Dog gestation period
The gestation period of dogs, regardless of their breed, is 63 days, but birth may occur at any time between the 58-68th day of pregnancy.
because the duration of pregnancy depends on the number of previous pregnancies, and also depends on the date of fertilization, which may occur after a day or two.
Two days of mating, where the egg remains capable of fertilization for two days, while the sperm can live in the vaginal canal for several days, and the female dog can become pregnant once every 8 months.
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| dogs pregnancy period |
The fetus’s claws, eyes, and ears are completed by day 40 of pregnancy, and full body hair grows by the eighth week of pregnancy, and the number of puppies depends on the breed, as smaller breeds tend to carry between 1-4 puppies at a time, while the Larger breeds carry between 8-12 puppies.
Dog pregnancy signs
Female dogs during pregnancy show some signs, including the following:
- Vomiting, which usually occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy.
- Gradually increase the weight from the 35th day of pregnancy, and the increase can reach 50% above the normal weight.
- Abdominal distension from day 40 of pregnancy, and the amount of bloating depends on the size of the fetus, and the abdomen is less bloated during the first pregnancy compared to the following times.
- Tendency to lie still or loss of appetite.
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| dogs pregnancy period |
Stages of pregnancy in dogs
During pregnancy, the mother and puppies have undergone many changes, the most important of which are the following:
- The first week: The egg begins to divide to produce new cells immediately after fertilization, and no obvious changes appear on the pregnant female dog during this period.
- The second week: The egg continues to divide, and some minor behavioral changes may appear in some dogs.
- The third week: The fertilized egg is implanted in the uterine wall, resulting in a slight swelling of the abdomen that does not exceed 0.8-1 cm, and metabolic changes begin to appear during this period.
- Fourth week: Embryos begin to grow slowly and reach a length of 2-3 cm, and they can be felt when the abdomen is palpated.
- Fifth week: Puppies begin to grow rapidly, and each grows 5 cm in length. At this stage, the mother's appetite for food increases more to meet her high need for energy.
- Sixth week: The length of the fetus is between 6-7 cm, and the stomach of the bitch becomes more visible during this period, and the puppy's heartbeat can be heard by auscultation examination.
- Seventh week: At this stage, it is possible to discover the number of fetuses, and discover any problems or complications in pregnancy, as the mother loses her appetite for food, so she must be encouraged to eat.
- The eighth week: The puppy's skeleton is fully formed, and the milk begins to flow heavily.
- The ninth week: the puppies are fully grown and ready to be born at any time, and the mother's manifestations of anxiety and discomfort may increase, and she is also appears to have a nesting behavior, a behavior that appears during this period when the female begins to organize the house and prepare it in preparation for birth.