How Long Are Dogs Pregnant? Gestation For A Dog Pregnancy Explained

To get pregnant first, a female dog has to be in the heat. This occurs roughly once every six months, and the heat period lasts between 18 and 21 days.
Proestrus is the heat cycle's first stage which lasts for about nine days. During this time, female dogs will start to attract males, though they will reject the advances of the males. During this time, the vulva swells, and some bloody vaginal discharge will possibly show. Estrus occurs next, which can last between seven which 11 days or for only a few days. The vulva is already swollen, and the amount of discharge is likely to decrease and lighten in color. It is at this point that mating is permitted by the female Around 14 days into the heat cycle, Diestrus occurs. The female will no longer permit mating at this stage, all swelling and discharge cease, and the cycle ends. Anestrus refers to the amount of time after the end of one heat cycle and the start of the next one. This lasts, in most cases, about six months.

In the earliest stages of a dog’s pregnancy, there will be very few outward signs. You may notice some weight gain, but there are several reasons a dog might gain weight that isn’t relatedto pregnancy.
Noticeable symptoms of pregnancy usually don’t appear until the third or fourth week. During this time, some dogs suffer from morning sickness, tiredness, or lack of appetite.
Again, other medical conditions result in similar symptoms, so it is important to consult a vet if you suspect your dog is pregnant. Throughout the day, dogs that vomit due to pregnancy should be served small meals, rather than two larger meals.
Between the 25th and 28th day of pregnancy, a vet will be able to feel the belly to determine if puppies are on the way. Only a professional vet should do this. If you try to feel for puppies on your own, you could harm the fetuses or cause a miscarriage.

Around day 40, the belly will start to expand. The nipples may get darker and start to swell. It’s normal for some milky fluid to discharge from the nipples, and it shouldn’t cause you concern. You can check with your vet if anything seems out of the ordinary.
During the final stages of pregnancy, the belly may start to sway when the mother dog walks. Around two weeks before she gives birth, you’ll probably be able to see and feel the puppies moving inside the mother’s belly.
For someone who’s not a professional or doesn’t have experience with pregnant dogs, the symptoms of pregnancy can be confused with other conditions, even at the later stages. Your the vet will be able to run several tests to find out if your dog is pregnant for sure, and you should rely on their professional medical advice.

When a dog becomes pregnant, at about day seven, the embryos start to pass through the uterine horn. The embryos will be incorporated in the uterine lining by day 16, and the fetuses will begin to develop by day 22. A vet will be able to see the heartbeats of the fetuses with ultrasound from about day 28 to day 30.
Around day 32, the puppies' eyelids start to grow. Toes shape about day 35, claws come about day 40, and by around day 45, the coat and skeleton come in. A veterinarian will perform an x-ray after day 50, to see the skeletons of the puppies and shape an accurate count of how many in the litter to expect. The puppies should be fully developed by about the 58th day.

When the puppies have completely grown, the mother dog will begin searching for a place to nest and give birth. Within the next three to four days, labor should start. Labor occurs in three phases and should be monitored by a vet or someone with expertise, as complications may occur.
The first period of labor is about twelve to 24 hours long. Contractions begin in the uterus at this period, but there may be no visible signs of contractions yet. The mother may appear nervous, refuse to eat, vomit, pant, or display other signs of the beginning of labor.
During the second stage of gestation, which may take up to 24 hours, the mother dog gives birth to her puppies. The mother dog normally gives birth to a puppy every 30 to 60 minutes, but each one does not take more than two hours. It is beneficial to rely on the x-rays of a vet to know the number of expected puppies, so when stage two is complete, it is obvious.
When the placenta emerges, the third stage of childbirth begins, and it will possibly occur at about the same time as stage two. When the last of the placentas have been supplied, stage three is complete, and it should be done immediately after the end of stage two.

Because ?symptoms of dog pregnancy can mimic signs of other medical conditions, it’s important to have your vet run diagnostics if you suspect your dog is pregnant. Your ?veterinarian will run some tests at several stages of the pregnancy and give you advice on how to care for and feed your pregnant dog. It’s important to note that many medications and supplements are not recommended for pregnant dogs and may harm ?puppies, so make sure your vet knows about anything you give your dog regularly so they can let you know what’s safe.
By around day 28 of pregnancy, your vet will be able to perform abdominal palpitations to see if your dog is pregnant, and they can show you how to feel for yourself. You should not attempt to do this on your own, as you can easily harm the fetuses or cause a miscarriage.
At this time, the fetuses will feel like small golf balls or grapes. Between days 28 to 35, your vet can run an ultrasound and detect the heartbeats of the puppies. They’ll be able to estimate how many puppies to expect in the litter, but they’ll be able to give a more accurate count once they can perform an x-ray later on in the pregnancy.
After around day 30, your vet can give your dog a blood test to detect the hormone relaxing. Dogs’ bodies only release this hormone during pregnancy, so detecting it will let you know that your dog is pregnant.
It’s only around day 45 to 55 that a vet can perform an x-ray to see the skeletons of the puppies and accurately know the litter size. The closer this is done to the end of the pregnancy, the more accurate the count will be.

Read more about a Dog's Pregnancy