Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

What to expect when my dog is pregnant and how to prepare for puppies?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mastiff | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 2 months old | 65 lbs

My Neopolitan mastiff blue nose pitbull is pregnant there is a difference in her nipples they are large and have dropped I want her to feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible what are some things to expect while your dog is pregnant and what are some suggestions as to how should I prepare for the arrival of the pups

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 16th, 2017

Congratulations! Here is a website link with tons of suggestions on how to care for Nova during her pregnancy. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1459 She should be on puppy food from now until the puppies are completely weaned as well. The normal gestation period is 58-72 days but 65 days on average. Signs of trouble include black or green discharge or respiratory distress. I would also recommend having an ER vet on hand in case she does need to have a C- section or if any complications arise. Best wishes with Nova and I hope that her pregnancy goes smoothly. Take care.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By Stephanie Echols, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 17th, 2017

    Ideally you should wait until Nova is 2 years of age to be bred. She is not fully grown at 1 year and can predispose to complications during delivery. If and when she is pregnant, make sure to feed her a quality and balanced puppy food- not adult. The best brands of food are Hills/Science Diet, Purina One, or Iams. Make sure she is up to date on all her vaccines prior to her heat cycle. This is her distemper/parvo combination, rabies, and ideally bordetella and leptospirosis. She should also be dewormed for roundworms and hookworms. Make sure she is free of other parasites by dropping a fresh stool sample off at the vets office. Gestation period for dogs ranges from 60-65 days. It takes 45 days for skeletons to show on radiographs. I recommend having her radiographed around that time to confirm pregnancy and get an idea of how many puppies she may have. Build her a nesting box for her to deliver, and when she does start to show signs (lack of appetite, temperature drop, nesting behaviors), just watch her from afar. If she is showing signs of pushing for more than an hour, she needs to see a vet for a possible c-section. The breeds you are breeding have large skulls and that can cause difficulties with delivery. That all being said, make sure both mom and dad are healthy- no allergies, no malformations, no diseases, no health concerns of any kind. There are thousands of healthy dogs that are euthanized everyday because there aren't enough homes and you are breeding mixed breed puppies. As a vet, I highly recommend spaying and neutering all pets. Good luck and kisses to King and Nova!

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My pitbull Mastiff is going to go in heat this October and this is going to be her 2nd heat therefore I want to mate her with my other dog king who is pitbull / boxer but I just want to be very careful what are some things I should do to ensure she w
Ideally you should wait until Nova is 2 years of age to be bred. She is not fully grown at 1 year and can predispose to complications during delivery. If and when she is pregnant, make sure to feed her a quality and balanced puppy food- not adult. The best brands of food are Hills/Science Diet, Purina One, or Iams. Make sure she is up to date on all her vaccines prior to her heat cycle. This is her distemper/parvo combination, rabies, and ideally bordetella and leptospirosis. She should also be dewormed for roundworms and hookworms. Make sure she is free of other parasites by dropping a fresh stool sample off at the vets office. Gestation period for dogs ranges from 60-65 days. It takes 45 days for skeletons to show on radiographs. I recommend having her radiographed around that time to confirm pregnancy and get an idea of how many puppies she may have. Build her a nesting box for her to deliver, and when she does start to show signs (lack of appetite, temperature drop, nesting behavio
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I think my dog is pregnant
She certainly looks like she may be. If its has been at least 45 days since the day she likely hooked up with a male dog, then you can certainly confirm this with an x-ray from your vet. Here is a website link also with more information on pregnant dog care in case Nova is confirmed to be pregnant. --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951916 Best of luck moving forward with Nova. : ) Take care.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My Pit Bull is pregnant at 11 months old. Will she be okay? should I let her have them? will they live? can I do anything for her to help them live?
As long as she is healthy, she should have a normal pregnancy. It's important throughout the pregnancy that she sees the vet regularly for health checks, and your vet can discuss with you signs of labor, and what to look out for in case she is having trouble giving birth. A dog's pregnancy lasts around 63 days. You should put her on a puppy food around 6 weeks of pregnancy. Moving to a high energy formula should be done on a gradual basis. Progressively substitute a little more of the new dog food for the old over a period of about a week, until she is only eating the new food.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Food & Nutrition
For linda's next breeding should i breed her to a blue nose pitbull or red nose pitbull?? what color would most likely pop out if she is bred to a rednose ?? what color would most likely pop out if she is bred to a blue nose?? she is black and white
Genetics of coat color are complicated in dogs so we can’t help much in that department. I do have some comments about the rest though. First, from an ethical perspective, I feel compelled to let you know that about 40% of dogs and puppies in shelters nation-wide are pit bulls and pit bull mixes. Breeding pit bulls is highly discouraged by most veterinarians since we know that a lot of them end up euthanized or in shelters. If you do decide to proceed, here are some medical suggestions: Female dogs should not be bred until at least 2 years of age to slow them to achieve complete maturity. They are more likely to birth without complications if allowed to do so. They should be fed puppy food while pregnant- unrestricted in the last trimester and while nursing. She’ll need an X-ray at about 45-55 days to determine how many pups she is carrying. That way, you know when all of them have arrived! (Or when to worry if they have not all arrived.) Always have an emergency vet in t
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I was wondering what I should expect with her labor and all possible signs she could or could not have? This is her 2nd pregnancy and totally different from her first one completely. I know from the day they tied today is day 59! Please help me figur
Congratulations are in order. It can be a little nerve racking when your pet is expecting puppies. Here are some things to keep in mind. 1) Her rectal temperature will drop below 100 degrees F when she is less than 24 hrs til delivery time, in most situations. 2) Make a nest area for her including blankets or soft bedding. Things you don’t mind getting dirty. 3) Once you see her stomach contact you should see a puppy delivered within 15-30 mins. If she seems to be taking much longer or in distress then she may need a c-section. 4) Black or green discharge is a sign of trouble! Get help immediately from your local vet or ER vet hospital. That is a brief summary of some of the more important things to consider. Here is a website link with lots more information and things to consider for your pet Daisy Mae so that hopefully she and her pups have an uneventful labor and delivery. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=678 Best wishes to you both and her new puppies
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
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
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, an
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I know my dog is definitely pregnant. What do I need to do now to prepare for puppies she is about 30 days in
Great question and congrats on Sasha's pregnancy! I would have her seen by vet in another 15 days for an x-rays. That will tell you how many puppies she is carrying so when she is whelping, you can count them and it will help you identify if there is a problem much sooner. I would also speak with your vet about complications to look out for during labor, and I would start setting aside some money just in case she needs an emergency c-section. It's best to be prepared financially so you aren't in a terrible situation if she does need one. You can feed her a puppy formulated food, but that needs to be stopped 10-14 days before she is due. At that point, put her back on an adult dog food. Once she has whelped her puppies, put her back on the puppy formulated food. She will need the extra calories, calcium, and protein a puppy food provides to support nursing her puppies. Make sure she is up to date on her flea treatment and deworming treatments. Revolution spot on is safe to giv
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My Maltipoo went in heat for the first time and got pregnant without me realizing she was in heat what should I expect as far as not knowing the delivery date if the early pregnancy of a dog requires a C-section or any risk and the fact that I may no
1) don't panic. 2) think about when she may have been in heat and when she may have met a male 3) Gestation is 58 to 68 days, on average 63 to 65 days, so you can estimate when she will have her puppies, say , within 2 weeks or so. When your dog get a big abdomen., take her to your veterinarian for an x-ray or ultra sound pregnancy exam. The vet can then see how many puppies she will have and approximately when and how big they will be. 4) The incidence of a c-section is rare , so I would not worry about that now.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog is pregnant today its 65 Th day ...but still didn't give birth....what to do doctor
Continue to wait. There is a range for pets when it comes to when they will actually give birth, just like in people. The range is 58-72 days with an average of 65 days. So continue to monitor her for signs of impending labor. If she does start the labor process and is having complications then it's best to take her to your nearest vet for assistance. Here is a website link with things to watch out for. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=678 Best wishes with Tasha and her impending puppies. I hope everything goes well.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello I am. Wanted to know how long does a pitbull female stays pregnant for. Our female fur animal got mate with a male dog jan 27 2019 I know this for sure cause I saw they were stuck together and she been in heat.
Gestation in dogs is around 60 days. If the tie was successful, Ava will be due around St. Patty’s day. Generally around 45 days of gestation x-rays of the mom’s belly can be taken to determine how many pup skeletons/pups there are which is useful information to know when she is giving birth (as in if you know there are 6 pups and she is in labor for more than 2 hours after the first pup, she may need to be brought to the ER for a C-section/monitoring). She will need plenty of high quality food during pregnancy and nursing. Supplementing her usual diet with extra canned food may be helpful. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored