The duration of the dog’s pregnancy
The pregnancy period for dogs, regardless of their breed, is 63 days, but childbirth may occur at any time between 58-68 days of pregnancy,[1] because the duration of pregnancy depends on the number of previous pregnancies, and also depends on the date of fertilization, which may occur A day or two after mating, as the egg remains capable of fertilization for two days, while sperm can live in the vaginal canal for several days, and a female dog can become pregnant once every 8 months.
The embryos’ claws, eyes, and ears are fully formed by the 40th day of pregnancy, and full body hair has developed by the eighth week of pregnancy. The number of puppies depends on the breed, as smaller breeds tend to carry between 1-4 puppies at a time, while others tend The larger breeds are designed to carry between 8-12 puppies.
Signs of dog pregnancy
Some signs appear in female dogs during pregnancy, including the following:
- Vomiting, which usually occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy.
- Weight gain gradually from the 35th day of pregnancy, and the increase can reach 50% above the normal weight.
- Abdominal swelling from the 40th day of pregnancy, and the amount of swelling depends on the size of the embryos, and the abdomen is less swollen during the first pregnancy compared to the following times.
- Tendency to lie still or loss of appetite.
Stages of Pregnancy in Dogs
Many changes occur to the mother and the puppies during pregnancy, the most important of which are the following:
- The first week: The egg begins to divide to produce new cells immediately after fertilization occurs, and no clear changes appear on the pregnant female dog during this period.
- The second week: the egg continues to divide, and some slight behavioral changes may appear in some dogs.
- The third week: the fertilized egg implants in the wall of the uterus, and this results in a slight swelling in the abdomen that does not exceed 0.8-1 cm, and metabolic changes begin to appear during this period.
- Fourth week: The embryos begin to grow slowly and reach a length of between 2-3 cm, and they can be felt when the abdomen is felt.
- Fifth week: the puppies begin to develop faster, and grow to reach a length of 5 cm each. At this stage, the mother’s appetite for food increases even more to meet her high need for energy.
- Sixth week: the length of the fetuses is between 6-7 cm, and the bitch’s belly becomes more visible during this period, and the puppies’ heartbeats can also be heard by auscultation.
- The seventh week: It is possible at this stage to discover the number of fetuses, and discover any problems or complications in pregnancy, as the mother loses her appetite for food, so she must be encouraged to eat.
- Eighth week: The puppy’s skeleton is fully formed, and the milk begins to flow aggressively.
- The ninth week: the growth of the puppies is completed and they become ready for childbirth at any time, and the mother has increased manifestations of discomfort and anxiety, as well as nesting behavior, a behavior that appears in this period as the female begins to organize the house and prepare it in preparation for childbirth.
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Osama