The average pregnancy of a dog lasts between 58 and 68 days, a figure very similar to that of the cat (57–67) and somewhat lower than that of the dog’s predecessor, the wolf (it can reach 75 days).
Welcoming a paw tapping into your home is an exciting time for you and your dog. However, it is not always easy to detect when your dog is pregnant.
If your dog has become pregnant or you are considering that she is, you should know how long she will be pregnant. Detecting the symptoms of a pregnant canine, as well as the care your dog will need, is very important so that everything goes well.
Table of Contents
Is my dog pregnant?
There are two reasons why you may be asking yourself this question. One, that your dog is pregnant because you premeditated it and, two because an animal in distress has crossed your path that comes in a state of good hope.
Read more: What can I give my dog for pain
Whatever your option, we ask you to be very responsible with the puppies, so that all of them find a good family, in addition to reminding you that the shelters are full of animals looking for a home. Here we leave you one of many tests that corroborate our words.
But before you think about the future of puppies, you should know for sure whether or not your dog is pregnant. In this link, we show you the symptoms of a canine pregnancy that can be easily recognized, although in case of doubt; you should always go to the vet.
However, although it is very approximate, no pregnancy is something mathematical. This means that there are cases in which the animal can give birth from the 55th day or be postponed and exceed 70 days of gestation.
In any case, when the figure approaches, you should be very vigilant in case the delivery is early and if it does not, the highest probability that it occurs will occur from day 63, at which time you should not lose sight of not a single second to your four-legged companion.
Symptoms of a dog that’s about to give birth
- If you have more dogs at home, the pregnant and about to give birth will avoid the company of them and, at times, could be aggressive.
- He licks his genitals
- He insistently demands your attention, he chases your gaze, he is asking you – in his way – that very soon he will need help.
- Find a quiet place, a hiding place, or a corner that she does not usually frequent.
- His body temperature rises and you will notice the first contractions. The delivery is going to take place.
Before, during, and after childbirth, you must take care of your dog more than ever. An extra dose of affection and attention will not feel bad at all.
How long is a dog in heat?
The dog in its puppy stage begins a period of both external maturations, with changes such as size or weight, and other internal changes, such as the improvement of its defenses or the maturation of certain organs such as the reproductive organs. This maturation of the sexual organs occurs in both males and females, at the moment in which these organs have matured and are ready for reproduction, that is when the heat stage arrives. So, in summary, we can define heat as the stage in which the dog is ready for reproduction. Heat, as we have already said, occurs in both males and females, although they do not do it at the same speed.
Read more: How much Bendaryl can I give to my dog
Females develop earlier than males, so the urge to start sexual activity usually appears between 6 and 24 months of age.
With the arrival of heat, the dog experiences different changes, in part due to the hormonal load, which will be necessary to know how to recognize. Changes at a psychological or behavioral level, where friendship can turn into enmity, aspects that we must recognize to intervene in time.
How long does a dog stay in heat?
The heat in females lasts approximately between 5 and 10 months, although each dog will have her menstrual cycle that does not have to last the same, as it happens with humans, the intervals can vary and the duration of heat as well.
The female dogs will be in heat throughout their lives. So, a symptom that our dog suffers from some type of dysfunction will be that her heat stops for a long time or quite the opposite, that her menstruation lasts much more than 21 or 23 days. These symptoms should make you go to a vet, possibly delayed by age or perhaps due to insufficient nutrition or some kind of genetic problem. Whatever the problem, a solution can be found.
The exact rules do not exist, when we read that heat occurs every 6 months, it is false, each dog has its cycle and different factors can influence it.
