Dog Pregnancy

At the end of Dog Pregnancy and about a week before a female dog's labor, the dog will begin to lose interest in everything around her. You will also notice how about a day or two before the labor she will feel very uncomfortable. At the beginning of the dog's labor, she will pant in an exaggerated way; don't let this scare you though, it's normal. The panting usually disappears right away as soon as her maternal instincts kick in. Each puppy is born inside of a membrane sack. Usually the puppy's head and feet come out first, although it's also common to see them come out bottom first. Usually the female's labor does not last a long time with a few minute intervals between each puppy coming out. There are also occasions where the female dog will have a harder time giving birth; on some occasions it takes about three hours wait for each puppy to come out. Check to make sure the dog is comfortable and not having problems, and if you notice that she is, make sure to call the veterinarian right away. The female dog will begin licking vigorously at her puppies in order to remove the membranes that cover them and don't be alarmed if she eats some of membrane and placenta since she will spit it out after each puppy comes out. This process is an ancestral instinct that dogs did to save the lives of their puppies since the placenta could attract predators that would have eaten the puppies. If you think that one of the puppies is not breathing, help the female dog by removing some of the membrane on the nose area of the puppy. Grab the puppy and turn it upside down in order to clean out the phlegm in its mouth and lungs. Then rub the puppy's body with a towel to stimulate breathing. If this does not work, cover the puppy's mouth with your lips and softly breathe until you are able to notice its chest expanding. This should only be done for about fifteen minutes. The ideal is for the veterinarian too see the female dog no longer than twelve hours after she has finished labor to make sure there is not chance of infection, which can cause serious problems such as death. After labor, you should let the female dog as much food as she is able to eat. From the fourth week of life, the female's breast milk will no longer be enough for the puppies and you will have to start introducing new foods into the puppy's diets. By the eight month of age the puppies should be completely weaned.