My dog is pregnant. How do I care for her during pregnancy and delivery?

Question

I have a male and a female dog. She is pregnant. Will he know the puppies are his and is it a good idea to keep one of the puppies? What should I feed the female and how can I make her first pregnancy easier for her? Will she choose her own space for the delivery? What should we do to help her during and after delivery? Thank you. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | 14 lbs

Sara Farmer, DVM · Accepted Answer

First, I would recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian to have Srna examined and make sure she is up to date on all preventative care (deworming, vaccinations etc.). You can also discuss when to expect puppies, other testing to confirm pregnancy and count the number of puppies, and when to start monitoring for impending labor. Male dogs can sometimes act aggressively towards their own puppies so you should always supervise contact between them. Plenty of people choose to keep a puppy but you do not have to - and be sure to take precautions since once the puppy becomes sexually mature it could breed with the mother or father. I would recommend feeding a commercially available puppy food or high calorie food intended for working dogs. You should provide a box or other area with bedding for her to whelp, and you should try to be present during whelping to assist if you need to and to watch for complications. After delivery the puppies will need deworming, vaccinations, and a veterinary exam to check for abnormalities and mom will need to continue on puppy food. These links have some good information: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1459 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=678

My dog is pregnant. How do I care for her during pregnancy and delivery?

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