How long does it take for a dog to give birth after pregnancy? This is a question that parents are very concerned about. Understanding this issue will help parents take good care of their pregnant dogs in a timely and reasonable manner. The gestation period of a dog is 60 days! If you feel worried, you can send it to an animal hospital for care before giving birth. The elders often say "cats, three dogs and four". This is a familiar saying among dog owners! How to take care of a dog during pregnancy?

Labrador

In the early stages of a dog's pregnancy, although the mammary gland tissue and uterus of the female dog have been properly developed, there is no need to increase the dog's energy supply. The last three weeks of the dog's pregnancy are its important period. Overfeeding in the early stages of dog pregnancy will inevitably lead to unnecessary fat deposition in the female dog to prevent dystocia.

The most reasonable feeding method for dogs during pregnancy is to increase the weekly feeding amount by 15% from the 5th week of pregnancy. When giving birth (9th week), the female dog’s food intake will be 10% more than during breeding. sixty.

If your dog is pregnant with many babies, it may lose its appetite in the week before delivery or 7-10 days before delivery due to the enlarged abdomen and reduced exercise. At this time, eating small amounts and frequent meals is a good idea. The purpose of scientific feeding is to prevent the female dog from becoming too obese, maintain a normal appetite and provide nutrition to meet the needs of the mother and child. About 2 days before giving birth, the female dog's nipples droop and a small amount of milk can be squeezed out.

Under normal conditions, the dog's lactation period is 45 days. Under normal circumstances, the puppy's weaning period is also about 40 days. Puppies spend the first 2 weeks after birth eating and sleeping, and usually open their eyes around 7-13 days old.

How to take care of a lactating female dog?

It is wise to give lactating female dogs highly palatable and easily digestible food, and adopt the method of small and frequent meals. Ensuring adequate and uninterrupted fresh drinking water is a must, because the main component of breast milk is water. The quantity and quality of protein affects milk production, so supplement with additional high-quality foods rather than just high-fat or just high-carbohydrate foods. If the lactating female dog's diet is nutritionally balanced dog food, there is no need to supplement vitamins and minerals.