Heat in dogs
Every eight months your bitch is in heat. This fertile phase lasts up to three weeks. During this time it can become pregnant. However, this does not mean that it is always ready to mate. This can lead to arguments between male and female dogs, because it does not want to be mounted yet and male dogs can be very motivated and pushy in this point.
To relieve your bitch of this stress, a good solution would be to put a leash on it to keep males away.
Gestation period in dogs
Pregnancy in dogs is different from pregnancy in humans.
How long are dogs pregnant? As a rule, the gestation period is 61-65 days. The gestation period in dogs can even be shortened if a large litter is imminent. This is because more young also means more effort.
An exact date of birth is often difficult to discern. The problem is that there is no pregnancy test for the quadrupeds and so you may not be able to tell early. In addition, the sperm of the male dog can survive up to ten days in the bitch's womb.
It is not until around day 20 that the vet can confirm a dog's pregnancy by ultrasound or by measuring hormone levels.
Especially when your dog is pregnant for the first time, it is possible that you will hardly notice anything, because the body structure often does not change. This is also the case if your bitch is expecting only a few puppies.
However, there are a few other signs:
- After about 30 days, your bitch's teats may swell, and sometimes they may darken a bit. Furthermore, it may well be that it secretes vaginal discharge. You will only notice all this if you pay close attention to it.
- Morning sickness is not only common in humans. Your four-legged friend may vomit more often at the beginning of pregnancy.
- From the 35th day onwards, weight gain begins slowly. By the way, it happens that pregnant bitches gain twice the weight towards the end. From the 40th day the enlarged belly should be visible.
- Your bitch's behaviour may change, for example it may become calmer or suffer from a loss of appetite. However, if you are unsure whether this could be due to a health problem, it is better to consult a vet.
- As the pups grow in the belly and require more nutrients, the bitch's appetite should increase significantly. This usually occurs from the second half of pregnancy onwards. Of course, you should then adjust the amount of food.
- From the 30th day onwards it is possible that the vet can tell the number of young by palpating your bitch. However, it can happen that this number is not correct. So be prepared for the possibility that there may be more puppies than you originally thought.
