Pregnant Dog Guide

What to Expect When Your Dog is Expecting

This article is written by Pet Circle veterinarian, Dr Carla Paszkowski, BVSc

Looking after your dog through pregnancy can be fun and exciting, but it's important to know the basics. We've put together a complete guide to nutrition, parasite prevention, vaccinations, possible complications, recommended products, and more.

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1. The Basics: How Long Are Dogs Pregnant For?

2. Signs of Pregnancy in Dogs

3. Nutrition During Pregnancy

4.a) Parasite Prevention Schedule: When To Worm A Pregnant Dog

4.b) Parasite Prevention Products: Which Preventatives Are Safe For Pregnancy?

5. Vaccinations

6. Whelping: What To Expect At Labour

7. Possible Complications

8. Essential Pregnancy Checklist

9. Further Reading

1. How long are dogs pregnant for?

Pregnancy in dogs lasts for around 60 days. Whelping (giving birth) occurs 59-63 days after a successful mating.

The reproductive cycle of the dog isn't the same as that of humans. Unlike humans, dogs don't experience monthly cycles and they don't menstruate. Instead, undesexed female dogs usually experience a 'heat' twice a year, during which they ovulate and are fertile. Their first 'heat' may occur as early as 5 or 6 months of age, however most dogs typically have their first heat around 7-12 months.

How to tell if your dog is on heat:

When a bitch is 'on heat', she will exhibit behaviour such as restlessness, crying, 'sookiness', and may try to escape your yard in search of a mate. Physical signs may include a swollen vulva and a bloody discharge. Entire (non-desexed) males are very receptive to the pheromones of an on-heat bitch, and may 'go crazy' trying to reach her.

Did you know: Female dogs often mate with multiple male dogs when they are on heat, and can fall pregnant to multiple males. This means they can have one litter containing pups with different fathers! Before you spill your tea recoiling in horror at the thought of such uncouth promiscuity, think about how great this is for increasing genetic diversity, and broadening the gene pool!

To find out more, read through our guide to Dogs on Heat.

2. How to tell if a dog is pregnant

How can you tell if your dog is pregnant? Unfortunately, there isn't an easy at-home urine test to diganose pregnancy in dogs like there is for humans. In most cases, your female is likely to be pregnant after a successful mating due to the efficient reproductive cycle of the dog. To be sure, you can get a blood test or an ultrasound at your vet from day 21-25 after mating.

Signs that your dog may be pregnant include:

Early Signs: In the first few weeks, you may not notice any signs. Nausea (morning sickness) can occur in some dogs, but only for a few days during the 3rd or 4th week. Your dog may seem tired or less motivated to play, and she may have a reduced appetite.
Around day 30: You may notice weight gain, enlarged teats with some mammary leakage, and some clear or opaque mucusy discharge from her vulva.
Around day 40: The abdomen will start to become noticeably larger - however this can vary between dogs.

How can you tell how many puppies your pregnant dog is carrying?

The only accurate way to assess how many puppies your dog will have is via ultrasound or xray at your vet. Your vet will also be able to perform an abdominal palpation, however this is not always accurate.

3. What to feed a pregnant dog

What should you feed a pregnant dog? Proper nutrition is absolutely vital for dogs during gestation. When a female dog is towards the third trimester, her nutritional needs change as the litter inside her grows at a rapid rate. She requires higher levels of energy, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins.

But before you go in search of recipes for pregnant dogs, or reach for dog prenatal vitamins, know this: Any premium food formulated for 'growth' is also balanced for pregnant and lactating bitches. Because a pregnant or lactating female has such similar nutritional requirements to young infant pups, you can feed a premium puppy food as it contains all the nutrients your gestating girl needs.

Nutrition during Pregnancy:

- In the first two trimesters (prior to week 6), a pregnant dog can be maintained on a regular premium adult food. However, it is vital that she doesn't lose weight in this period. If your pregnant dog is losing body condition, a transition onto a puppy food may be required sooner.

- In the final trimester (from 6 weeks onwards), a puppy food is required - not just because her nutritional demands increase by 30-60%, but also because the puppies grow and take up more space in her abdomen, which means she may not tolerate as much food in her stomach and require a much more nutritionally-concentrated diet. However, keep a close eye on her weight at this point. It's important to ensure your girl remains active, because obesity can cause birthing difficulties. Make sure you don't select a 'large breed puppy' formula at this point, even if your girl is a large breed, as these diets usually contain fewer calories. An 'all breed', small or medium puppy formula is best.

- After whelping: during lactation, the mother's energy requirements will actually increase even more. 3-5 weeks after whelping she may require 2-3 times the calories of a normal adult. Maintain her on the same premium puppy food during this period, and consider offering some puppy milk and a little extra meat such as cooked chicken breast. The mother's energy requirement will reduce and return to normal by about 8 weeks post-whelping - once pups are weaned.

What to feed in the third trimester and during lactation: it's important to seek a premium puppy food. Don't be tempted to save money and opt for a cheap pregnant dog food. For the sake of a few dollars, it could be the difference between producing a litter of thriving pups and a litter with stillborn pups. Your girl is growing new life inside her and really needs quality food now more than ever!

Best food for a pregnant dog

From 6 weeks onwards, your dog requires a premium quality puppy food. Our top recommendations for pregnant dog food at this stage include:
1. Instinctive Bite Puppy Food. Each Instinctive Bite recipe is designed with a minimum 49% meat content to nourish your dog's carnivorous side - and all meat and vegetables are sourced from Australia. Plus, beneficial ingredients such as yucca extract and chicory root inulin provide beneficial fibre and a prebiotic boost. It's also complete and balaned for puppies in accordance with international and AAFCO feeding guidelines, to keep your vet happy too!

2. Advance Puppy Food. dvance's super premium, Australian made puppy food is complete and balanced, and comes vet recommended for growing pups. Advance is also one of our best value premium diets, with extra large 40kg bulk value bags to ensure families on every budget can afford premium quality.

3. Hills Science Diet Puppy Food. Hills Science Diet creates complete and balanced wet food in tins and sachets, as well as dry kibble. As one of our most trusted and vet-recommended brands, Hills food is tasty, nutritious, and made with high quality ingredients.

4. Royal Canin Puppy Food. This premium puppy food range that contains optimal levels of energy and minerals to support healthy bone and joint development. Royal Canin is particularly known for it's breed specific formulas, available for Cavaliers, Pugs, Poodles, and many more.

5. Vetalogica Biologically Appropriate Puppy Food. This premium quality natural puppy food is made in Australia from 100% Australian meat and animal ingredients. Vetalogica Biologically Appropriate dog foods are free from GMOs, gluten and grains and contain no artificial colours flavours or preservatives.

7. Black Hawk Puppy Food. Black Hawk puppy food contains functional ingredients from nature with known beneficial properties like blueberries, dried kelp and rosemary. With added food grade emu oil, Black Hawk Lamb & Rice Puppy is rich in omega fatty acids for healthy skin and a shiny, lustrous coat.

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4. Can you worm a pregnant dog?

Yes! While all forms of parasite prevention are important during pregnancy and lactation, worming is particularly vital due to the risk of infection to pups. Flea and tick prevention should remain as per usual throughout your dog's pregnancy - provided your chosen preventative is safe for pregnancy (read more about this below).

When to worm a pregnant dog?

- Leading up to a mating, a female dog should receive worming as normal (ideally monthly for intestinal worms and heartworm).

- During pregnancy, worming should continue as normal plus an extra dose 10 days prior to giving birth (approximately 50 days after mating).

- While nursing, the mother dog should be wormed every 3 weeks. See our recommendations for safe wormers during pregnancy below.

When to worm newborn puppies:

Pups need to be wormed at 2 weeks of age, and then every 2 weeks until 12 weeks of age. At 12 weeks they should receive their first heartworm treatment. After 12 weeks of age, they can receive worming every month until 6 months of age, and then 3 monthly for life. Read a full guide to puppy parasite prevention in our Complete New Puppy Guide.

Which parasite preventatives are safe for pregnancy?

While most parasite preventatives are generally believed not to cause issues during pregnancy, only some have actually been tested to prove their safety. Therefore, we recommend only using products that have had their safety evaluated during pregnancy and lactation.

A broad wormer which covers all intestinal worms is recommended for a pregnant dog. Worms of concern include hookworm, whipworm, roundworm, and tapeworm.

For a complete table of all parasite prevention products and which ones are marked as 'evaluated safe for pregnancy' in dogs, see below. Please note that those marked with an 'X' are not necessarily "unsafe", rather they do not have a "safe for pregnancy" statement on their label. This may mean they have simply not received testing to establish safety^*.

^*Some medications marked safe are not recommended for use at certain stages of pregnancy, always follow the label directions.

Comparison Table of Dog Parasite Preventatives for Use in Pregnancy and Lactation