By Sarah Eaton, DVM, DACT

The goal of breeding dogs is to produce healthy, happy puppies that are a good example of their respective breed.  While this begins by choosing healthy, quality parents, the care of the pregnant dog is also very important.

Make sure the pregnant dog is on a good quality, complete dog food.  During the last third of pregnancy she will need to be fed more, or have puppy food added to the diet to give her enough calories.

Keep track of when she was bred (so that you know when she is due to whelp!)

A veterinarian can do an ultrasound after 30 days or an x-ray after 45-50 days of pregnancy to identify whether the dog IS pregnant and give an estimate as to the number of puppies.  This is especially important in small dogs or dogs with histories of birthing troubles so that the puppies can be counted as they come out.

Depending on the dog’s history, a deworming program will be recommended by your veterinarian to minimize the chance of passing parasites to puppies. 

Dogs are pregnant for 63-65 days.  Starting a few days before whelping is expected the dog’s temperature should be taken 2-3 times per day and recorded.  The temperature will drop 1-2 degrees within 24 hours before whelping.

A warm, safe whelping box should be available for the pregnant dog.  It must be located in a warm, draft-free, safe area that can be separated from the rest of the household (including other dogs).  The box should be made of an easy to disinfect material for cleaning before and after whelping.  Adequate types of bedding within the box include clean newspaper or towels.

Your veterinarian can help tailor a specific pregnancy and health plan for your dog.