Dog Pregnancy: Proper Care is Important

If you think that your dog may be pregnant you may want to start looking at some of the early signs for pregnancy in dogs. Just as people, dogs have a range of body symptoms they experience, including varying levels of hormone fluctuations, abdomen swelling, and changes in appetite and behaviour. Although many of these signs don’t show up until the end of the first month, it’s wise to take your dog to a veterinarian to ensure yourself and discuss your pet’s needs further.

What do Pregnant Dogs Need?

If you are a dog owner yourself and your dog is pregnant you probably have many questions in mind. It’s most likely that you’ve started to ask yourself some vital questions such as what do pregnant do need, and how to prepare well for your dog’s upcoming birth and whelping period.

A dog pregnancy usually lasts around 63 days which is approximately nine weeks. During this period pregnant dogs need more affection, love, and better treatment. This includes taking good care of their nutritional needs and giving them regular walks and exercise. Besides, you will also need to start preparing for the whelping period and choose dog birthing boxes as well as learn how to take good care of your puppy’s needs.

Preparing For the Whelping Period

In the last week of her pregnancy, your female dog will start looking for a secure and safe place where she can deliver her babies. Therefore, is essential to create or buy a puppy whelping box to enable the perfect conditions for the mother and her newborn puppies. This will give her the privacy, safety, and security she needs to stay calm during this period.

If you want to buy a whelping box instead of making one yourself, you can choose to buy whelping box for sale from the many online stores Australia-wide. These boxes have all the handy features to offer protection both for the mum and her puppies. For instance, you can look for a whelping box for sale that has an entrance door with an adjustable height that allows the mother to come and go safely as she pleases while keeping her puppies secure.

There are different designs of whelping boxes out there. They usually differ in the size and choice of material they’re made of. Most of them are entirely made of heavy-duty PVC material, which means they’re waterproof and also super easy to clean. They usually come in 3 sizes to suit a wide range of dog sizes and breeds, including small, medium, and large. If you choose to order a whelping box for sale online, you should be especially careful to look at all the listed features described, as well as read some customer reviews from people who already bought these products. This way you can familiarize yourself with the product’s features before you make a purchase and pick a design that suits your needs.

Proper Nutrition and Care 

Good nutrition sets the stage for successful breeding and pregnancy and a malnourished mother can lack the essential nutrients and energy to promote healthy birth and healthy puppies. From day 42 of their pregnancy, puppies will begin to develop very quickly so the pregnant mom will need to start eating bigger portions of puppy food to sustain her body with the optimal levels of vitamins and nutrients.

Therefore you should pay special attention to the importance of choosing the right food for your dog while she is pregnant. You can find many stores that sell a wide range of puppies supplies online, for dogs of different sizes and breeds. Most of these puppies supplies online stores offer a wide range of products, including supplements and vitamins that contain all the essential vitamins and nutrients to make sure your dog receives the proper nutrition during this period.

However, you should be careful to not overfeed them, as too much of these supplies and vitamins can lead to obesity and other unwanted health issues. According to many studies, obesity can cause myriad of health troubles in reproducing dogs. Some of these include decreasing the reproductive capacity and milk production during lactation which can negatively affect the puppy’s health and growth. Moreover, obesity is also linked to the risk of dystocial ( delivering puppies). Therefore many overweight dogs are recommended to lose weight just before giving birth.

Regular Exercise

Besides supplying them with the right amount of nutrients and food, you should make sure your pregnant dog is also active. You can give your dog regular walks and exercise, however, you should make sure you don’t expose her to some strenuous and intense form of activities that may add stress on her body. Short and more frequent walks will be beneficial as she will need to preserve her energy for giving birth and carrying for her puppies.

Puppy Care

Once she had her babies delivered, you will have to make a plan and learn how to care for your puppies. With a little help from your veterinarian, you can make a healthy and nutritionally sound plan for feeding your puppies with the recommended and nutritionally dense puppy food. Also, puppies should not be separated from the mother during this period as she provides nutrients from her milk to promote a healthy immune system and development in her newborns. To keep your puppies happy and entertained in the environment, you can also provide a range of different toys to make them feel more at home and cared for.