🐕 Vet Guide 2025: Complete Pregnant Dog Care by Dr Duncan Houston

Expecting a litter of puppies? Proper prenatal care makes all the difference. In this comprehensive 2025 guide, Dr Duncan Houston shares expert vet advice to support pregnant dogs—from nutrition and exercise to parasite control and preparing for whelping. 🐶

📅 Is the Litter Planned?

First, consider whether this pregnancy was planned and desired. With over 100 dogs euthanized daily in shelters, breeding should be intentional. If not ready, spaying or medical abortion may be best. Consult your vet and review options like in “Pregnancy Termination in Dogs & Cats.”

🕒 Understanding Canine Pregnancy

Dogs carry puppies for approximately 63 days (~9 weeks). Knowing this timeline helps schedule care milestones.

🍽️ Nutrition: Fueling Mom & Puppies

Puppy or performance-grade food should be introduced early in pregnancy, transitioning gradually:

• First 3 weeks: Continue adult food unless underweight. No supplements needed. ➕
• Weeks 3–6: Appetite may dip—offer palatable foods and small frequent meals. 🥩
• Last 3 weeks: Increase food by ~30–50%; multiple small meals help reduce discomfort :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}.
• Lactation: After whelping, feed ad libitum—up to 2–3× maintenance. 🍼 :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Calcium supplements? Not needed—excess can lead to eclampsia by disrupting hormone regulation :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}.

🚶 Exercise & Body Condition

Maintain regular, moderate exercise—gentle walks are ideal. Skip intense workouts or exposure to unknown dogs after mid-pregnancy :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}.

Obesity must be avoided, but avoid weight loss during pregnancy. Keep vet-guided weight checks ongoing.

🦠 Preventing Infection: Herpesvirus Risk

Canine herpesvirus is typically mild in adults but can devastate litters in the last 3 weeks of pregnancy and early neonatal period. To protect puppies, isolate the dam from other dogs (especially new ones) from 3 weeks pre-whelp to 3 weeks post :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}.

💉 Vaccinations & Parasite Control

• Vaccines: Update vaccinations *before* breeding—avoid during pregnancy. Antibodies pass via colostrum :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}.
• Heartworm: Safe preventives may continue during pregnancy—check product approval.
• Flea control: Use pregnancy-safe products; essential postpartum.
• Deworming: Roundworms and hookworms can transmit to puppies—e.g., fenbendazole starting 10 days pre-whelp and continuing every 2–3 weeks of nursing :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}.

🩺 Veterinary Monitoring & Fetal Counts

~30 days: Wellness check + ultrasound or blood test to confirm pregnancy.

~45 days: Radiograph visible fetal skeletons—helps count puppies and anticipate delivery needs :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}.

📉 Tracking Labor Onset

During final week, monitor rectal temps twice daily—temp drop of ~2°F (to ~99 °F/37.2 °C) signals labor within 24 hrs :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}.

Additional tools like progesterone tests and ultrasound can refine whelping timelines.

🧰 Preparing for Whelping

Create a whelping area a week in advance. Include:

• A sturdy box with 6–8″ sides
• Easy-to-clean bedding like newspaper
• Clean towels, umbilical ligature, antiseptic solution
• Vet contacts ready, first-aid supplies on hand

⚠️ Recognizing Complications

Prompt vet attention can save lives.

📱 Ask A Vet Support

For guidance on nutrition, parasite control protocols, temp monitoring, or whelping support, visit AskAVet.com or download the Ask A Vet App. Get expert vet help anytime. 🧑‍⚕️

✅ Final Takeaways

From diet and exercise to preventing infections and preparing for whelping, attentive care ensures maternal and neonatal health. Your dedication, guided by vet expertise and Ask A Vet support, helps bring new life into the world safely and confidently. 🌟