Preface: What are the most obvious signs of dog parturition? Generally speaking, the pregnancy period of dogs is 58-65 days (average 63 days). In the week before the birth, it is recommended that dog owners take their dogs to the pet hospital for an X-ray examination. This can not only determine the number of fetuses, but also determine whether the dog will have a difficult birth based on the size of the fetal skull and the pelvis of the mother dog.
If you don’t know when the dog was mated, you can use ultrasound to examine the size of the fetal skull to calculate the number of days of pregnancy, and then understand when the dog is about to give birth.
When the female dog is close to 60 days of pregnancy, some signs of birth will gradually appear:
The female dog begins to appear restless, constantly scratching the floor and cushions with her front paws, performing nesting actions.
Most female dogs stop eating or only pick a few favorite foods to eat within 24 hours before giving birth; some may vomit slightly before giving birth.
Generally, the body temperature of dogs is about 38.5~39.5℃, and the body temperature of the mother dog will gradually decrease on the day of birth. The closer it is to birth, the lower it is. The body temperature may drop to about 36℃ within 24 hours before birth.
Usually, dogs mostly give birth in the middle of the night or early morning, and not all mother dogs will have the above symptoms at the same time. However, when these signs appear, it is necessary to be ready for birth at any time. The mother dog who is about to give birth will constantly turn back and forth, arch her back, her abdomen will become larger, and she will begin to have contractions and labor pains.
I. Physiological changes
- Mammary glands
Before giving birth, the mammary glands will rapidly enlarge and be full of milk glands. Some female dogs can squeeze out milk 1-2 days before giving birth.
- Birth canal
The cervix begins to enlarge and relax 1-2 days before birth; the vaginal wall becomes soft, the vaginal mucosa becomes red, and the vaginal mucus becomes thin and lubricating; the external genitalia and labia majora swell obviously and become relaxed.
- Others
Near the time of delivery, the pelvic ligaments of the mother dog begin to relax, the ischial tuberosity of the hindquarters sinks, the hindquarters become soft, and the hindquarters collapse obviously.
II. Behavioral changes
- Mental state
Before giving birth, the mother dog shows depression, wandering, accelerated breathing, and the more approaching birth, the more obvious the uneasiness becomes. She may tear things, make low moans or screams, etc. This is especially obvious in first-time mother dogs.
- Appetite
Most mother dogs show a significant decrease in appetite within 24 hours before giving birth, only eating a small amount of favorite food, or even refusing to eat. Some mother dogs may also show normal appetite before giving birth.
- Defecation
Before giving birth, the stool becomes thinner, the frequency of urination increases, and the amount of excretion decreases.
III. Body temperature changes
There are obvious changes in the body temperature of the mother dog before giving birth. In the last few weeks of pregnancy, the body temperature of the mother dog is slightly lower than the normal body temperature. The most obvious change in body temperature is 24 hours before birth, when the body temperature will drop to 36.5-37.2 degrees.
Most mother dogs will have the lowest body temperature 9 hours before giving birth, which is more than 1 degree lower than the normal body temperature. When the body temperature begins to rise, it indicates that the birth is approaching. The obvious change in body temperature before giving birth is one of the important indicators to predict birth. At this time, we need to observe carefully and be ready to welcome the arrival of our pet’s birth moment.
