If your dog is pregnant or you are thinking of letting them mount her to get a litter, it is normal that you have doubts about how many weeks a pregnancy lasts, since during the entire gestation period she will need special care.
Those of us who have a dog know that they are part of the family and that is why a lot of doubts invade us, how many puppies will it have, what do I need to do to make everything work out, how many fatal days to give birth and a long etcetera.
That is why from Dogsis we are going to explain everything you need to know, information about gestation in bitches, duration of pregnancy and necessary care for pregnant bitches, before and after giving birth to a litter.
How long does a dog’s pregnancy last?
A dog’s gestation period is fifty-eight to sixty-six days on average, or what is the same, the pregnancy of a bitch lasts nine weeks or so. At general levels bitches usually give birth on the sixty-third day of pregnancy.
To know how long our dog is pregnant it will be necessary to count the days since she last performed rides to reproduce. If we do not know, then it will be necessary to perform an ultrasound in a veterinary center.
By means of ultrasound we will be able to see the size and development of the puppies inside the mother’s womb, which will give us a very approximate date of how many weeks pregnant our dog is.
If we rely on the mount, we must count from the next day to know how many days our dog is pregnant. Remembering that pregnancy does not occur in all mounts, although there are many possibilities.
How do I know when my pregnant dog is going to give birth?
From the two months of gestation our dog can show signs that she is going to give birth, it is necessary to know them to be prepared and attend to the arrival of the new puppies correctly.
The pregnancy time in bitches ends when they show these signs:
- Our pregnant bitch runs away from other dogs or growls at them.
- Our dog is looking for a quiet place at home where she can give birth.
- The dog licks her genitals frequently and / or expels liquids.
- Our dog insistently demands our attention.
- Our bitch’s temperature rises and shows contractions.
If our dog shows these symptoms during her pregnancy, it means that she will give birth that same day or in the next days. Although normally delivery occurs in a few hours.
What happens if my dog does not stop after the days of pregnancy?
If our bitch has already turned sixty-five or sixty-six days pregnant and has not given birth, we will need to call a vet to carry out some tests that verify that the puppies are well. These tests are carried out by:
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Ultrasonic test
- Palpation of the belly by the vet
Once the corresponding tests have been carried out and the puppies have been verified to be well, the veterinaryn will intentionally provoke the delivery with the use of specific medications such as oxytocin, which induce contractions. Or he will apply a cesarean section if he deems it convenient.
Necessary care for a bitch during and after pregnancy
If we know or suspect that our dog may be pregnant, it will be completely necessary to go to the vet and start a cycle of periodic check-ups to ensure that the pregnancy is carried out normally.
During our dog’s pregnancy cycle we should avoid forcing her to exercise excessively It will be enough to take long walks and shorten them as the pregnancy becomes more evident. During the last days of gestation it is recommended that you have a very quiet life.
Diet is essential during pregnancy and after delivery, our vet will indicate what type of food we should give and in what quantity. Since pregnant and calving bitches need to increase the quantity and quality of their food.
Enable a quiet and comfortable space indoors, so your dog knows that she has a quiet place to give birth when the time comes. And for the rest, enjoy your pregnant dog every day of the gestation period.