping box should have enough space for the expecting mother to move freely, as well as low sides so she can enter and exit with no issue. Large cardboard boxes or even baby swimming pools can function as whelping boxes.

Line the box of your choice with newspaper, blankets, towels or sheets. Giving birth can be messy, so a proper lining in the whelping box will help absorb all the fluids released during birth and keep the expectant mother comfortable.

The Big Day

When your pregnant dog is about to give birth, she will enter labor. For dogs, this occurs in three stages.

• First Stage: A pregnant dog’s uterus begins contracting and her cervix dilates. She will engage in heavy nesting behavior as well as panting and restlessness. This typically happens six to 12 hours before birth, but labor can last up to 36 hours.
• Second Stage: Birth. Most dogs want privacy for the birth, so give them space.
• Third Stage: Mother expels placenta. This can happen simultaneously with the second stage. She will typically eat the placenta after the puppies arrive.

Normally, dogs will take up to two hours between each puppy’s birth. For several weeks after giving birth, dogs may produce discharge. If this persists and is accompanied by foul odors, contact your veterinarian.

Newborn Puppies

Once born, puppies will be feeding or sleeping about 90% of the time. Track their weight gain to ensure everyone is getting adequate nutrition. If you suspect one of them is not, discuss supplemental feeding options with your veterinarian.

Also, keep an eye on Mama’s nipples. Sometimes dogs get mastitis, or blocked milk ducts that then become infected. If your dog seems uncomfortable, her milk production has slowed or stopped or she otherwise seems out of sorts, contact your veterinarian as antibiotics may be needed to treat the infection.

Finally, if you’re unable to keep all of the puppies, you’ll need to find stable, reliable homes for them. It’s imperative, though, that you don’t separate the pups from their mother too early. The ideal time vets recommend is between 8 and 12 weeks of age.