Whether you have planned for your dog's pregnancy or your girl made her own plans, if your dog is pregnant she needs the very best care you can give her. She is carrying puppies now and that means that the care you provide will help determine their health. Good care will also make the whelping itself go easier. Here are some good things to know about how to care for a pregnant dog.
First of all, it's not always easy to tell if your dog is pregnant. Even if you have done a planned breeding you can't know for certain until around day 28-35 (post ovulation) when a vet can palpate your bitch (feel for puppies along her abdomen) or do an ultrasound. However, many bitches will give some signs that they may be pregnant earlier. Some bitches will stop eating during the third week. This is when the embryos usually attach themselves to the uterine lining and there is a hormone surge. Your bitch may have the equivalent of "morning sickness" for a couple of days and not feel like eating.
Don't expect to notice a physical change in your bitch's appearance during the first month. Even at four weeks, when an experience breeder or vet can feel for puppies, your bitch will not "look" pregnant. Most people can't feel puppies even if they stroke their girl's stomach. You have to know where to feel and how to do it. After about day 35 you won't be able to feel them. Puppies are about the size of a walnut at this time.
You should continue to feed your bitch her normal food at this time. There is no need to increase the amount yet since the puppies are so small and they are not taxing your bitch's resources. Make sure that you are feeding a good quality food that contains balanced amounts of protein and calcium. Some breeders do like to put their bitches on a good vitamin supplement at this time. This isn't strictly necessary if you are feeding a premium quality food but it probably doesn't hurt.
Do NOT oversupplement your bitch during her pregnancy. Oversupplementation does far more harm to dogs than feeding them their regular food. It can lead to eclampsia, uterine inertia and birth defects. This is especially true if you give your bitch too much calcium during her pregnancy. It's much better and safer for your dog if you continue to feed your dog her regular food, in increasing amounts. Add an all-purpose vitamin supplement if you like. But do not supplement with additional calcium.
After about six weeks you should begin to notice that your bitch is starting to gain weight. You can start to increase her food at this time. Remember that it's not good for a dog to be obese when she goes into labor. You may want to add a small meal to her schedule instead of giving her larger meals. As the puppies get larger they will press on her organs so she won't be able to eat as much at one time.
Make sure that your dog is still getting some exercise. Exercise will help provide your dog with some muscle tone which will help when she is in labor. Flabby bitches can have problems during delivery. A good daily walk will help your bitch stay in shape during pregnancy.
As the big day approaches your girl may not feel like eating as much. She may be carrying a lot of puppies or just one or two large puppies, but she may not have much room for food anymore. It's fine to try to tempt her with special food to get her to eat but don't feel bad if she refuses food. She will be all right.
Once the whelping begins most bitches know what to do, even first-time mothers. You should stand by and stay close to help with any emergencies. Be prepared to call your veterinarian if your bitch seems to be straining or pushing for more than a couple of hours without producing a puppy.
After the puppies are born you should offer your girl some vanilla ice cream. She can have plenty of calcium after the whelping and the sugar will give her a boost. At this point the calcium will also help her produce her own milk. She may also like some beef or chicken broth.
After that, you should continue to feed your bitch all she wants to eat. She'll be nursing the puppies, which uses up lots of her own resources. Don't limit her food and encourage her to eat.
Take good care of your dog both before and after whelping and you should have happy, healthy puppies. It's not easy necessarily easy to care for a pregnant dog but it can be a wonderful experience. Good luck to both of you.
Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN where he helps people train and solve problems of all types with their dogs. Wayne has also been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network.
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