Before you breed your dog, take her to the vet for a prenatal checkup. She should be up-to-date on vaccinations. Your vet will probably recommend either a fecal exam to check for intestinal parasites or just have your dog de-wormed with an appropriate medication suited for your dog prior to mating. It is now thought that de-worming the pregnant dam with an appropriate de-wormer Fenbendazole starting on her third trimester about day 40 of gestation and continuing under about 14 days post whelping significantly decreases the amount of roundworm and hookworms in newborn puppies, allowing them to grow and thrive to their utmost.
You should also ask your veterinarian what to do in the event of an emergency near the time of expected labor and set up a plan with your family and pet sitter. This is a good time to discuss planning on whether a normal birth or cesarean may need to be considered and scheduled in advance.
If during the exam your veterinarian determines that your dog is already pregnant, and if the pregnancy is an accident, this is also a good time to discuss taking precautions in the future, such as spaying , to prevent any more surprise litters. Her abdomen will increase in size and may sway a little as she walks. At the very end of the pregnancy, you might even be able to see or feel the puppies moving around inside the mother.
By this time, you want to prepare yourself and your dog for whelping, or puppy birthing. The best way to do this is to set up a whelping box. Whelping boxes offer a safe, warm, draft-free, easily cleaned location for your dog to have her puppies. The whelping box should be easy for the mother, but not the puppies, to get in and out of. Your dog may prefer to have it in a quiet area of the house but in an area that you can have easy access. Once you have purchased or built your whelping box, take some time to get your dog accustomed to it.
If this is your first time breeding your dog, talk to your veterinarian about your role during labor, and read and learn what you need to know. Unless you plan to have an experienced breeder on hand, you will need to be prepared to step in when necessary during the whelping process.
Many pregnant dogs close to delivery start to pant heavily. A drop in rectal temperature usually precedes delivery by about 8-to hours from a normal temperature to Many bitches ready to whelp may not eat or eat very little. Each puppy is born enclosed in its placental membrane and in each case, the mother licks the puppy vigorously and tears this membrane off, sometimes eating it. If she does not remove it, you will have to do it, as puppies cannot survive for more than a few minutes before their supply of oxygen runs out.
Make sure the sides are just low enough for the mother to step over and place the box in a warm, dry, draft-free area. If possible, try to choose a quiet and secluded area. Initially, place newspapers on the bottom of the box for easy clean up. Once all the puppies are born, place blankets or towels to provide some footing for the puppies.
Be aware that you must get the bitch used to the whelping box before the birth. If not, she may make her own decision on where to have the puppies — and this may be a closet, a pile of fresh clean laundry or even in the middle of your bed!
An additional suggestion is to have your dog examined by a veterinarian toward the end of pregnancy. A thorough physical exam, along with ultrasound or X-rays can help determine how many puppies you can expect. This way, you will know when she is done delivering and not just in another resting phase between pups. About 24 hours before the beginning of labor, there will be a temporary drop in the body temperature. Normal temperature is to Twenty-four hours prior to labor, the temperature can drop to 98 to 99 F.
After the temperature drop, stage I labor begins, characterized by restlessness and anxiety. You may notice panting, pacing, refusal of food and maybe vomiting. Nesting behavior begins.
This is the time to place her in the whelping box hopefully she is already accustomed to the box. After getting settled in the whelping box, you may notice her dragging clothing or fabric to the area to form a comfortable bed. You may want to remove any clothing as whelping begins or these pieces of clothing may be permanently stained. This stage of labor typically lasts 6 to 12 hours. At the end of stage I, the cervix is completely dilated. If your dog has not started whelping within 24 hours after beginning stage I labor, veterinary assistance is recommended.
Stage II labor is defined as the part of labor when the puppy is delivered. Your vet may want to do the following:. If your dog is having trouble giving birth, contact your vet straight away. It is an old wives tale that they need to have one litter before they are neutered. Sadly, there is an abundance of unwanted pups in rescue centres across the UK and for this reason, PDSA recommends neutering your dog before her first season to avoid unwanted pregnancies, especially if you are worried about dealing with the birth, any complications, costs, or finding homes for the puppies afterwards.
Make sure you have all the details of the mating if known. Most dogs whelp normally without any trouble, but if problems arise, you should contact your vet straight away.
There is usually a small amount of blood produced around the time of whelping, but anything more than a few drip is abnormal and should be checked immediately by your vet. Please note, our vets and nurses are unable to respond to questions via this form. Donate Menu. Get help. Find us. Pet Health Hub Search.
Whelping — a guide to your dog giving birth. Check your pet's symptoms. Print this page. Call your vet for advice immediately if your dog is having trouble giving birth or has been straining for minutes without producing a puppy — a delay could be the difference between life and death.
PDSA vets recommend neutering your dog to reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancies. Warm and comfortable. Lined with a clean absorbent bedding towels are perfect.
Big enough for your dog to stretch out and turn around in. High enough to stop new-born puppies escaping, but low enough for your dog to step over. Also - make sure you have plenty of clean towels or paper towel for clearing up. Feeding, worming and general care Make sure your dog is well fed and regularly dewormed during her pregnancy. Contractions in the first stage can last hours. Puppies are usually born minutes apart, but the mother dog may take a break of up to four hours between puppies.
The first stage is defined as cervix relaxation and the start of intermittent contractions. However, you are not likely to see the contractions at this point in the birthing process. During this stage, your dog will act restless, travel in and out of the nesting box, pant, dig, and sometimes even vomit.
This stage can last as long as hours. The second stage of labor begins with stronger, more frequent uterine contractions that eventually lead to the birth of a puppy. Puppies are usually born every minutes, with minutes of hard straining. Expect some puppies to be born tail first, as this is not abnormal for dogs.
It is normal for the mother to take a break during the whelping process, and she may not strain at all for up to four hours in between puppies. If your dog has been straining for more than 60 minutes, or she takes longer than a four-hour break, take her to your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Larger breed dogs typically have larger litters. The average number of puppies in a litter is six to eight, but some large breed dogs have been known to give birth to up to 15 puppies!
Your veterinarian can take an x-ray after 55 days of gestation to get a count of how many puppies your dog is expecting. Puppies are born with a protective fetal membrane that is usually removed by the mother dog shortly after birth.
If she does not remove this sac, you must manually remove it to stimulate the puppy to breathe. Stimulate the puppy to breathe by stroking their body firmly with a towel. The final stage of labor is passing the placenta. The vaginal discharge may last in small amounts for up to eight weeks after the puppies are born.
The discharge will normally appear reddish-black since it consists mostly of old blood. If the discharge is overly bloody, has an odor, or looks like pus, your dog should be examined by her veterinarian as soon as possible. It is normal for mother dogs to have a fever greater than Metritis, or inflammation of the uterus , can occur when the placenta is retained or some form of trauma occurred during delivery. If you see signs of fever, lack of appetite, odorous vaginal discharge, lack of interest in the puppies, or lack of milk production, please contact your veterinarian immediately.
Eclampsia may occur during the first three weeks after giving birth and is caused by inability of the mother to keep up with the calcium demand of lactation. This is usually seen in toy breeds, and calcium supplementation during pregnancy predisposes a dog to this condition. Dogs that have this condition will experience restlessness, muscle spasms, a stiff gait, and even seizures.
Please consult your veterinarian as soon as possible if you see any of these behaviors. Mastitis , or inflammation of the breast tissue, occurs when the breasts become hard, red, and painful due to infection.
The mother will likely be sore while nursing, but it is important for the puppies to keep suckling to help reduce swelling and promote excretion of the infected material. If you are concerned that your dog may have developed mastitis, please contact your veterinarian, as your dog will likely need treatment. If they do not get these essential substances during the first few days of life, they may need to receive additional veterinary care.
Your dog should be kept on a higher calorie pregnancy or puppy diet for as long as she is lactating nursing her puppies. Make sure she has food and fresh water readily available at all times. Keep the mother dog and her puppies in a clean, quiet, low-traffic area of the house.
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