Pregnancy in Dogs and Cats

Before breeding your pet it should have a thorough physical examination to be sure it is healthy and mature enough. At that time the doctor can recommend the proper diet and prenatal care for your pet. The normal gestation for both dogs and cats is nine weeks. Shortly before your pet's expected due date a place should be prepared for the delivery. Depending on the size of your pet you may want to build or purchase a whelping or queening box. For large dogs a wooden or plastic box with a large, inward-facing lip around the perimeter of the box will allow a place for the puppies to rest without fear of the mother laying on them. Remember that newborns are not capable of maintaining a normal body temperature. We recommend an ambient temperature of 75-80°. Heating pads are not good to use inside the box as they may cause burns or shocks to the infants.

Normally the mother's body temperature will drop below 100°F one or two days before delivery. The early stage of labor is signaled by restlessness, often there is a decrease in appetite. Expectant mothers may try to urinate or defecate repeatedly because of the early contractions. The expectant mother may make a nest several days prior to delivery. The mother will usually have an increased breathing rate as labor progresses. As labor proceeds she will have stronger contractions where she will try to push. If she is continuously pushing for 30 minutes without delivering a baby or if she intermittently pushes for four hours without delivering she should be seen. If part of the fetus is delivered, either the head or the tail, but the whole infant is not delivered in a few minutes you should gently try to pull. If you have a lot of resistance call the doctor. If you noticed a dark green vaginal discharge before the first baby is born you should see the doctor. This discharge is normal after the first puppy or kitten is born. There will also be a bloody discharge after the delivery. This discharge will normally be present for up to six weeks post partum but should not stay bright red for more than a day or two.

Each puppy or kitten is enclosed in a membrane that the mother should immediately remove. If she doesn't take it off within 30 seconds you should do it. You can use scissors to cut the membrane only. Do not cut the infant. The placenta will be delivered in a few minutes or up to an hour later. In the unusual event where the mother doesn't bite the umbilical cord off you may need to cut it with scissors after tying the cord with thread about 1/2 inch from the abdominal wall. Don't panic if you don't see the placenta delivered. The mother will often eat them before you can see it passed. If possible, we encourage you to discard as much of the afterbirth membranes and tissues as possible before the mother eats them. Sometimes a lot of tissue is eaten it may cause digestive upsets to the mother.

After delivery of the litter we recommend an examination of the mother and babies in the first few days after delivery. In appropriate breeds of dogs you should have the tails docked and dewclaws removed near three days after birth. Don't delay this! Call for an appointment as soon as you can. Doing this at an early age can save hundreds of dollars!

It is a good idea to purchase a can or two of puppy or kitten milk replacer and a baby bottle before the litter is born, just in case the mother can't or won't nurse them. Also, in small breeds of dogs, especially if a large litter is born, the mother should have an oral calcium supplement given after she whelps. Do not start calcium supplementation more than four days before the expected delivery date.

The mother's nutrition is very important while she nurses her young. She should have fresh water always available. In most cases we suggest that the mother be fed the highest quality food available. A premium food should be fed free choice (always available) while she nurses her young. Most puppies and kittens are weaned by six weeks of age. Start the weaning process at about 3 1/2 - 4 weeks post partum by taking a quality puppy or kitten food and mixing it with water. Make a gruel out of the mixture. You may want to run it through the blender. Put the gruel in a flat pan, a pie dish works well. If the juvenile doesn't know how to eat just set the puppy in the food mixture. It will lick the food off it's feet and normally start eating the food. Offer food to the youngsters four times daily. Do not overfeed as it will cause diarrhea. They should eat all they need in 10 minutes. When the babies have mastered eating the food you can decrease the amount of water added to the food. At about 5 1/2 weeks old you can completely separate the puppies from mom. Do not feed the mom this day. This will help stop her milk production. Keep the babies completely separated from mom for at least a week. The puppies or kittens can go to a new home in 3 or 4 days after being weaned.

Normally we recommend that vaccinations be started at 7-8 weeks of age. They should also be dewormed. Just as newborn humans need regular health exams to ensure normal development and health, puppies and kittens should receive a physical exam with every vaccination. This is very important. At the first vaccination exam the veterinarian will recommend a vaccine schedule to follow.