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Excellent, Compassionate Care for Your Pet!Breeding Issues for Pet Ownersby Dr. N.J.Hayes | ||||||||
Dog PregnancyPrintable Page | Home Page | Estrus or "Heat" Cycle | Whelping | Whitneys Services | Back How long before the puppies come? Pregnancy, or gestation, in a domestic dog will last approximately 9 weeks (63 days) after fertilization. The length of the pregnancy can, however, vary from 59 to 65 days. If it was a planned breeding, the date of the mating should have been recorded. You can plan ahead from that date. Is there anything I need to do right after she's been bred? If you have taken care to have her examined by her veterinarian before the breeding to be sure that all of her vaccines and medications are up to date, and that she was in good physical condition; your biggest concern will be to prevent her from mating with any other dogs. Remember that there can be more than one "father" per litter. You don't want any accidents now. It's also a very good idea to place her in a quiet room or her crate and allow her to rest quietly for several hours. What about her diet? She needs to receive a high quality diet. Her intake of food should be unchanged for the first two-thirds of the pregnancy. During her last trimester of the pregnancy, your veterinarian will discuss her nutritional needs and, probably, change her to puppy food. A good quality puppy food will have been formulated with the pregnant bitch in mind. Do not start supplements without discussing them with her veterinarian! Pregnancy is a physically trying time for the bitch. Health problems can occur - even in a previously healthy female. Parasite infestations, disease or miscarriage can occur. Any of these problems can affect the puppies in the womb. Some physical difficulties can cause the whelping to be more difficult for the female. Is she going to get really big? There is no need for you to let her get fat! Her diet needs to be high quality and controlled! Her food intake needs to be gradually increased after the 6th week to provide enough nutrition for the growing puppies. As the puppies grow, there will be more pressure on her belly and she may prefer several small meals each day. Her eventual size will depend on whether you let her get fat, how many puppies there are and how large they grow before birth. There is a great range of sizes and shapes within the same breed. The bitch's health, the dog's health, how many times they tie, the breed and the genetic history of the bloodline all play a part in the number and size of the puppies. It is difficult for the bitch to carry and feed too many puppies for her size. She may need human help to take care of them. The average litter size is about 6 puppies. Toy dogs usually produce 1 to 4 puppies and the larger breeds may have 14 to 16 puppies. The old adage about the number of puppies being the same as the number of teats on the mother does not hold true for domestic dogs. As her pregnancy continues, she will let you know how much exercise and food she is able to handle. Don't force her do do more or eat more than she does willingly. How can I tell if she is pregnant? Your veterinarian may be able to palpate the abdomen or do a Sonogram at around 4 weeks to let you know. If the female is nervous and tenses up during the exam, it may be difficult to feel them, but a Sonogram can find them. Please do not hesitate to contact us at 309-685-4707if you have any questions or concerns. Top References:
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During the last 2 weeks, an x-ray can be used to count the puppies. Whitney Veterinary Hospital has an ultrasound and so the Sonogram is available