What to do when your dog is expecting puppies

In principle, whelping is a natural process in which you do not have to intervene. However, it is the owner’s responsibility to make sure that the pregnancy of his or her dog goes well by all means. Your Vetsend online veterinarian will help you take care of your dog’s well-being throughout her pregnancy.

Taking advice from your online veterinarian when your dog is pregnant

Puppies are still frequently born unexpectedly, mostly crossbred. To avoid this, constant monitoring is necessary. But if you think your dog is pregnant, you can have confirmation by consulting your veterinarian. If necessary, he will be able to make examinations (ultrasound, abdominal palpation or blood test) to your bitch and to interrupt the pregnancy if you do not foresee the birth of puppies.

But if you plan to let the gestation reach its term, it will be important to provide a calm, warm and safe place for the puppies to be born (area delimited by secure barriers or a large basket) and to provide the mother with water and quality food during lactation. There are specific product lines for lactating bitches.

How your dog behaves during her pregnancy?

Your bitch during pregnancy may systematically lose her appetite (or at least her appetite may decrease considerably) even if she is offered very good dog food and she may appear to be fussy. The dog usually becomes more quiet, restless and agitated. And sometimes she may seek the company of her owners or isolate herself. The bitch should be left alone (calm) during this preparatory period because any stress, disturbance or change in her environment (e.g. transportation) can prevent or delay whelping.

Know the process of the last moments before the birth of the bitch

The first visible abdominal contractions occur intermittently. There is a preparatory phase for whelping which varies in length, usually from 2 to 12 hours, but it can also be longer in bitches that whelp for the first time (up to 36 hours). During this phase, the bitch looks for a quiet place to nest.

The bitches do not eat most of the time, and they may vomit and breathe very quickly. They may urinate very often in small amounts. Pregnancy in bitches is a period that requires great care on your part.