Equally, the sperm can survive in the uterus for up to seven days, so fertilisation may take place several days after mating. To increase the chances of a pregnancy occurring, mating is often carried out twice, with a two day interval between the attempts. Some breeders also use a series of progesterone blood tests for their bitch, which are available at most veterinary surgeries , to identify the optimum window of fertility for their bitch before taking her for mating. The fertilised egg is the first component of a new living being!
The embryos start off very high up in the uterus, but towards the end of the first week they migrate down towards the uterine horns. Here they float around within the uterine liquid. The embryos are well protected in the uterus and gentle grooming avoiding any stress should not cause any concerns.
Early weight gain is not recommended for optimal health. If the bitch is being fed an appropriate, balanced and complete diet no vitamin or mineral supplements are required during gestation unless your vet has specifically prescribed otherwise. The embryos become embedded in the uterine lining where they will subsequently develop. They will be progressively enveloped in a protective membrane that provides them with the necessary supply of nutrients. Visit your vet around day 25, as they can perform an ultrasound to establish a reliable diagnosis of pregnancy.
This will give you some idea of the size of the litter although detecting exact numbers is often not possible , as well as potentially detecting any abnormalities. Alternatively, your vet can also diagnose gestation by doing a blood test to determinethe level of relaxin, a hormone only created by the placenta. Day 35 marks the end of embryogenesis the first phase of gestation. The organs are now all beginning to form, and we now refer to the embryo as a foetus.
From day 42 the pace changes, as your bitch enters the third and final phase of gestation. The foetus is developing fast now. Claws will be developing, the skeleton begins to solidify, and the foetus will gain weight rapidly. It may seem contradictory, but you may well observe a drop in her appetite as her distended abdomen may make eating normal meals harder for her.
Getting her to eat the right food is essential and offering her several smaller meals throughout the day, instead of 2 larger meals, may also help if you find she is not eating enough to maintain a good body condition. The coat and bones are some of the last areas to develop. Parasites are a concern, as they have the potential to infect the puppies at birth. It is therefore essential to make an appointment with your vet to have your bitch wormed.
The vet will advise you on which product to use. There are a few changes you will need to make in order to take care of a pregnant dog. The expectant mother will need a source of nutrition that supports growth. You will also need to visit the vet a few times to monitor your dog's health.
Exercise should be adjusted to make sure the pregnant dog is not overexerting herself, but also not becoming sedentary. Fortunately, most dogs can go through labor and delivery whelping of healthy puppies with little or no interference from humans. Instincts guide the mother dog, but you may be able to help keep her and the puppies safe and comfortable. Gather some basic supplies and have them ready before the big day. When your dog goes into labor, simply watch and wait.
You may or may not need to step in and help your dog and her puppies. Your veterinarian or an experienced dog breeder can offer advice and support. If you are not prepared, it can be a lot of work to take care of a pregnant dog and prepare for the birth of the puppies. It also takes time and dedication to help raise the puppies. You may not be ready for these challenges. The truth is, there is a problem with canine over-population. Animal shelters euthanize healthy dogs every day.
If your litter is not wanted, please consider spaying your pregnant dog and thus terminating the pregnancy. This can be done safely and humanely, but it's best and safest to do early on in the pregnancy.
Talk to your vet if you need help making the right decision for you and your dog. You will most likely need to visit your veterinarian to find out if your dog is pregnant. If possible, be sure to tell your vet exactly when your dog was bred, or your best estimate of the time frame, as all of the pregnancy testing methods for dogs are time sensitive.
There are four methods veterinarians can use to determine if a dog is pregnant :. Veterinarians can test for the hormone relaxin to determine if a bitch is pregnant. Relaxin is released from placental tissue only during pregnancy, which makes it a fairly accurate diagnostic test. However, the bitch must be at least 30 days into her gestation for the test to be accurate. Tests taken before that can have a false negative. Palpation is the cheapest and most convenient way to diagnose pregnancy.
As each fetus develops, the membranes around them grow to form fluid-filled sacs. These sacs can be felt between days 21 and 35 of gestation approximately three-to-four weeks , and grow to about the size of a table tennis ball in a pound dog. After one month, the sacs lose their distinctive shape, and the uterus develops a floppy feel that can be mistaken for fat or a pyometra.
An x-ray is a great way for breeders to determine how many puppies to expect from their bitch. Waiting until after day 55 allows veterinarians to give an accurate count of the number of expected puppies and and to determine the best timing for an elective cesarean.
An ultrasound is the best way to find out if a dog is pregnant early on in gestation. Veterinarians recommend ultrasounds between days 25 and 35 of gestation. Ultrasounds not only detect pregnancy, they also determine whether the fetus is alive by registering fetal heartbeats.
Ultrasounds can also be used to rule out other causes of uterine distension, like a pyometra, and can help calculate the gestational age of the fetus. The normal gestation period in dogs is approximately 63 days from conception, although this can vary by several days.
While this might seem like a straightforward answer, conception is often hard to determine. Sperm can live for several days inside the female, and eggs can remain fertile for up to 48 hours, which means the act of mating itself is not an exact measurement of gestation. This makes it hard to predict the length of pregnancy without the assistance of a veterinarian. Hormone measurements give a much more exact time frame for gestation. Many breeders use vaginal smears and blood tests to monitor reproductive hormones during the breeding process.
This helps them determine the best time to breed their bitch, as well as the length of gestation and the potential due date. Pregnancy in dogs is relatively short compared to humans, about 9 weeks total, and each day matters.
Knowing the length of the gestation period is important for the health of the pregnant bitch and the puppies and is used to monitor nutrition and veterinary care during pregnancy. Dogs pass through the stages of pregnancy quickly. Gestation periods are comparatively short in dogs, which means that the pups develop rapidly inside the womb over a period of two-to-three months. During the first month, the embryos travel to the uterine horns, usually around day 7, and the embryos are embedded in the uterine lining around day The fetus begins to take shape by day 22, and by day 28 or 30 a veterinarian should be able to detect fetal heartbeats on an ultrasound.
Many dogs do not show any symptoms during the first three weeks of their pregnancy. Some symptoms to watch for during the first month are:.
Fetal development moves quickly during the second month.
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