The birth of new creatures is always touching and cute, especially if they are puppies. Indeed, in the future they will give love to their mother, and then to their new owners. But the process of childbirth itself does not always go without complications.
Dog pregnancy
Pregnancy in dogs lasts 56 to 72 days. As a rule, childbirth takes place around the 60th day. In order to calculate the date of birth as accurately as possible, it is necessary to take into account some factors.
One of the important factors is knowing the exact day of mating. Breeders who breed purebred animals are almost always aware of when mating occurred. If this happened suddenly, it will be quite difficult to calculate the due date.
Pregnancy in dogs lasts about two months on average. If childbirth began much earlier or, conversely, does not come for a long time, you need to urgently consult a veterinarian, because the life of the animal in this situation may be in jeopardy.
It is important to know about the dog's health, the number of previous births and the number of puppies in previous litters. If this is not the first pregnancy, its duration may fluctuate.
Birth of puppies
It is important to monitor your dog's behavior during labor as many bitches become restless and irritable. The main thing is not to get nervous or panic.
During weak contractions, a water bladder passes into the birth canal. It bursts and releases fluid that is identical in volume to urine emitted. After that, the contractions become more rhythmic and stronger.
The first puppy is born within the next two hours. In most cases, babies are born head first. As for the position of the bitch, she usually lies on her side, but some puppies are standing.
Strong contractions push the puppy's shoulders and head. The rest of the body passes through the birth canal much easier.
Each baby is born in a shell that the dog licks off. This tongue stimulation triggers the puppy's first breath. If the bitch does not, the owner should remove the bubble from the cub, clear its mouth and nostrils, and then stimulate breathing.
By licking a newborn, the dog dries its fur, which reduces the risk of hypothermia. After each puppy is born, a placenta is born. The bitch gnaws at the umbilical cord and eats the afterbirth. After half an hour, she is ready for the birth of the next baby.
The dog is focused on fighting until the last puppy is born. Only after that she relaxes and begins to feed the babies.
The number of puppies in a litter usually depends on the breed of the dog. For example, Shepherd and Great Danes have from seven to ten puppies, Pinschers have 5-8 babies. Dwarf dogs give birth to a maximum of four puppies.
