How to take care of a pregnant dog?

[avaJasper]

Our female dog has been mated by our other dog just yesterday. problem is, our family does not have any experience in caring for a dog who will get pregnant. pls tell us how to take care of the dog and what are foods (not dog foods) that can give her some nutrition. and what can be the symptoms. and what must be done before her stomach will get big and during her birth.
and what can be the causes of the mother to die before birth.

ps. we can't afford to take her to the vet

[Marrie]

Call the vet and ask their advice on nutrition - they will give it for free. Also, look up a breeder in your area and ask them what food they recommend for a pregnant female, they should be willing to share.

When my dog had an accidental litter we just fed her dry food, with the occasional fresh, good quality meat though honestly we didn't know much at the time - we didn't even have the internet to research the matter. My brother and I were about 5 and 8 when she had them and we were home alone since my parents ran to the store when she went into labor - but we had watched my father birth calfs etc, so we had some experience. Our dog had complications with the puppies getting stuck and she could not get them to come out, so we had to take a wet, warm towel and gently coax the pups out of her (if they strain too long and can't get them out, the pups will die and the mother can too). Another complication can be that the mother will get too tired sometimes and not remove the sack from the pups, she is supposed to eat it, but sometimes you have to remove it yourself if she won't. And after she gave birth, she was so inexperienced in handling them she ended up laying on one and killing it. Then she wanted to abandon the poor things and not let them eat because they bit her when they nursed. She wasn't a very good first time mom.

I really suggest placing some calls to learn from a breeder or vet though what to do / expect.

[boomer girl]

When our dog got pregnant we fed her dry food like she always ate before. We were lucky with her because she had her puppies with no troubles at all, other then with each birth of a puppy our poor dog howled like it really hurt her. She even nursed and took amazing care of them so we got super lucky that she had no troubles with them. I think like Marie just said calling the vets or a breeder in the area to get advice is a great idea.

[Muscowequan]

*Symptoms or signs of pregnancy -

*Three weeks after mating the female dog may have an upset stomach and not want to eat for about a week to 10 days. One way to tell if your dog is pregnant is to check her vulva, the swelling would not have gone down after her heat and looks enlarged. Thirty days after being bred a blood test can be done by a veterinarian to confirm pregnancy. A pregnant dogs nipples will develop around week 5 and she will begin to look broader. At 21 days an ultrasound can be done to confirm pregnancy and at 45 days radiographs can be taken and puppies counted. How long is a dog pregnant -

* The gestation period for dogs is 60 - 63 days. Start counting from the first time you bred her. Diet -

* During the first 30 days of pregnancy she can eat her normal diet, as long as it is a high quality food. During the last month of pregnancy start switching her over to a high quality puppy food, make the diet change over a weeks time. Do not give vitamin supplements, a high quality food has plenty of nutrients. Also, be aware that some vitamin supplements may cause birth defects so check with your veterinarian before choosing to supplement. Exercise -

* Take her on daily walks. It is important that she does not become overweight during this time and the walks will keep her in shape for delivery. Letting the dog run in the backyard is not equal to a walk, a walk is mental and physical exercise. During the last 3 weeks of gestation do not take her out and do not expose her to other dogs as added protection against disease. Vaccinations -

* Do not vaccinate a pregnant dog. Some vaccines will cause abortion. Vaccinations should be given prior to breeding so that the protection can be passed to the puppies by the mothers milk. Whelping box -

* About two weeks prior to the expected delivery start to prepare a whelping box. The box should be deep enough to contain the puppies at 4 - 6 weeks of age. Cover the box with newspapers, sheets, towels, etc. Don't use anything you are attached to, whelping puppies is a dirty business. Have enough clean towels so that during the birthing process each new puppy will have it's own clean towel. Body Temperature -

* One week prior to whelping start taking the mothers temperature rectally. A normal dog temperature will be 100.5 - 102.5, about 24 hours before whelping her temperature will drop a few degrees. This will give you time to prepare. Additional information -
Never leave a pregnant dog who is about to whelp. Many dogs need help birthing puppies and in some situations a cesarean is necessary to save the life of mom and puppies.

[Sinthea]

I have to ask because no one else has:

You matted your dog with your other family dog but do not have the money for a vet or any experience with this? Frankly that sounds like a stupid idea and a irresponsible one as well with the amount of dogs in the shelters.

BUT I did have two cats, on male and one female. When I obtained the female I was told she was fixed. Shortly after she went into heat and I had a little of kittens before I could get her fixed. I know accidents happen. Note: The male was not fixed due to small size and breathing issues- the vet didn't want to risk putting him under.

I don't know the signs for a dog but it seems someone else already went over that.

Switch her to a puppy feed as he body will be demanding more. Be sure it is a high quality food. If she has had raw meats in the past, those are good for her as well however if she has not her body won't be used to processing the raw foods and it may stress her body out needlessly.

When it comes time for her to have the puppies put her in a empty room away from other animals and have someone sit in there with her while she has them. The reason for this is simple. If this is her first litter you don't know how well she will do with the babies. I had to hand raise a kitten because the mother wouldn't accept this one kitten as part of her litter.

If a puppy is born and she leaves him in the sack for more than a few moments you MUST step in or it will suffocate. Be prepared to get slimy, gently grab the puppy and break the sack, pulling his head out first. Have a nose cleaner thingie (the blue bulb things they use for people babies's noes) and clear the airway. Tilting the puppy's head down and patting his back can help get him breathing. put him in a towel and start rubbing him dry then see if the mother accepts him.

Before she gives birth you will want to get a small amount of puppy formula to keep on hand. You do not want to have her reject a puppy at midnight and be unable to feed him. If you don't have to bottle feed the pups then great, it is really nice to mix with their food to soften it when they start weaning.

You can make it through this if there are no complications without the vet. Once the mother hasn't had a puppy in a hour or two check her tummy, feeling softly for any lumps (puppies). If any get stuck she has to go to the vet. If any puppies have any major deformities, take them to the vet. The mother may take in all of her puppies or she may reject one, pushing it away from her and the litter- this normally means there is something wrong with it and it will need to be hand fed and to see a vet.

I have gone through two litters of kittens, one litter of kittens left on my doorstep and walked a friend through birthing her dog's litter.

Start saving. If they need to get to the emergency vet there is no excuse to take them and it is your responsibility to be sure you are able.