how-long-are-dogs-pregnant

Doesn’t your canine pet slay you with her cuteness? Yes, they are amazing little creatures on earth who amuse us every time. If your dog is carrying puppies in her belly, the joy is limitless.

Unlike humans, they have a shorter gestation period. It is usually 63 days but is 60 or 66 in some rare cases. Just like a human pregnancy, the duration of pregnancy in dogs also divides into trimesters.

Each trimester has 21 days. There are specific obvious symptoms to confirm whether a dog is gravid or not. But, only a veterinary can confirm whether your canine pet is pregnant for sure. Just if your doggie’s belly bulge, it can’t prove a pregnancy.

There are many symptoms, due to certain diseases, that you may mistake it for pregnancy. From an ultrasound test to an X-ray test, from an X-ray test to a blood test, there are numerous ways to confirm whether your pet’s bulged belly has cute puppies inside.

 

The Procreative Cycle

Just like a girl attains puberty, the dogs mature when they are six months old. The period when these dogs breed is called heat. This estrus stage can be a little longer in some larger breeds. It is because they attain sexual maturity at the age of 2. The period during which the dogs allow their mates to mount on them and become pregnant is called heat. This session may last for a maximum of 21 days.

The procreative cycle of your dog splits into four stages. It is the period when the canine creatures experience a physiological as well as mental change. These stages break into four as below:

  • Proestrus
  • Estrus
  • Diestrus
  • Anestrus

 

More About Each Stage

Proestrus is the period just before the heat period when they start to divert their mate’s attention towards them. This stage lasts for nine days. During this stage, the dogs may have vulvar discharge, swelling of vulva signifying the inception of proestrus period. During these days, she may appear to be nervous, very hungry and show definite signs to the male fellow canines.

Estrus is the period when they actively attract their mate. They do this by flagging, raising the rear portion as an invitation to canine intercourse. A common breed will get into estrus a couple of times or maybe three times a year. But, larger dogs like St. Bernard or Great Danes, may have it only once a year.

Diestrus is the stage when the bloody discharge becomes redder, and they return to normalcy. They don’t attract their male counterparts any longer.

Anestrus stage lasts for four months, and this is the period when there is no discharge or bulging of the vulva in bitches. During this period, the dog doesn’t show any interest in male canines. There are no signs of pregnancy too. These days, the dog’s uterus is preparing itself for the next pregnancy.

 

How Long Are the Dogs Pregnant?

Next to the reproductive cycle, let us get into the period of gestation in dogs. Even a veterinary can’t determine the correct time when the fusion of egg and sperm happened with accuracy.

Do you know that the sperm can live for long periods in the female body before it disintegrates? Similarly, a red egg can be alive for a couple of days.

If you doubt your cute doggie is pregnant, take her to a vet. He will conduct several tests to confirm a pregnancy. Besides, he will perform a hormone test to check whether the symptoms are of a real pregnancy.

There are specific symptoms of diseases that mimic the symptoms of pregnancy. The vet will collect the vaginal smear and blood of your pet to confirm whether your pet is in the breeding process.

Usually, the reproductive period is determined from the first day of mating, or the first day of diestrus. If the vet takes into account the diestrus, it is only 57 days. If your dog is primiparous, that is, pregnant for the first time; it may be 70 to 72 days. If the dog’s body indicates a rise in the hormone-progesterone, it is 65-66 days, roughly.

It is crucial to know the exact day when she got pregnant for the healthy physical condition of both the parent and the pups.

Once you know your pet is pregnant, you should take extra care of her during the gestation period. This period is nine weeks in dogs divided into three stages. Unlike a human embryo, the puppies, grow at an increased rate, reducing the gestation period to 63 days.

 

What Happens During the 1st Month?

Immediately after mating, the sperm of the dog gets implanted in the uterine line of the bitch between 3 to 11 days. The embryo sits in the uterine walls of the mother about 18 days from conception. There will be a fetal heartbeat by the end of the first month. A vet may be able to observe this through an ultrasound.

When pregnant, your dogs will give cues or signs. They may become more affectionate to you or may have morning sickness like humans. Their nipples will increase in size or will frequently become hungry. They will have more vaginal discharge during the initial stage of pregnancy.

 

What Happens During the 2nd Month?

During the second month, you can see the puppies moving inside the mom’s tummy. She will show aversion to food from 45 days of pregnancy, urinate quite frequently, have more vaginal discharge. She will always be in search of a place to nurse her puppies from the 58th day of her pregnancy.

 

What Happens During the Last Month?

The third and the final month, they appear to be jumpy, not hungry at all or a sudden drop in body temperature two days before pregnancy. It takes at least one or two days for a doggie to deliver puppies. The puppies come out one after the other. The delivery time lasts for an hour or two.

 

Conclusion

In short, the reproductive period of a dog is 63 to 66 days. If your doggie is pregnant for the first time, it can stretch up to 70 to 72 days. A mature dog has to be in heat to get impregnated by a male dog. During this period, dogs show positive signs attracting a mate.

If you doubt your canine pet is pregnant, consult a vet. He will read the visible symptoms or do a test to confirm your dog is pregnant. If you find your dog craving for food more than usual, she is so loving, and you can understand your dog is pregnant.

 

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