Signs A Dog Is Going Into Labor
Puppies born more than a few days early have little chance of survival and may even be stillborn or dead upon birth.
Signs a dog is going into labor. There are three stages to canine labor. After a pregnancy length of about 63 days your dog will begin to show signs of labor. If your dog stops eating that s a sign the puppies are on their way. Watch your dog carefully in the days and weeks before she is due to give birth.
Most dogs show behavior changes and their energy levels drop as their abdomens grow. Shortly before giving birth she may exhibit nesting behavior trying to make a comfortable place to deliver. To make sure your dog has a healthy pregnancy take her to the veterinarian regularly. A loss of appetite and scrabbling in her bedding is common in the 12 24 hours before she goes into labour.
Please bear in mind that not all dogs are the same and not all dogs will present the same signs in the same order. Almost 98 of dogs give birth without incident but in a few cases an infection or another abnormality may cause a dog to go into labor before the right time. Below are the common signs of the first stage. Very occasionally your dog may move the nest that you made for her to another area of the house.
The top signs your dog will soon go into labor. Think of the signs of labor like a ladder. These signs indicate that real labor is about to start within 24 48 hours. During the final week of dog pregnancy mums to be may be a little restless and seclude themselves in a quiet area.
This article is all about the first stage which involves the body getting ready to give birth. Another important sign that a dog is going into labor is a change in her body temperature. Dogs exhibit symptoms similar to those of humans when they are ready to go into labor. She will exhibit several precursory signs prior to her actual labor and then she will likely have a drop in body temperature followed by physical labor.
If you are reading this article well in advance of the due date for your dog we have several product suggestions from amazon we would recommend for helping the whelping process go smoothly. About 12 hours to 24 hours before productive labor begins the dog s temperature will drop from 101 5 f which is normal to between 98 f and 100 f. She may not eat for a couple of days before going into labor and she may also vomit. If your dog doesn t go into labor within 24 hours after the temperature drop call your veterinarian.
The signs usually appear in a set order so as each sign presents itself we will be moving one rung higher on the ladder. In most cases the dog will survive although she may be infertile. Labor and delivery can be categorized into three stages with a total time.