A bitch can become pregnant if she is mated to a male at the right time during her heat. Theoretically, this can already happen during the first heat, although the bitch is not yet fully grown. It is important to keep the bitch under close supervision during this time as premature pregnancy in the dog is dangerous for mothers and puppies. You can find out everything you need to know about pregnancy in dogs in this article.
Pregnancy in the dog: fertility of a female
Depending on their size, healthy bitches come into heat for the first time at the age of six to twelve months, some up to 20 months, although there are breed-specific and individual differences. Large breeds usually do this later than small dog breeds because they are longer in growth. The nutritional status of the dog also plays a role – malnutrition, for example, or a previous illness can delay sexual maturity.
If the bitch has not come into heat after the end of the second year of life, a veterinarian should be consulted to be on the safe side in order to rule out health problems. A bitch should be thoroughly examined by the veterinarian before a planned pregnancy in order to detect diseases at an early stage. Necessary vaccinations or parasite treatments should be carried out in good time, as some medications can have a negative effect on the fertility of the dog or the development of the unborn puppies.
Most bitches are in the heat, as heat is also called, for around 21 days. Even at the beginning of the pre-oestrus, the bitch smells attractive to males due to the increased estrogen production, although she is not yet ready for mating. On the contrary, she will vehemently reject any male dog if he becomes too pushy. At the beginning, the vagina is visibly swollen and a bloody secretion comes out. After about 9-15 days, this discharge changes and becomes more watery – now the bitch is in heat and very interested in the male and ready to breed. When the two are brought together, the bitch will willingly stop and invite the male, tail cocked to one side. Since this stage of heat lasts about 6-9 days, male and female dogs should be brought together several times during this time in order to increase the breeding success.
To be absolutely sure when the bitch is really in the fertile phase, the veterinarian can determine ovulation through a blood test, since the progesterone level in the blood then increases. For a planned pregnancy, the bitch should be at least in her third heat to ensure that she is fully grown and the uterus is fully developed.
How do I determine if a dog is pregnant?
The veterinarian can determine whether the bitch is expecting puppies about three to four weeks after mating by means of palpation or an ultrasound examination. A blood test can also provide information.
Pregnancy in the dog: the mating act
Before mating takes place, male and female sniff each other extensively, even play with each other or mount each other. When the bitch strikes a pose, tail twisting and back slightly lowered, the male will sniff and lick her again before finally mounting and penetrating her. During erection of the penis, the glans swells significantly, and at the same time blood vessels in the bitch’s vulva enlarge. This wedges the penis in the vagina and thus closes the vaginal opening. The male finally steps off the bitch’s back sideways and turns his backside to face her. The dogs are still connected to each other at this point, this phase is also called “hanging”.
Separating the animals is now absolutely impossible – if this is attempted, serious internal injuries can occur in both dogs. So if the mating happened unintentionally, the dog owner simply has to wait at this point and present the bitch to the vet later, who can then still prevent the dog from becoming pregnant. This state of hanging usually lasts about 15 minutes, but can last up to an hour. Only when the glans and vein pads have swollen again is mating over and male and female separate.
How long does it take for a female to be mated?
The mating act in dogs begins with extensive sniffing of the two dogs. When the bitch is ready and the male mounts, swelling of the glans and vulva causes so-called “hanging”. In this phase male and female dogs cannot separate from each other, it can last up to an hour.
Determining pregnancy in dogs
The experienced veterinarian can determine after about 20-30 days whether the mating was successful and the bitch has actually become pregnant by palpating the bitch. The examination by ultrasound is safer, with which from the 21st to the 25th day a pregnancy can be detected in the dog. Even fetal heart sounds can be detected from day 28.
Furthermore, the pregnancy can be confirmed by determining the hormone relaxin in the blood of the bitch. However, it can happen that this test is negative, but the bitch is still pregnant. A positive test result is a sure proof of pregnancy, but a negative one is by no means a sure rule. From the 42nd-45th Day of pregnancy, puppies can be visualized and counted in the uterus by means of an X-ray examination. Since X-ray radiation is associated with health risks for both bitches and puppies, this examination method should only be carried out in exceptional cases.
Duration and phases of a female’s pregnancy
On average, a bitch’s pregnancy lasts 63 days. Deviations of about 4-7 days can occur. Very large litters with many puppies are often born a little earlier, while small ones can be delayed.
About 30 days after mating, a clear, whitish discharge may appear from the vagina. From the fifth week, the attentive dog owner can observe the bitch’s slow increase. The teats are also starting to enlarge and the teats are discolouring. The bitch now also needs more energy in the form of high-quality, easily digestible food.
How do you know that the dog is throwing?
When the active phase of labor begins, the contractions will be clearly visible on the bitch’s flanks. Some clear liquid comes out of the vagina. Then, after an hour at the latest, the first puppy should be born.
Nutrition of the bitch during and after pregnancy
Some premium food manufacturers offer special food for pregnant and lactating bitches, which can later also be given to the puppies as the first supplementary food. Since an abrupt change of food is usually not well tolerated, the bitch should be slowly switched to the other food at the beginning of pregnancy, possibly even before mating. From the fourth to fifth week of pregnancy at the latest, she is fed exclusively with this high-quality special food.
Since puppy growth accelerates rapidly from the fifth week of pregnancy, the bitch’s daily feed ration must be gradually increased accordingly. From now on she needs about 25% more food per day, from the eighth week even about half more. The higher the quality of the feed offered, the smaller the absolute amount required to cover the nutrient requirement. As the growing uterus narrows the space in the bitch’s abdomen, several small portions should be fed throughout the day, which are better tolerated by the bitch.
When the puppies are finally born and suckled, the bitch’s need increases enormously. Depending on the number of puppies, twice or three times the normal feed ration should now be fed. It is best for the dog owner to offer his bitch the food freely. Access to fresh drinking water must also be provided at all times since the need for liquid is also increasing.
Female is pregnant – preparations for birth
The bitch should get used to the whelping box about two weeks before the expected date of birth. You can buy this box or build it yourself out of wood. It must be big enough for the bitch to lie down in comfortably and still have enough space for the puppies. It consists of a smooth floor and four side walls, which should be high enough so that the puppies cannot climb out in the first few weeks of life, but the bitch can easily get out of the crate.
So that she does not injure herself on the bulging teats, an indentation or a small sliding door should be planned on one sidewall. The box remains open at the top so that bitches and puppies can be accessed at any time. To warm it up for the puppies in the first few days of life, a red light lamp can be placed above the bed, which you can get in the agricultural trade, for example.
A wooden strip running all the way around is attached to the inside of the walls at a height of about 8-10 centimeters. This prevents the bitch from accidentally pinching a puppy on the crate wall and, in the worst case, crushing it.
The bottom of the crate is lined with a stable, washable film or PVC that is pulled up and fastened at the edge so that no puppy can accidentally slip under it. Several layers of newspapers or fleece are placed on top of it, which can be easily replaced when they are dirty or soaked. Clean blankets and towels make the bitch comfortable before and during the birth, but should not be in the crate for the first few weeks after the birth to rule out any danger to the puppies.
The box should be placed in a quiet place in the home. At best, an entire room can even be reserved for birth and pup rearing, because when the puppies open their eyes and ears at around 14 days, they become more and more mobile and can finally leave the whelping box. At the very least, a larger area around the whelping box must be delimited so that it is safe for puppies. Since the bitch no longer stays permanently with the puppies, she should be given the opportunity to withdraw as well.
How does a female behave just before giving birth?
The bitch usually becomes restless and begins to build nests. She has no appetite and often whines and pants.
Birth in dogs
Just a few days before the birth, the uterus lowers and the bitch’s hip bones are clearly protruding. The impending birth is announced by restless behavior of the bitch. She begins to build a nest by scratching in the box. Some bitches pant or whine and have little appetite. The body temperature also falls below 37° a few hours beforehand and the first contractions can be observed.
When the cervix is sufficiently dilated, the expulsion phase begins. The now clearly visible contractions carry one pup after the other through the narrow birth canal into the daylight. Expelling a puppy can take a few minutes to an hour. The bitch will lick each pup immediately, opening the birthing envelope of the amniotic sac and removing mucus and fluid from the airways. She also bites through the umbilical cord. The afterbirth is passed about 15 minutes after each pup, and the bitch usually eats it immediately. It can take anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours before the next pup is expelled. If it is a large litter, there may be a longer rest period of several hours even after the first puppies.
The puppies are already looking for the mother’s teat a few minutes after their birth, which usually calms down after the first pup and now suckles and continues with the birth at the same time. During these first few hours, close contact between the bitch and her puppies is extremely important and should not be disturbed. Some bitches now also vehemently defend their puppies against the touch of even their familiar humans.
Possible complications during puppybirth
As a rule, giving birth to a dog is a natural process that runs smoothly without human help. Nevertheless, you should carefully monitor your bitch before, during, and after the birth so that you can intervene in time or call the vet in an emergency.
In particular, very small breeds or those with broad, short heads (pugs, bulldogs) tend to have difficult births, which may require a caesarean section. If the bitch has strong, clearly visible contractions, but still no puppies are born after an hour, a too narrow pelvis or labour-weakness could be the cause. A puppy stuck in the birth canal also requires quick intervention.
Complications can also occur in the bitch after birth:
Low blood calcium levels can lead to eclampsia, which is characterized by restlessness and cramps; especially small dog breeds are prone to it.
An unexpelled afterbirth, a dead puppy, or an ascending infection during labor can cause the uterus to become inflamed; Such metritis manifests itself as fever, weakness, and bloody-mucous discharge from the vagina and must be treated urgently.
If the bitch overexerted herself during childbirth, the blood sugar level can drop dangerously, weakness and convulsions occur; such hypoglycaemia must also be treated quickly by the veterinarian.
The bitch’s teats can become inflamed if, for example, the milk does not flow smoothly or the puppies inflict small injuries with their sharp claws, which become infected; such mastitis can be accompanied by fever and exhaustion, the teats turn red to purple and become hard and hot, the bitch has severe pain when suckling. Medicines are also urgently needed here.
How many days does a dog’s pregnancy last?
The gestation period in the dog is about 63 days, with deviations of 4-7 days less or more.
False pregnancy in a female
Many bitches also become pseudopregnant a few weeks after heat and show some signs of true pregnancy. They change their behavior, often building a nest and then very lovingly caring for a toy that serves as a spare pup. Even milk production can start. If this false pregnancy is very pronounced or occurs after every heat, you should talk to the vet about hormone treatment or castration of the bitch.
