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Most Veterinarians generally would like to see the over population of homeless and unwanted and euthanized pets decrease. However, some people either breed their dogs on purpose or find their dog has become pregnant from a lack of confinement while she was in heat. Regardless the reason, the mother and her unborn puppies still need to be as healthy as possible. Please remember that raising puppies is a commitment of both time and money. Please follow the below recommendations if your female dog is pregnant and you are not planning on having her spayed to terminate the pregnancy.
Within 4 weeks after breeding, the mother's caloric requirements will begin to increase. It is not necessary to add calcium or vitamins to her diet; the best plan is to buy a top quality puppy or growth formula and let her eat as much as she wants during the remainder of her pregnancy and into the first month of nursing the puppies.
Shortly after the 45th day, your dog should be examined by your veterinarian. At this time, the skeletons of the unborn pups should have calcified and are visible on an X-ray; you may want to know how many pups to expect. Your veterinarian can also make sure she is free from intestinal worms and consult you on what to expect when she goes into labor and delivery.
A comfortable area (whelping box) should be set aside for the birth of the puppies. The mother dog should feel at home here and should be able to come and go as she likes while the puppies must remain confined. The whelping box should be in a temperature controlled area; you don’t want the mother and puppies stressed by the extremes of our summers and winters.
The length of pregnancy of the dog is considered to be 63 days though this is not written in stone and a normal range might be 58 to 68 days.
When your dog's due date is approaching, you should begin monitoring her rectal temperature with a thermometer put in half way and left for 2 minutes before reading. Do the temperature at the same time every morning. When her temperature drops below 99F (normal canine temperature is 100.5F-102.5F), labor may be expected within 24 hours. Also continue to check her mammary glands for milk production. Some dogs may produce some milk up to a week before they deliver.
If your female dog is in active labor for 1.5-2 hours and has not produced a puppy please consider this as an emergency and seek medical attention ASAP, even if it is at 2AM and you have to go to the emergency clinic. If you fail to act both the mother’s life and the puppies’ lives will be at risk.
Within 24-48 hours of whelping, please have the mother dog checked by a veterinarian to ensure that each mammary gland is active and milk is adequately being produced. Some veterinarians recommend an injection of oxytocin to help clean the uterus out of pieces of retrained placenta and cut down the risk of later infections.
Most pet owners do not realize the importance of dental care for their animals, but studies have shown at least 80% of all small animals 2 years of age and over already have treatable dental disease. We brush our own teeth twice a day but we tend to forget that our animals need similar oral care. Plaque (or tarter) in animals as well as humans contains bacteria. The plaque mineralizes into calculus within 2 days if it is not removed then more serious disease starts. The pet owner may first notice bad breath or indications of pain when eating or visible redness of the gums (inflammation and infection is gingivitis). Once gingivitis is present, pockets form between the gum tissue and tooth root and this leads to threatening periodontal disease which is a stage where our pets may loose teeth and even may loose bone.
Many veterinarians recommend starting preventative dental care before or at least by the same time that your pet is spayed or neutered at 5-7 months of age. At that time some specialists recommend a fluoride treatment and applying a sealant which is intended to prevent periodontal disease and preventative applications are continued at home. When your pet comes in for dental cleaning/polishing/extractions once there is already dental disease, veterinary hospitals use similar equipment that your human dentist may use.
Before anesthesia, it is recommended that pre-surgical blood work be done in order to try to ensure that anesthesia is as safe as possible. (Pre-anesthetic blood work is not even an option for humans). In addition to checking the internal organ functioning with the blood profile, your pet may be monitored under anesthesia with respirator monitors and EKG machines to ensure that the procedure is as safe as possible. Both the owner and the veterinary clinic staff want the pet to be pain free and comfortable, so it is recommended to provide pain medication before, during and after the procedure. The teeth are charted and probed just as is done by human dental hygienists. Hand scaling underneath the gum line removes any calculus that has become “cemented” to the tooth root. An ultrasonic scaler is also used to remove all the plaque. In order to ensure that there is no remaining tarter, a pink “revealer” stain can be applied that will stick to any remaining plaque so that the teeth can be re-scaled if needed. The teeth are then polished with a special paste that helps to smooth out the enamel. (This is not a bleaching or whitening process). Fluoride and sealants are commonly used; it may depend on where your pet’s dental procedure takes place. Another thing that varies from hospital to hospital is the use of antibiotics. Most dental procedures involve antibiotics to avoid the bacteria from the mouth from entering the blood stream This can be accomplished either by starting antibiotics prior to the procedure and continuing during and afterwards, or may be accomplished by heavy duty intravenous antibiotics at the time of the procedure and based on the severity may be sent home, as well.
Home care after the procedure is essential. Using a sealant, brushing, antibacterial rinses or a combination will help ensure longer intervals between your pet needing another prophylactic dental procedure.
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