Dog Delivery Date And How To Prepare For It

If you own a dog, one of the happiest times you will ever experience is the pregnancy of your furbaby and, of course, the birth of their puppies. Your dog gives you unconditional love and acceptance, so you will want to help your dog through this time as best as you can. It will require your ability to follow a vet’s instructions so that your dog will remain comfortable and less stressed out during the whole process.

Read on to find out how you can prepare well for your dog’s delivery date.

Face The Challenge

Preparing for your dog’s delivery date is somewhat like taking your dog on its first road trip. Both are adventures full of challenges that will allow you and your dog to bond. And, it’s a bonus that you get to add new members — aka: puppies — to your family.

One of the very first and the most important aspects to dealing with your furbaby’s birthing process is remembering that you should be as supportive as you possibly can. Your mere presence will reassure your dog they are not alone in this phase of their life.

Seek Advice Of A Vet

It is important that you bring your dog to a qualified vet for a check-up well before the actual delivery date to determine if there are any issues that need to be addressed. Just like pregnant humans, your dog might have some physical conditions that can affect the health of their puppies. Ask your vet if your dog should be confined in the clinic so that the delivery can be supervised. Also, you need not worry too much: if your dog has been regularly getting veterinary attention and seems to be in pretty good shape, then everything should be fine.

Use A Dog Pregnancy Calculator

You can use a dog pregnancy calculator during the entire pregnancy period so that you can accurately determine the schedule of the whelping. Usually, if nothing goes wrong, your dog should be pregnant for around two months (or approximately 63 days). If you are not so sure how to use a dog pregnancy calculator, be sure to ask your dog’s vet to explain it to you during the check-up.

Get Ready For Possible Complications

Although you wish for your pet’s pregnancy and birthing to go smoothly, there may be times when there could be complications that will threaten the lives of the mother dog and of the puppies. To anticipate this, you should keep the mobile phone number of your dog’s vet ready. That way, you can easily call the vet to seek advice on how to deal with the birthing complications. The worst-case scenario is that you would have to bring the mother to the vet right away so that they can all be saved.

Organize The Birthing Room

Your dog may become sensitive to the presence of people during the birthing process, so it is a good idea to set aside an isolated space where your dog can give birth. Pregnant dogs like cozy beds, and they would also want minimal lighting, preferably in the quietest place in the house. A good example of this kind of space is your laundry room. You can have a clean floor mat ready on the floor, then put the birthing box on it.

Make sure there is adequate ventilation so that the room won’t be too warm. Keep a clean towel handy so you can dry off the newborn puppies, but only if the mother dog allows it. You should also check if there’s enough room in there for you to keep watch and move around. If complications arise, you will probably have to assist your dog during the birthing process.

Isolate Your Mother Dog From Other Dogs

If you have other dogs aside from your pregnant furbaby, you should keep them away from the birthing box and the room where your dog is going to give birth. This especially applies to male dogs, including the father of the puppies, because the mother dog might get uneasy in their presence, which could hamper the birthing process. There are also instances when male dogs will harm puppies if they don’t recognize the scent of the newborns.

Feed Your Dog After The Whelping

Make sure you have food ready for the mother dog. You will need to feed your canine after the birthing is done because, sometimes, they refuse to eat before going into labor. Prepare some clean drinking water, too.

Conclusion

You should always prepare well if your furbaby is giving birth soon so that the birthing process will go without a hitch. Remember, it’s a good idea to take your pregnant dog to the vet for regular check-ups to rule out any problems. Also, get the birthing room organized so that your pregnant dog will be comfortable before, during, and after whelping.