​Pregnant Dog Care

Wendy Brooks, DVM, DABVP

Date Published: 06/08/2003
Date Reviewed/Revised: 07/08/2023
Photo of pregnant bulldog
Are you getting ready for the pitter-patter of little paws? As with humans, you can minimize pregnancy complications with proper care. Having puppies may sound easy, and it may seem like the dog does all the work, but that is not always how it turns out.

So, our first assumption is that the litter is wanted (if not necessarily planned). If the litter is not wanted, consider that there is a terrible canine overpopulation problem, with some shelters euthanizing over 100 dogs DAILY. If your litter is not wanted, please think about spaying the pregnant female or having a medical abortion. Spaying can be performed at any stage in pregnancy; abortion can only be performed during a certain period. Finding homes for puppies is challenging, and there are a limited number of homes to go around, so if there is any question, it may be best to take this opportunity to spay.

Now, having covered that point, we will get on with the subject of caring for a pregnant dog.

The female dog is pregnant for an average of 63 days. Plan accordingly.

Diet

The expectant mother will gradually require increasing amounts of food to nourish her developing litter. A food approved for growth (i.e. a puppy food or a performance diet) will certainly be necessary during the nursing period, and pregnancy may be a good time to transition into this new diet.

About three weeks into the pregnancy, she may experience a little nausea and appetite loss, similar to morning sickness. This should resolve within a week, so if an upset stomach or loss of appetite lasts longer than that or is accompanied by listlessness, something more serious is going on, and you should notify your veterinarian.

Calcium supplementation may be tempting, but is not a good idea. As long as the expectant mother is on a quality diet, supplementation is unnecessary. Furthermore, supplementation can suppress her natural calcium-releasing hormones so that when she really needs extra calcium during nursing, she will not have the proper hormone balance to get it. This can create a very dangerous situation that could easily be avoided by not supplementing with calcium.

At 30 days of pregnancy, bring the female dog to the veterinarian for a wellness check-up and to possibly confirm the pregnancy with a blood test or ultrasound.

Exercise

Regular walking helps the expectant mother keep up her strength, but intensive training, showing, or even obedience school is probably too stressful. Obesity is a dangerous problem for pregnant dogs, and serious blood sugar regulation problems can put the litter at risk. Still, even if the mother-to-be is overweight, pregnancy is not the time for a weight loss program. Your veterinarian will help guide you regarding the optimal nutrition plan for your individual dog.

During the final three weeks of pregnancy, the mother dog should be completely isolated from other dogs at home (see below). This means no walks in public during this stage and no contact with housemate dogs. The reason for this is to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases, especially the canine herpes virus. 

Vaccination

A female dog should not be vaccinated during pregnancy; there are normal ingredients in the vaccine that could be harmful to the developing fetus. Ideally, the female should be vaccinated just before breeding. She will be passing on her immunity to her pups in the first milk she produces (milk called colostrum), so we want her antibody levels to be at their peak, yet we want to avoid vaccination during pregnancy.

Parasite Control

If the expectant mother uses a heartworm preventive, she may continue to do so during pregnancy, but be aware that not all products are approved for pregnant and nursing mothers. To see which products have been approved, click here.

Flea control is important during pregnancy, though it is more important after the puppies are born. It is important to use a safe product during pregnancy. To find a product approved for pregnancy and lactation, see our flea product comparison chart.

Roundworms can be transmitted from the pregnant mother to her unborn puppies, and hookworms can be transmitted via nursing.  This is a nuisance as you usually end up with both an infected mother and infected puppies, but fortunately, there are several deworming protocols to control these infections. If you have concerns about internal parasites in puppies, speak to your vet about worm control. Daily medication will likely be needed, but worm-free puppies can be born.

Isolate the Mother to Prevent Herpes Infection

Canine herpesvirus infection causes a minor cold in adult dogs but can cause abortion in pregnancy as well as death in newborn puppies. The best way to prevent infection is to isolate the mother completely during the three weeks before delivery and the three weeks after delivery. This means absolutely no contact with other dogs.

Around Day 45

X-ray of puppies in utero
Puppies seen during Radiograph Photo courtesy Dr. Milan Hess
Just before isolation, it is a good idea for the expectant mother to have a radiograph of her belly to count puppies. Mineralization of the fetal skeleton takes place around day 45 and thereafter can be seen on radiographs. Knowing how many puppies to expect will tell you when she is finished delivering.

Labor and Complications of Delivery

There is always the possibility of a problem with delivery, and you will need to be able to recognize labor when it is occurring, what is normal, and what is a sign you need to see the veterinarian for assistance. See birthing puppies for information on care during labor and nursing.

​​Birthing Puppies

Wendy Brooks, DVM, DABVP
Date Published: 01/01/2001
Date Reviewed/Revised: 10/08/2023

Preparing for your dog's labor and puppy care can be both exciting and fun; still, awareness of potential problems is of paramount importance. It is a good idea to keep track of your dog's breeding date so as to know when to expect what. We will first present some prenatal care suggestions, but for more details, read specifically about care during pregnancy; you may wish to begin there.

After about 35 days of pregnancy, the mother's nutritional needs will begin to increase. In general, she should require about twice as much food as usual, whereas when she begins nursing, she will need three times as much food. The best nutritional plan is to buy a dog food approved for growth (i.e., puppy food) and feed according to the package; such diets are balanced and require no supplementation, plus they typically have the extra calories needed by the pregnant or nursing mother. Exercise of the pregnant mother need not be restricted until after the first 4-6 weeks of pregnancy. Do not supplement calcium as this can cause metabolic imbalances; also, excess vitamins may be harmful to the puppies.
Sometime around the 45th day, your dog should be examined by a veterinarian. At this time, the skeletons of the unborn pups will have mineralized and are thus going to be visible on an x-ray.  Your dog's abdomen should be x-rayed so that you know how many pups to expect. This is important as you will need to know when her labor is finished so you can be sure none of the puppies have been retained. Ultrasound may be used to confirm pregnancy much earlier (after 25 days, the embryonic heart may be seen beating), but it is more difficult to count the number of pups using this method. A general pregnancy blood test can be performed around day 35 just to confirm whether or not she is pregnant, but neither this nor ultrasound will tell you how many puppies to expect; only radiographs can do that.
A comfortable area should be set aside for whelping (giving birth) and raising the puppies. The mother should feel at home here and should be able to come and go as she likes while the puppies must remain confined.
It is important that the mother be isolated from all other dogs for three weeks prior to labor through three weeks after delivery to prevent herpes infection. Herpes is spread by sniffing and licking between two dogs. Adult dogs rarely have any symptoms but the newborn or unborn puppies generally die.
The dog's gestation period is considered to be 63 days, though this is not written in stone, and a normal range might be 58 to 68 days.

Impending Labor
When your dog's due date is approaching, you should begin monitoring her rectal temperature. When her temperature drops below 100°F (normal canine temperature is 101-102°F), labor may be expected within 24 hours.
It is a good practice to know how to take your pregnant dog’s temperature as her due date approaches. Ask your veterinarian to show you how.

The First Stage of Labor
During this stage, uterine contractions begin. The mother will appear restless and may pace, dig, shiver, pant, or even vomit. This is all normal and all an owner can do is see that she has water available should she want it. This stage of labor is long, lasting 6 to 12 hours and culminates with full dilation of the cervix in preparation to expel a puppy.

The Second and Third Stages of Labor
Puppies are born covered in membranes that must be cleaned away or the pup will suffocate. The mother will bite and lick the membranes away. Allow her a minute or two after birth to do this; if she does not do it, then you must clean the pup for her. Simply remove the slippery covering and rub the puppy with a clean towel. The umbilical cord may be tied in a knot about one inch from the pup and cut with scissors on the far side of the knot. Be careful not to pull on the umbilical cord as this can injure the puppy. The mother may want to eat the placenta but this is probably not a good idea as vomiting it up later is common; it is best to clean away the placenta yourself.
Expect one pup every 45 to 60 minutes with 10-30 minutes of hard straining. It is normal for the mother to take a rest partway through delivery and she may not strain at all for up to four hours between pups. If she is seen straining hard for over 30 minutes or if she takes longer than a 4-hour break, consult a veterinarian.  This is where it is important to know whether she has delivered the entire litter that was counted on the X-ray. Expect some puppies (probably half of them) to be born tail first, which is normal for dogs.
Most of the time nature handles things according to plan and there are no complications. The important thing is to be prepared and know what constitutes a deviation from normal. During the delivery, a puppy can get stuck either because of size or positioning, the mom can get too tired or dehydrated to complete the mission without help, or any number of unexpected problems can arise. Problems can happen during the actual delivery or in the days following.
Call your veterinarian if:

• 30 to 60 minutes of strong contractions occur with no puppy being produced.
• More than 4 hours pass between pups and you know there are more inside.
• She fails to go into labor within 24 hours of her temperature drop.
• She is obviously in extreme pain.
• Greater than 70 days of gestation have passed.

It is normal for the mother to spike a fever in the 24 to 48 hours following birth. Clinical signs of illness should not accompany this fever.
Normal vaginal discharge after giving birth should be odorless and may be green, dark red-brown or bloody and may persist in small amounts for up to 8 weeks.
Green discharge is a bit special as this is the discharge indicating separation of a placenta from the uterus. During the birth of a litter, many placentas are separating so there will be plenty of green discharge. Where this becomes important is on the very first puppy, as when the first placenta separates, its associated puppy will need oxygen very soon, so a live puppy should appear within 30 minutes of seeing green discharge. If not, there is a problem, and you should consult a veterinarian.

Problems to Watch for in the Following Days 
Metritis (Inflammation of the Uterus)
Signs of this condition are as follows:

• fever
• foul-smelling vaginal discharge
• listlessness
• loss of appetite
• no interest in the puppies
• decreased milk production

If these signs are noted, usually in the first day or two postpartum, a veterinarian should be consulted. Your dog may have retained a placenta or have suffered some trauma during delivery. Animals who require assistance with delivery are often predisposed to metritis. She will likely need to be spayed.

Eclampsia
This condition results when the mother has trouble supporting the calcium demand of lactation and is a particular concern for toy breed dogs. Calcium supplementation predisposes a new mother to this condition. Usually affected animals are small dogs. They demonstrate:

• nervousness and restlessness
• no interest in the pups
• stiff, painful gait

This progresses to:

• muscle spasms
• inability to stand
• fever
• seizures

This condition generally occurs in the first three weeks of lactation and a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.

Mastitis (Inflammation of the Breasts)
Normal nursing glands are soft and enlarged. Diseased glands are red, hard, and painful. In general, the mother does not act sick; the disease is confined to the mammary tissue. The mother may be sore and discourage the pups from nursing; however, it is important to keep the pups nursing the affected glands. This is not harmful to the puppies and helps flush out the infected material.
Warm compresses may be helpful.
​
Agalactia (Not Producing Milk)
Milk production and secretion (let down) is essential for the puppies' nutrition. If the puppies are nursing but it appears that milk is simply not flowing, there are a few simple things to try at home before going to the veterinarian. First, make sure the puppy room is not too warm and that the mother has plenty of food and water and that she seems to be healthy in other respects. If these issues seem controlled, the next step is to determine if milk is being produced and not "let down" or simply not being produced as different hormones are involved in each process. Your veterinarian will need to intercede with treatment for the mother. If the pups cannot so much as get colostrum, that all-important first milk that provides immunity from common infections, they may need to receive injections of canine plasma to replace the antibodies they did not get from their mother.
Most dogs are excellent mothers and problems are few. The basic rule is to seek veterinary care if she seems to feel sick or if she ceases to care for her young. Puppies nurse until they are about six weeks old but can begin solid foods as early as four weeks of age. A good age for adoption to a new home is eight weeks or later.

Difficult Birth: First Aid

Roger Gfeller, DVM, DACVECC; Michael Thomas, DVM; Isaac Mayo;The VIN Emergency Medicine Consultants
Date Published: 12/31/1994
Date Reviewed/Revised: 08/21/2023

Puppies are born 58 to 72 days after mating. Because canine spermatozoa live 4 to 11 days in the bitch’s reproductive tract, it is usually not possible to accurately determine the day of birth from the time of mating. If purposefully breeding, ovulation timing can be performed to determine with much greater accuracy the expected delivery date. A cat’s gestation period is similar at 63 to 65 days.
If the contractions are frequent, regular, and strong, and no young is produced in 15 to 30 minutes, the pet should be taken to a veterinarian. Intermittent contractions with no kitten or puppy should be evaluated after 1.5 to 2 hours as long as the dam appears comfortable. A dark green vaginal discharge called lochia should be followed within 5 to 10 minutes by a puppy or kitten, but only before the first one. Heavy bleeding requires an immediate veterinary examination.
While a few cats can take up to 24 hours to complete the birthing process, most should follow the same protocol as for dogs.
About two out of three cases of difficult birth (known as dystocia) that need to be seen by a veterinarian will need to have an emergency C-section performed. It is good practice to know long before the due date where your local veterinary emergency facility is, and when and if they can perform a C-section. C-sections are risky and expensive surgeries and careful consideration should be given to the decision to breed your pet or not. X-rays taken after the 44th day of gestation (not necessarily from breeding) can show how many babies will be born but they are much easier to count when the skeletons are fully mineralized later in gestation, after day 50. This will allow you to know when the mother is done giving birth.
Reddish to brownish vaginal discharge can continue for several weeks after a normal birth. If the mother is eating normally and is normally active, this isn’t a problem. If she becomes lethargic, stops eating, has a fever or acts ill, prompt veterinary attention is needed.
Some new mothers can experience a condition called eclampsia in which their blood calcium levels drop dangerously low. This is due to the large amount of calcium secreted in milk for newborns. Dogs with eclampsia experience poor mothering, severe muscle tremors, difficulty walking, and seizures. Immediate veterinary care is needed if your dog is showing any of these signs. Eclampsia can happen anytime around birth but is most common during peak milk production (2 to 4 weeks after birth).

What to Do

• Prepare a clean, warm, and easy-to-clean area for the birth. Puppy rails for whelping boxes are lifesavers for puppies.
• Check on the mother frequently without disturbing the process. Repeated interruptions will only delay birth.
• If a baby is visible in the birth canal and appears stuck, gently grasp the foot or feet with a clean cloth. With a steady motion gently pull upwards towards the dam’s tail on the baby only when the female is contracting. If the baby does not come out easily, transport the pet to a veterinarian.  
• When the baby is born, it will likely be covered in a membrane. If the mother doesn't remove it, tear this membrane and remove it from the baby’s head region.  
• If the mother doesn't remove the umbilical cord, or is being rough with it, tie it with a piece of string or dental floss one-fourth of an inch from the baby's abdomen. Then cut the cord one half of an inch from the abdomen with a sharp scissor on the dam’s side of the cord. Apply 2 percent tincture of iodine to the entire umbilicus (buy this beforehand, just in case).
• Keep the babies warm. It is best to leave them with their mother, but sometimes she doesn't stay with them. In that instance, put a plastic bottle filled with warm water near the babies. A hot water bottle covered with a towel works as does a Snuggle Safe™ disc. Neonates must have room and be strong enough to move away from the heat source. The room temperature should be around 85F. Allow room for the babies to move toward or away from the heat source.

What NOT to Do

• Do not put your fingers in the birth canal as you can cause trauma or infection. 
• Do not forcibly attempt to remove a baby.  
• Do not assist delivery by pulling on the head of a baby or on the umbilical cord as it exits the mother.  
• Do not lift the baby by the umbilical cord.  
• Do not use a heating pad.
• Most kitten and puppy births go smoothly with the mother doing all the work. The babies contentedly nurse on the mother soon after birth.
• You may not see the afterbirth (placenta) being passed. Many mothers will eat this after it is passed without anyone noticing. It’s usually not a problem if all of the placentas are not immediately passed as the dam usually passes them later, but on occasion retained placentas do not pass and in those cases can cause serious illness.

(Reproduction specialist Dr. Joni Freshman contributed to this article.) 

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