Taking Care Of Your Pregnant Dog
Written by Naomi West Sunday, 30 November 2008
Spaying is the best option to use to avoid an unwanted pregnancy for your dog. In the event that she is already pregnant, you will want the resulting puppies to be healthy upon delivery. Due to the changes that your dog will go through in her body, here are some instructions on her special care.A dog is pregnant for 60 - 63 days. Of course it can be hard to pin down an accurate date when you do not know when they first conceived. In order to make this easier you need to be made aware of the symptoms of pregnant dogs. Around three weeks after your dog has mated they will have an upset stomach and will refuse to eat anything for a week or more. A good way to see if your dog is pregnant is to check her vulva. If the swelling in the vulva has not gone down since she was in heat and it looks swollen then that is a sign she might be pregnant.Thirty days after conception you can take her to the vet and have them do a blood test to confirm or deny your suspicions. At the fifth week your dogs' nipples will grow and develop and she will start get bigger around the middle. During the twenty first day your vet can perform an ultrasound and after forty five days a radiograph can be taken. The radiograph will show you how many puppies she is having.You will need to put your pregnant dog on a diet because their bodies are changing. This special diet will keep both her and her puppies safe. During the first thirty days you can allow her to eat the normal foods that she is used to - but keep it high quality. During the last month of the pregnancy change her food to the high quality puppy food. Try to take her on a walk every day. You don't want her to gain too much weight during the pregnancy. She needs to be in shape for the pregnancy and delivery. If you don't have time for a walk you can allow her to run around in the backyard. However, during the remaining three weeks of the pregnancy do not take her out and do not let her near other dogs. This will prevent them from spreading diseases to her.Keeping an eye out for these symptoms of pregnant dogs when you have not fixed them is important. Even if you do not want more puppies it is important that you keep them and the mother safe, healthy, and happy.
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