Taking Care of Your Pregnant Dog
Like humans, your female dog is also capable of being pregnant. Different changes of her body will be noticed as her puppies grow inside her womb. If you want her to produce the best, healthiest, and the most adorable puppies, proper care of her should be done.
Signs and Symptoms that your dog is pregnant:
1. She loses her appetite.
2. She suffers stomach upset. This usually last up to 10 days.
3. She has swollen vulva.
4. Her nipples will look broader around five weeks.
6. Thirty days after being bred a blood test can be done to confirm the pregnancy.
7. At twenty one days an ultrasound can be done to have an overview of the puppies.
8. At forty five days a radiograph can be done to count the puppies.
Care during pregnancy:
Your dog will be pregnant for 60-63 days. If you have suspected that your dog is pregnant, consult the veterinarian immediately. The vet will help you on how to take care of your pregnant dog.
Like for instance, proper vitamins should be carefully given since some vitamins can cause birth defects. Doing lots of research will give you enough information about the proper ways of handling her.
Diet:
Don’t let your dog eat anything and don’t feed her with leftover foods from the meals. She may not have adequate nutrition to feed the puppies inside if you will just give her insufficient amount of food.
During the first thirty days of pregnancy you can feed her with the best quality dog food by Blue Buffalo or fromm dog food which are high in protein. In the last month of pregnancy, give her high quality dog food. Make sure that you slowly switch her food so that she won’t have stomach upset.
Don’t forget to give her adequate amount of water to nourish and replenish her body. Send her regularly to her veterinarian to ensure that she is in good shape and she can make it until delivery.
Exercise:
Like pregnant women, your pregnant dog also needs proper exercise to help her ready on the day of delivery. This will keep her muscles tone and will maintain fitness.
She may have difficulty delivering the puppies if she is overweight. However, don’t overdo it as she might be stressed. A simple walk everyday is enough for her to be healthy.
It is important that during the last three weeks before the delivery, you should not take her out or let her mingle with other dogs. She may get diseases which she can pass to her puppies.
Vaccination:
Never administer any vaccine to your pregnant dog. Some vaccines are toxic and can cause abortion. Ideally, vaccination should be given before and after the pregnancy.
Near due date:
Prepare the right place for her delivery. Make sure that the place will provide comfort and will accommodate the mother and the puppies. Cover the whole area with newspapers or towels.
Make sure that you won’t use your personal stuffs since puppies at this time are still dirty. Check the body temperature of your dog. If it increases, this marks that she is starting her labor. Lastly, never leave your dog until delivery has done. She may need your help along the process.
