Puppies are exciting. If you are new to the world of breeding, or you are a guardian family of a mother - awaiting the birth of a litter, the wait can seem eternal. Luckily for us (and for the dog), the gestation period in dogs is much shorter than the gestation period in humans.
You will be caring for a pregnant dog who will have her puppies when with the breeder. The details given here are for information purposes and education.
-ALERTS!!!! Please read and take these warnings seriously FOR PREGNANT DOGS.
-PLEASE WATCH YOUR DOG
– AND DO NO LET THEM BOUNCE OR BANG OF SHARP CORNERS OF FURNITURE WHILE PREGNANT.-
NO EXPOSURE TO OTHER DOGS IF POSSIBLE-EXTRA FOOD IS Crucial
– BUT DO NOT FEED EXTRA TYPES OF FOOD SUCH AS PROTEIN.
Our dogs are grazers. Food should always be available at all times. They need to be able to learn to graze so they can take on more food when needed - for pregnancy and add making milk. Bacon fat can be added to food while pregnant. Nothing else unless we approve it.
A probiotic is required daily for all guardians- even when pregnant.
-EXTRA SLEEP, WATER AND TLC FOOD IS RECOMMENDED.
-NO RUNNING OR EXCESSIVE EXERCISE WHILE PREGNANT.
-NO MEDICATIONS, SHOTS OR VET VISITS UNLESS DISCUSSED WITH THE BREEDER.
-IF YOUR SUSPECT YOUR DOG IS SICK OR DELIVERING EARLY CONTACT THE BREEDER IMMEDIATELY
-PLEASE NOT USE FLEA DROPS ON THE DOG AT ANY TIME – EVER!!!-
Frozen uncooked cow bones from the butcher are a great stress reliever. But no bones while pregnant.
-PLEASE BE SURE TO LOOK AT YOUR DOG TO RECOGNIZE A HEAT AND REPORT IT TO THE BREEDER ASAP!! EVEN IF SHE IS NOT BEING BRED.
-how long does a dog’s pregnancy last? 63 DAYS PLUS OR MINUS 5 DAYS.
Our vet has put all our dogs on a probiotic and a multi vitamin. It’s important to do this for our dogs to keep them extra healthy.
As with people we can imagine the benefits for us is the same as it is for dogsAll dogs can benefit from probiotics, which aid digestion and modulate the immune system. Probiotics produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which inhibit the growth and activity of harmful bacteria, such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Clostridium perfringens, as well as providing other benefits to the intestines. The multivitamin is for overall good health especially for breeding dogs
- it’s important that the vitamin has a folic acid in it - the ones we use our doggie dailies which we order from Amazon.
Our guardians are more than welcome to come to the ranch at any time and walk the dog on the forest trails We just want to let everyone know that although we don’t find ticks to be too much of an issue in our forest many fields with long grass in forests do have ticks.
It’s extremely important to make sure that you’ve put on DE and pest spray before walking your dog as fall is flea and tick season.
Our experience with having guardians visit us or go on long car rides or extended stays away from home for pregnant dogs during the middle of their pregnancy has caused loss of litters.
Our vet is suggesting that after a dog has been bred it’s best not to take them away from home which includes bringing them to the ranch before the date of their ultrasound around day 50 of the pregnancy. So planning a vacation in the middle of your dogs pregnancy isn’t advised.
We do offer friends and family a position in your dogs litter but we do need to have those reservations in as soon as we know your dog is being bred- so we can get them a position on that list. We do offer a $200 discount on one puppy per litter for a direct family member.
The fall season also brings mud snow and Matted dog coats lol. It’s important to keep your dog brushed and keep the grooming going so that we don’t end up with matted or dogs it’s very important to be on top of it if you need help with grooming please reach out.
If you have a dog you’re trying to add weight on after a pregnancy or a dog that is super hungry during pregnancy here’s a recipe for something called satin balls that can be given as well as regular kibble.
1 to 2 positive can make a difference on weight gain for your dog.
Satin balls
1 pound ground beef (high fat content)
1 jar all-natural peanut butter
12 raw egg yolks1 cup rolled oats soaked in milk
2 cups dry dog food, crushed fine
2 packs cream cheese
½ cup corn oil1 cup cottage cheese
additional crushed dry dog food, as needed
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Freeze into meatball-sized balls and thaw as needed.
We’ve had a few issues with guardians missing heats or heats not being detected until later in there cycle. It’s important to watch the behaviour of your dog.
When you see them becoming clingy, a little more needy - that’s usually the first indicator of the heat. Keep looking at the vulva and looking to see if it is swollen and of course a show of blood.
Just a bit of advice regarding dog parks - it’s important to realize that often there are people there that don’t have very good control on their dog and aggressive behaviour can happen quite easily from other dogs attending the park. The biggest concern is your dog getting a virus or being infected with the bacteria as dog parks usually aren’t the cleanest places.
There is risk of your dog getting hurt or your dog developing fear against other dogs.
Contact our TRAINER - Or for QUESTIONS ABOUT TRAINING YOUR DOG?VANESSALAKEWOODRANCH@GMAIL.COM
We have launched our boutique for dog products - we have an online store as well as our boutique on site at the ranch.
Lakewoodpetboutique.com
Here is a video of our boutique:
https://youtu.be/6Wv_1S0BFMU
We offer a variety of dog supplies on our online store for purchase - you can pick them up when you visit or we can SHIP to you. Check out our fall special package it includes a tick puller, toys and treats.
It’s important to contact Vanessa for appointment booking and reporting a heat or anyquestions about health or training.
The girls are quite busy so it’s important not to contact 2 different people about the same subject.
We have some fun recipes on the website on the recipes page if you’re interested in doing any baking to make treats for your dog.
In order to answer the question, “how long are dogs pregnant,” you first need to understand the dog reproductive cycle. Intact female dogs go into heat approximately every six months, although this can vary depending on the dog and the breed. The heat cycle lasts 18-to-21 days and is broken into four distinct stages. Breeders use these stages to determine the best time to breed their dogs.The four stages of the female dog’s reproductive cycle are:
1.Proestrus
2.Estrus
3.Diestrus
4.Anestrus
Proestrus lasts for about 9 days and is the first stage of the reproductive cycle. This is when females start to attract males, although they will reject their advances until stage two. The signs of proestrus are:
Swelling of the vulva AND Bloody discharge
Estrus lasts anywhere fro 3-to-4 days to 7-to-11 days.
This is when the bitch is receptive to the male. Many breeders have a veterinarian take vaginal smears and blood tests during proestrus and estrus to make sure they breed their dogs at the optimal time. The signs of proestrus are:
A soft and enlarged vulva AND Discharge lightens in color and decreasesDiestrus is the final stage of the cycle. It typically occurs around day 14. During diestrus, the bitch’s discharge becomes redder and tapers off, the vulva returns to normal, and she will no longer permit mating. The heat is complete when all signs of swelling and discharge are gone. The time frame between one heat cycle and the next is called anestrus and usually lasts around six months.
Understanding the heat cycle plays an important role in determining the length of pregnancy. Breeders can calculate conception dates by keeping track of their bitch’s heat cycle and breeding period, which makes it easier for veterinarians to accurately test for pregnancy.
Humans have developed instantaneous pregnancy tests that make it easy to determine whether or not we are pregnant. It is not as simple for our dogs. You will most likely need to visit your veterinarian to find out if your dog is pregnant. If possible, be sure to tell your vet exactly when your dog was bred, or your best estimate of the time frame, as all of the pregnancy testing methods for dogs are time sensitive.
There are four methods veterinarians can use to determine if a dog is pregnant:
1.Hormone tests
2.Palpation
3.X-ray
4.Ultrasound
Hormone Tests
Veterinarians can test for the hormone relaxin to determine if a bitch is pregnant. Relaxin is released from placental tissue only during pregnancy, which makes it a fairly accurate diagnostic test. However, the bitch must be at least 30 days into her gestation for the test to be accurate. Tests taken before that can have a false negative.PalpationPalpation is the cheapest and most convenient way to diagnose pregnancy. As each fetus develops, the membranes around them grow to form fluid-filled sacs. These sacs can be felt between days 21 and 35 of gestation (approximately three-to-four weeks), and grow to about the size of a table tennis ball in a 45-pound dog. After one month, the sacs lose their distinctive shape, and the uterus develops a floppy feel that can be mistaken for fat or a pyometra.
X-ray
An x-ray is a great way for breeders to determine how many puppies to expect from their bitch. X-rays are most effective later in pregnancy, as the fetal skull and spine doesn’t become visible on an x-ray until days 42 through 45. Waiting until after day 55 allows veterinarians to give an accurate count of the number of expected puppies and and to determine the best timing for an elective cesarean.
Ultrasound
An ultrasound is the best way to find out if a dog is pregnant early on in gestation. Veterinarians recommend ultrasounds between days 25 and 35 of gestation. Ultrasounds not only detect pregnancy, they also determine whether the fetus is alive by registering fetal heartbeats. Ultrasounds can also be used to rule out other causes of uterine distension, like a pyometra, and can help calculate the gestational age of the fetus.
Gestation Period: How Long Are Dogs Pregnant?
The normal gestation period in dogs is approximately 63 days from conception, although this can vary by several days. While this might seem like a straightforward answer, conception is often hard to determine. Sperm can live for several days inside the female, and eggs can remain fertile for up to 48 hours, which means the act of mating itself is not an exact measurement of gestation. This makes it hard to predict the length of pregnancy without the assistance of a veterinarian.Hormone measurements give a much more exact time frame for gestation. Many breeders use vaginal smears and blood tests to monitor reproductive hormones during the breeding process. This helps them determine the best time to breed their bitch, as well as the length of gestation and the potential due date.
Gestation length according to accurate hormone measurements:•
56-58 days from the first day of diestrus•64-66 days from the initial rise in progesterone•58-72 days from the first time the bitch allowed breedingPregnancy in dogs is relatively short compared to humans, about 9 weeks total, and each day matters. Knowing the length of the gestation period is important for the health of the pregnant bitch and the puppies and is used to monitor nutrition and veterinary care during pregnancy.
Stages of Dog Pregnancy
Dogs pass through the stages of pregnancy quickly. Gestation periods are comparatively short in dogs, which means that the pups develop rapidly inside the womb over a period of two-to-three months.
Month One
During the first month, the embryos travel to the uterine horns, usually around day 7, and the embryos are embedded in the uterine lining around day 16. The fetus begins to take shape by day 22, and by day 28 or 30 a veterinarian should be able to detect fetal heartbeats on an ultrasound.Many dogs do not show any symptoms during the first three weeks of their pregnancy. Some symptoms to watch for during the first month are:•Increased appetite•Slightly enlarged nipples•More affectionate behavior•Clear vaginal discharge (around week four)•Decreased physical activity•“Morning sickness”
Month Two
Fetal development moves quickly during the second month. Eyelids form by day 32 and toes are visible by day 35. The claws form by day 40, and the coat and skeleton follow a few days later (day 45). By day 50, an x-ray will reveal the number of puppies in the litter, and the bitch will start looking for a place to nest at day 58.Signs of pregnancy in the bitch are much more obvious during the second month:•Noticeably increased appetite•Weight gain of 20-to-50 percent•Increased urination•Behavioral changes•Clear, odorless vaginal discharge•Enlarged, firm abdomen (days 45 to 50)•Decreased appetite (day 45)•Visible puppy movement in abdomen (day 50)
Month Three
The bitch is ready to whelp by the start of the third month. Puppy development is almost complete around day 58, which means the puppies will begin to move into whelping position in the birth canal over the last few days of the bitch’s pregnancy.Symptoms during the last few days of pregnancy in dogs:•Waist will trim as puppies move into the birth canal•Appetite loss around day 61 or 62•Drop in body temperature 12-to-24 hours before labor•Restless behavior•Pacing, panting, shivering, or digging
Once the gestation period is over, labor begins. There are three stages of labor.
Stage One
The first lasts 12-to-24 hours and is often not outwardly noticeable. Contractions in the muscular wall of the uterus increase throughout stage one, both in strength and frequency, but no visible contractions are evident. Instead, look out for the following symptoms of labor in dogs:•Change in disposition and behavior•Restlessness•Reclusive behavior•Intermittent nesting•Refusing to eat•Vomiting•Panting•Clear vaginal discharge
Stage Two
Puppies are delivered during stage two. This stage can take anywhere from 1-to-24 hours, and bitches deliver one puppy at a time. Each delivery should not last more than 1-to-2 hours and normally occurs every 30-to-60 minutes, which is why it is helpful to know the total number of expected puppies. That way, owners know when the bitch is finished with stage two and can call a vet if they suspect their dog is having trouble.
Stage Three
The placenta is delivered in stage three. Stage two and stage three actually occur at around the same time, and stage three is complete when all of the placentas have been delivered. This usually occurs shortly after stage two is finished.You should contact your veterinarian if your dog’s labor takes more than 24 hours, or if more than 2 hours pass in between puppies. This could be a sign of a serious complication, and both the bitch and unborn puppies’ lives could be at risk.
Taking the Next Step
How long are dogs pregnant? Just long enough for a litter of happy, healthy puppies to develop. As long as you educate yourself and follow through with proper feeding and caring for your pregnant dog and proper newborn puppy care, IF NECESSARY. CALL THE BREEDER ASAP ON CONCERNS OR CHANGE IN SITUATION.
Your dog’s needs are important, and we recognize that not all products are created equal so our holistic boutique offers all you might need for a healthy pup!
