What Does My Pregnant Dog Need? Tips To Create a Perfect Whelping Space

What does a pregnant dog need to ensure a safe, easy whelping process?

Preparation - plus love and careful attention - are of course key to make your dog’s pregnancy and delivery as smooth as possible.

Making sure a mother dog is carefully looked after during her pregnancy and through the whelping process will help to ease what can be a stressful time. This care and preparation includes making sure your dog’s health is maintained; giving her the correct nutritional food, regular gentle exercise, and creating a perfect whelping space for her when the time comes.

Helping a Whelping Dog Prepare

Throughout the pregnancy, it’s important to have the mother dog checked by a vet, to ensure that both mum and puppies are healthy - and to give you a good idea when they are likely to be born so that you can be prepared.

Dogs like to know that they have a safe, comfortable space they can retreat to when they reach the whelping stage of their pregnancy, So, once you have an idea of when your dog will give birth, it’s important to create the perfect space, where your dog can feel safe, whelp her pups, and nurture them until they are up and running around.

Tips To Create a Perfect Whelping Space

Provide a Whelping Box / Area

Your expectant mother dog will naturally seek out a quiet place to give birth, but you can help her by providing a perfect whelping space.

This should be an area/box that is big enough for her and her pups to lie down and stretch out - but not too big so that it gets draughty, or the puppies could be lost! The ideal whelping box should have 4 sides, with one side lower so that mum can get in and out easily - while preventing the pups from escaping once they are mobile. The box should also have lots of comfy bedding and paper to soak up any birthing fluids.

This area should be kept quiet, dry and at an even temperature with low light.

Create a quiet, secure place

Dogs like to give birth in a private area that is away from the hustle and bustle of lots of people or other animals. It should be a secure, comfortable place where the mother dog feels safe to bring her pups into the world. Once the space is ready, introduce the mother to her whelping area well in advance of her due date so she can get used to it and make it her own. For example, she may have an instinct to hoard food, start to scratch the floor, change her routine or want to retreat to the space to get some alone time.

Keep the house calm and quiet

Although most expectant dogs carry on as normal during pregnancy, it’s best that they don’t get overexcited, particularly when close to their due date.

At this stage, your dog will be much larger, and easily tired. So, ensure that everyone respects her need to keep calm and quiet, avoiding any sudden noises that may spook her or result in any stress.

Keep other animals away

It’s important that the whelping area is for your pregnant dog only; don’t let any other animals in the space at any time. Unfamiliar smells may make her uneasy and could make her feel protective - leading to whelping aggressiveness.

Although light outdoor exercise is encouraged during early pregnancy, once your dog enters the whelping stage, it’s best to give her gentle exercise indoors rather than taking her outside where other animals will be around. This will help prevent her from contracting illnesses that might impact her and her puppies’ health.

Make sure clean water is always available

As your pregnant dog gets closer to the whelping stage, her abdomen will get larger and she may get more tired and thirsty. It’s important that you provide plenty of water for her at this stage, and ensure she has good food with a high protein content, fat and minerals. She will be hungry as she is eating for more than one!

Provide comfort when your dog wants it!

Give her the care and attention she seeks - most pregnant dogs will want to stay close to you but she may also want to take herself to her whelping area and begin nesting. Let her call the shots - it’s only natural that she will want care and attention, but also time alone where she won’t be disturbed!

Don’t reprimand your dog for nesting

The urge to nest is normal behaviour for a pregnant dog. If you find your dog hoarding food, scratching the floor or being irritable, don’t lose your cool with her. Some pregnant dogs may become a little more aggressive if there are sudden noises or strangers around, whilst others are more calm and may want more attention. Again, follow your pet’s lead and give her the space she needs.

Monitor food intake in case of complications

When you suspect your dog might be pregnant, it’s important to have her checked over by a vet to ensure that she is healthy and has no underlying medical conditions that need to be monitored during the pregnancy.

It’s also key that you ensure your dog is eating food that will supply the right levels of protein and nutrients to support her through her pregnancy. Feeding her puppy food can be a good way to provide additional nutrients, as it provides more energy than adult dog food - and as it is normally smaller in size, it is easier for your expectant dog to digest.

Be aware that pregnant dogs may become less active and may not want to eat as much, so giving her food that is higher in protein and nutrients will help sustain her through pregnancy - and also whilst she is feeding her puppies.

However, when trialling new food, always introduce it a little at a time. A mother dog’s stomach will be more sensitive during pregnancy so any new food should be introduced slowly to ensure it doesn’t upset her. Lastly, always make sure she has easy access to plenty of fresh, clean drinking water.

Allow Instinct To Take Over - But Watch For Distress

When birth is imminent, your dog will instinctively seek out her whelping area/ box and nature will normally take its course. However, always keep an eye on her and if there are any signs of complication, have the vet’s emergency number to hand.

Complications might include:

● Lowered temperature - with no labour. A lowered dog labour temperature is a sign that your dog is due to give birth, so if she fails to go into labour within 24 hours of her temperature dropping, there may be a problem.

● Contractions for longer than 30 minutes, but no puppies. If she has had contractions for more than 20-30 minutes and she has not produced a puppy, or the contractions between puppies are more than 20-30 minutes you may need to contact the vet for help.

● Discharge, but no puppies. If no puppy is born within four hours of your bitch passing a green or red/brown vaginal discharge, be prepared to call the vet.

● Delivery difficulties. If your dog is having problems delivering, although you can see a puppy, call the vet immediately.

As a general rule, if something seems unusual, your dog seems especially distressed or you are concerned, it is always wise to contact the vet.

Use ADAPTIL for a Calm Environment

Some doggy mums may be more susceptible to stress than others so they may need some help to stay calm during and after the whelping process.

ADAPTIL® has been shown to have calming effects in both young and adult dogs under a wide variety of stressful situations.

ADAPTIL® Calm used around the time of giving birth and during the first three weeks after birth improves maternal behaviour and reduces stress. Owners noted that dog mothers’ attention towards puppies was significantly higher and nursing improved significantly as they were more comfortable and calm. Mother-puppies relationships were also significantly better when they were exposed to ADAPTIL® Calm.