How to Deal with a Dog Pregnancy

Co-authored by Jeannie McElroy

Last Updated: June 6, 2025 References

• Caring for Your Pregnant Dog
|
• Preparing for the Birth
|
• Helping with the Birth
|
• Caring for the Dogs Right After Birth
|
• Expert Q&A
|
• Warnings

|Show more |Show less

When you find out that your dog is pregnant, it’s important to start caring for her right away. Give her proper nurturing and nutrition, so that the puppies can develop properly. Your prenatal care should also include preparing a place for her to give birth to her puppies. Once she goes into labor, you will need to help her and the puppies through the process of birth. With some preparation and care, you can deal with a dog pregnancy properly and you will have a healthy mom and puppies afterwords.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Caring for Your Pregnant Dog

1. 
   1
   Get a physical exam or ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy. Once you suspect that your dog is pregnant, make an appointment with your vet. They will run tests to verify the pregnancy so that you know for sure that your dog is expecting.

   • Signs that your dog might be pregnant include decreased activity, changes to the dog's appetite, morning sickness, moody or clingy behavior, and physical changes, such as weight gain or swollen nipples.
   • In many cases, your vet will be able to tell your dog is pregnant just by feeling its abdomen.

   Tip: It’s important to have your dog assessed by a vet when you think it’s pregnant because there are some conditions that can mimic pregnancy but are actually life-threatening problems, such as a bacterial infection called pyometra.
2. 
   2
   Give your dog special care and attention. For example, she may go through morning sickness, which is a common occurrence in dogs. However, this should wear off halfway through the pregnancy, which is after about 30 days. Don’t punish her for throwing up, as she cannot help it. Instead, comfort her when she is sick.

   • She is also going through lots of hormonal changes and may need your affection. At other times, however, she may want to be left alone. It is best if you assess her mood before touching her so that you don't upset her or cause her harm.
   • However, do not worry if your dog does not experience some of the symptoms of pregnancy. In fact, some owners do not know their dog is pregnant until the day of arrival.
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3. 
   3
   Increase your dog’s food intake gradually at the end of the pregnancy. If your dog is at a healthy weight at the beginning of its pregnancy, you won’t have to adjust her diet until the last 5 weeks of pregnancy. Over these last 5 weeks, you should increase her food 30 to 50 percent.

   • During the last 3 weeks of her pregnancy, give your dog puppy food, which is more energy-dense. The added calories in the puppy food will help support the growing puppies without filling the mother's stomach too much. Since her womb will be pushing on her stomach, your pup may not want to eat as much.
   • You can also help your dog eat more by providing her small meals spread throughout the day. Spreading the food out over the day, instead of giving her bigger meals, will decrease the chance she gets an upset stomach.
   • A dog's pregnancy is typically 58 to 68 days. This means that you should begin increasing your dog's food after about 3 weeks of pregnancy.
   • Also, after she gives birth, she will need to continue to be given additional food to help her produce enough milk to feed her babies.
4. 
   4
   Consult with your veterinarian throughout the pregnancy. As your dog’s pregnancy progresses, talk to your veterinarian if any problems occur. Also, bring her in for regular checkups to make sure that the pregnancy is progressing properly.

   • If your dog’s vaccinations are not up to date, you will need to make an appointment to update them.
   • Ask your vet about giving your dog daily doses of the deworming medication fenbendazole, beginning on day 40 of her pregnancy. This treatment will help reduce the risk of the puppies being born with roundworms.
   • Don't give your dog a calcium supplement during pregnancy, unless your vet directly instructs you to do so. A calcium supplement during pregnancy can make your dog more likely to experience milk fever after she gives birth.
   • At the visit where the pregnancy is verified, discuss with your vet how often you should bring her in for assessment and what kind of care she will need.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Preparing for the Birth

1. 
   1
   Determine when the puppies will be born. The average time it takes for a dog pregnancy is 63 days from the time of mating. Once you have calculated this time frame, you will be able to tell when she will give birth and make all of your plans from there.

   • In some cases, you will know when the dog mated, such as if you are purposely mating your dog, and so you will be able to determine when the puppies should be born. However, there are some times when you don't know when the mating occurred. If this is the case, you will need to ask your veterinarian for an estimation for when the puppies should come.
   • Remember that not all dogs are the same, so this will be different depending on the breed and characteristics of your dog.

   Tip: Dogs can sometimes have pups 5 days before or after the date expected, but if it gets any longer than 5 days after, contact a vet.
2. 
   2
   Get a whelping box. The whelping box is the place where your dog will give birth to the puppies and care for them afterward. You will need a box that is at least twice the size of your dog. The sides should be tall enough so that it can get in and out easily but the puppies cannot, so ideally they will be about 12 inches (30 cm) tall. However, this can vary depending on the size of your dog.

   • You can make the whelping box yourself or you can buy one off the Internet. Making your whelping box is good because it saves money, but commercial ones are sturdier.
   • Some people use hard plastic kiddie pools as whelping boxes. They are typically the right size and height, and can be cleaned easily.
3. 
   3
   Put the whelping box in a calm and quiet spot. Your dog will need peace and quiet while it is giving birth. It will also want some privacy while caring for its newborns. Pick a spot to put the whelping box where your dog can be alone. Typically, an extra bedroom or a large closet work well.

   • Having too much activity around the whelping box can make the new mother defensive and agitated, which can make caring for her and the puppies more difficult.
4. 
   4
   Fill the whelping box with soft, warm bedding. This bedding will need to be replaced as it gets dirty, so towels are a good choice. Put a layer that covers the entire bottom surface of the box, so that your dog is very warm and comfy.

   • It is a good idea to put a heat pad set on 'low' underneath the towels so that the puppies can be warm when in the whelping box and feed off their mother.
5. 
   5
   Get other birthing equipment ready. You will need a thermometer for taking your dog's temperature, a pair of sterilized scissors, dental floss, examination gloves, suction bulb, food and water dishes, and a scale for weighing the puppies. You should also keep a notepad handy to record times of birth and weight.

   • Place all of these items near the whelping box, so that they are nearby when you need them.
   • The scissors and dental floss are used for tying off the puppies’ umbilical cords.
6. 
   6
   Purchase extra food and bottles for the puppies. In some cases, a mother dog will not be able to produce enough food to keep her puppies fed. If this is the case, you will need to feed the puppies formula. Since it’s important for puppies to get nutrients right away if you discover they are undernourished, it’s a good idea to have some formula on hand just in case.

   • Formula and bottles for newborn puppies are available from online retailers and from most pet stores.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Helping with the Birth

1. 
   1
   Get your dog in her whelping box when her labor starts. She will likely be restless and will stop eating about a day before going into labor. Look for the vulva to be swollen and clean discharge coming out of her vagina. If you see this, take her to her whelping box.

   • When she goes into labor, she will pant heavily and start to push but only when the first water breaks will she give birth to the first puppy.
   • At this point you can check her rectal temperature. Once the dog's temperature has dipped below 100 °F (38 °C), she is typically an hour or two away from giving birth.

   Tip: If she chooses somewhere else, like a closet or the garden, lead her to the whelping box as soon as possible so that she is in a safe, comfortable space when she gives birth.
2. 
   2
   Monitor the labor and help as needed. For example, once a puppy is born, she should tear the membrane sack around it with her tongue so that the puppy can breathe. However, if you see the sack is not removed and the puppy is not breathing, you can tear the sack from around the nose and mouth and suction their airway until the puppy starts to breathe.

   • If she doesn't chew through the cord herself, you will need to step in. Simply cut the cord within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the puppy.
   • You will know you need to step in if the mother starts to try and walk away from the puppies, handles them too roughly, or doesn't show any interest in them. This is most typical with first time mothers.
   • In many cases, your dog will have the situation under control and you will just need to monitor everything in case of emergency.
3. 
   3
   Contact your vet if problems occur. If the mother has been showing signs of labor and has been pushing but no puppies are coming out for a few hours, call a vet. You should also call a vet if it is past 5 days after the puppies are due and the mother has shown no sign of being in labor. Both of these can be very worrying and it is likely the mother will have to have a c-section.

   • Other signs of a problem include the mother shivering, shaking, or trembling uncontrollably. If this occurs, call your vet.
   • It is normal for a dog to pass green or bloody fluid when giving birth, so this is typically not an emergency.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Caring for the Dogs Right After Birth

1. 
   1
   Feed any puppies that can’t get food from the mother. If the mother dog has too many puppies and not enough nipples, quick action is needed. You must hand feed this puppy right away and it should be done every 2 hours.

   • No children below the age of 12 should feed, or even hold, the puppies before their eyes have opened, as puppies can be fragile.

   Tip: Another situation where you may need to feed a puppy is if 1 puppy cannot physically get through the other puppies to the mother’s nipples.
2. 
   2
   Keep the mother and puppies together. The mother should stay in the whelping box for at least 5 days before leaving her puppies for a short while. During this time, she will either be caring for her puppies, eating, or resting. The only exception to this is if she needs to go outside to go to the bathroom.

   • If the mother tries to leave the whelping box, coax her back to her puppies with a treat or encouragement.
3. 
   3
   Keep an eye on the development of the puppies. If the mother is doing her job, you won't have to do much care for several weeks, other than to monitor the puppies' development. Make sure that the puppies have opened their eyes at about 2 weeks of age. They should grow in size every day and movement should increase daily as well. If any of the puppies are falling behind in development, contact your veterinarian.

   • Use your scale to weigh the puppies every day. Make sure they are gaining weight. If there is a puppy that is not gaining at the same rate, give it some formula to help it grow in size.
   • When a puppy opens its eyes depends on the breed of your dog and puppies, as some puppies’ eyes can open as late as 3 weeks after birth.
   • The larger the litter, the smaller the pups will be. However, in some litters, you will get a runt that is markedly smaller than the other puppies. In most cases, you will need to hand feed the runt using bottles of formula in order to help it develop properly.
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Expert Q&A

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Add New Question

• Question

  How do you monitor a pregnant dog?

  

  Jeannie McElroy
  Canine Enthusiast & Breeder of Champion European Boxers

  Jeannie McElroy is a Canine Enthusiast & Breeder of Champion European Boxers under the kennel name Big Mac Boxers. With over 25 years of experience, she specializes in training, working, showing, and titling her dogs in many different types of ring sports. Jeannie is an AKC Evaluator and titles therapy dogs for Therapy Pets Unlimited. She is also a member of the AKC Bred with Heart, Greater Cincinnati Boxer Club, and US-BOX Working Boxer Association. She is passionate about the breed as she adores rearing the next generation through selectively breeding only health-tested dogs from pedigrees known to have quality genetics.

  

  Jeannie McElroy

  Canine Enthusiast & Breeder of Champion European Boxers

  Expert Answer

  You should start taking your dog in for regular checkups even before pregnancy to make an overall wellness body score check. During gestation, do progesterone testing to discover the optimum breeding time and an ultrasound around the 28th day of gestation to make sure that everything is going well. About three to five days before the due date, take her in for pregnancy x-rays to confirm a puppy count.

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• Question

  What do I do when my dog gives birth?

  

  Jeannie McElroy
  Canine Enthusiast & Breeder of Champion European Boxers

  Jeannie McElroy is a Canine Enthusiast & Breeder of Champion European Boxers under the kennel name Big Mac Boxers. With over 25 years of experience, she specializes in training, working, showing, and titling her dogs in many different types of ring sports. Jeannie is an AKC Evaluator and titles therapy dogs for Therapy Pets Unlimited. She is also a member of the AKC Bred with Heart, Greater Cincinnati Boxer Club, and US-BOX Working Boxer Association. She is passionate about the breed as she adores rearing the next generation through selectively breeding only health-tested dogs from pedigrees known to have quality genetics.

  

  Jeannie McElroy

  Canine Enthusiast & Breeder of Champion European Boxers

  Expert Answer

  Well, some dogs have a natural instinct to take care of their puppies. Others don't, and you have to teach them things like opening the sacks and cleaning the first puppy. But this is really on an individualistic basis with the dog.

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  Thank you for your feedback.
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Warnings

• Some dogs appear to be pregnant but they actually have a phantom pregnancy. This is when a bitch acts pregnant and displays symptoms of being pregnant but she isn’t. This usually occurs 4-6 weeks after the bitch was in heat and continues until nine weeks have passed. At that point, the dog will return to normal. This can be very confusing for both the bitch and the owner, as each will think that she is pregnant and begin preparing.
  Thanks

  Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If your vet has verified that your dog is pregnant but her body does not start to change, there is a chance that she has absorbed the puppies after the exam. Dogs can sometimes absorb puppies when they are sad or depressed. It could also be that the exam was wrong, as they are not 100% accurate all the time.
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