Preparing for Puppies

Now that my dog is pregnant, how do I prepare for the birth of the puppies?

Delivering a litter of puppies can be a frightening, confusing and painful experience for both the dog and the owner. Understanding normal labor and delivery, as well as proper pregnancy care, can help make the process go more smoothly. It will also help you recognize what is normal and when it is time to call your veterinarian.

Gestation, or pregnancy, for a bitch lasts approximately 63 days. Ovulation timing consisting of progesterone or LH testing will help you determine a more precise due date. Ultrasound examinations of the abdomen can confirm the pregnancy and are more accurate at four to five weeks after the breeding. An X-ray during the last week of pregnancy is safe and will allow you to count the fetuses, so you know how many puppies to expect.

After breeding and conception, most bitches do well during the first four to five weeks of pregnancy and do not need any special treatment. Things start to change during the last trimester, from six to nine weeks. The puppies develop rapidly and the bitch will require extra nutritional support. At this time, you should switch her diet to a growth-type food specifically made for pregnant or nursing bitches. Continue this diet throughout the remainder of the pregnancy and until the puppies are weaned. With a good-quality diet, additional vitamins or supplements are not needed or recommended. Excessive amounts can actually result in birth defects.

Feeding a high-calorie diet before the third trimester can lead to weight gain and fat deposits. This has the potential to cause difficulty in maintaining the pregnancy and problems delivering the puppies.

What supplies do I need?

As the time for delivery approaches, make sure you have a whelping box ready. The box should be sturdy, easy to clean and large enough for the bitch to comfortably stretch out. It should be constructed with rails around the insides so the puppies will not get laid on, and there should be an entrance that the mom can step over and take a break from the puppies if she needs to.

There are supply lists online to help you get ready. On my list of must-have items are packages of car wash towels. You can find these at the big box stores. They are plentiful and just the right size for drying puppies. Rubber nasal aspirators can be bought at any drugstore and work well to suction the secretions from newborns’ noses and throats. Have dental floss and scissors ready to tie off the umbilical cords. I like to use cheap polyester blankets on the floor of the whelping box. They are comfortable for the bitch, provide good footing for the babies, and are easy to wash and dry.

You can use regular digital thermometers and lube to take the bitch’s temperature rectally. You should start a few days before the due date and take her temperature in the morning and evening. About 24 hours before the beginning of labor, there will be a temporary drop in her body temperature. Normal body temperature for dogs is 100oF to 102oF. When you see the temperature drop to around 98oF and then go back up to the normal range, labor should begin within 24 hours. Not all bitches will have a distinct drop in body temperature, but it is a clear sign when they do.

Are there different stages of labor?

Yes, there are three distinct stages of labor.

After the temperature drops, stage 1 labor begins. This first stage is characterized by restlessness and anxiety. The bitch will pace, pant and refuse food. She should be settled in the whelping box. Nesting behavior begins.

Stage 1 of labor usually lasts six to 12 hours. At the end of stage 1, the cervix is completely dilated. If your bitch has not started delivering puppies within 24 hours after beginning stage 1 labor, you should seek veterinary assistance.

The second stage of labor is the fun part when the puppies are delivered. Depending on the number of puppies, this stage can last from three to 12 hours. Bitches average one puppy per hour. In this stage, you will see her abdomen tense and she will begin straining. The action of these contractions appears similar to the bitch trying to have a bowel movement.

The first puppy should be delivered within one to two hours after the onset of the contractions. Normally, the mother will break the membrane of the sac that contains the puppy, lick the puppy to stimulate breathing and chew through the umbilical cord. I like to let the bitch do as much as she cares to, but I am ready to assist if she needs help opening the sac or cutting the umbilical cord.

After the delivery of the first puppy, the bitch may enter a resting phase that can last up to four hours. If there are additional puppies, active contractions will begin again and more puppies will be delivered. This resting phase may not occur after each puppy. Sometimes, several puppies may be born in rapid succession. If you know there are more puppies, and the resting period is longer than four hours, you should contact your veterinarian.

The third stage of labor is when the placentas are passed. This often occurs during stage 2, with each puppy’s placenta passing out within 15 minutes of the puppy’s delivery. If multiple puppies are born rapidly, several placentas may be expelled together.

After the passage of the placenta, the bitch will return to stage 2 labor. Throughout whelping, the bitch will alternate between stage 2 and stage 3 labor until all the puppies are born. It is very important to keep track of the placentas. There should be a placenta for each puppy. If a placenta is retained in the uterus, the bitch will eventually become quite ill.

The bitch may want to eat the placentas. This is fine if she does, but not necessary. Ingestion of multiple placentas can result in vomiting and diarrhea. Prompt removal of the placentas can help you keep track of how many she has passed.

What are other signs of problems during delivery?

There are many things that can go wrong during whelping. The uterus may not contract strongly enough to deliver the puppies, or the puppies may be too large to fit through the pelvic canal. If your bitch has had weak contractions for two to four hours without producing a puppy, there is likely a problem. Or if your bitch has had strong, frequent straining for 20 to 30 minutes without delivering a puppy, you should seek veterinary care.

In some situations, giving medications to help the labor along may be enough to allow your bitch to deliver her puppies. Injections of oxytocin should never be given prior to the delivery of the first puppy. You must be certain the cervix is dilated enough for a puppy to pass through, and the oxytocin can cause the uterus to clamp down around the puppy and actually prevent delivery. If the administration of medication does not resolve the problem, a Caesarian section may be required to ensure the health and safety of both the mother and the puppies.