How long dogs are pregnant has a surprisingly precise answer: roughly 63 days, or about nine weeks. In practice, one reckons with a range of 58 to 68 days measured from mating, and most bitches give birth within that window. Ovulation and fertilisation do not necessarily occur on the same day as the mating itself, and that is why the calculated due date can shift by a few days in either direction. If the timing of ovulation has been determined by the veterinarian, the prediction becomes more precise, because the gestation counted from fertilisation itself is remarkably constant at around 63 days.
The length depends only to a limited extent on the breed. A chihuahua and a great dane are pregnant for roughly the same amount of time, even though litter size and puppy weight are vastly different. Large litters do, however, tend to arrive a little earlier, while a small litter is sometimes carried slightly longer. That does not change the fact that nine weeks is the framework you should plan around.
How the nine weeks of gestation break down into three phases
The pregnancy naturally divides into three periods of about three weeks each. In the first phase, roughly the first 21 days, surprisingly little is visible. The fertilised eggs travel down into the uterus and implant, but the bitch largely looks and behaves as normal. Some bitches become a touch calmer or have a briefly reduced appetite, which can resemble a mild form of morning sickness, but it is not something everyone experiences.
In the middle phase, from around day 21 to day 42, the signs begin to appear more clearly. The nipples become more prominent, the appetite increases, and during this period a veterinarian can confirm the pregnancy with ultrasound. The foetuses grow quickly, and the bitch's weight begins to increase noticeably. The final phase, from day 42 until the birth, is when the belly really rounds out, the puppies can be felt moving, and preparations for the birth get under way. Many bitches begin to seek out a quiet spot and nest in the days beforehand.
When can you tell that a bitch is pregnant?
The outward signs rarely appear before the middle of the process. Before day 21 it is virtually impossible to tell from a bitch whether she is expecting puppies, and even an experienced owner can be mistaken. From around the fourth to fifth week it becomes clearer: the belly fills out more, the nipples develop, and behaviour often shifts towards more rest and closeness. If you want certainty early on, a trip to the veterinarian is the sure way. An ultrasound scan can detect pregnancy as early as the third to fourth week, while an X-ray late in the process can count how many puppies are on the way. If you are in doubt about your bitch's condition or wellbeing along the way, it is always the veterinarian who should assess it.
Feeding the pregnant bitch throughout the process
The need for energy and nutrition does not increase from day one. In the first half of the pregnancy the bitch has largely the same needs as normal, and it is neither necessary nor advisable to overfeed early on. From around the fifth week, when the foetuses really begin to grow, the energy requirement rises gradually, and in the final weeks before the birth the bitch may need significantly more nutrition than usual. Because the belly gradually fills out and makes room in the stomach cramped, it is often an advantage to split the day's ration into several smaller meals, so that she can take in enough without feeling overfull.
The quality of the meals the bitch receives during this period matters a great deal, because she has to cover both her own needs and build up new lives. Meals composed of fresh raw ingredients and human-grade components provide a solid foundation, and a bitch in the final third often benefits from the same high nutrient density that characterises puppy meals. In the Beginning - kibble you will find precisely grain-free meals, cooked for the finest beginning with carefully selected local and regional delicacies, which many choose to introduce towards the birth and through lactation. For those days when the appetite needs a little extra tempting, a soft, prepared meal such as THE BEGINNING PÂTÉ, 400G can help make the meal inviting.
Because nutrition in this phase has a direct impact on both bitch and puppies, it is worth getting the advice in place in good time. ESSENTIAL FOODS' nutrition advisers are ready by phone, chat or email and help find the right feeding and the right amounts throughout the pregnancy and the time after the birth.
Signs that the birth is approaching
As the roughly 63 days draw to a close, the body sends several signals. One of the most reliable is a drop in the bitch's body temperature within the final 24 hours before the birth, where the temperature typically dips noticeably. Many bitches lose their appetite completely in the hours beforehand, become restless, rest poorly and start nesting in the spot they have chosen. The behaviour often becomes searching and withdrawn, and some want their human close by, while others pull away. If you are unsure whether the birth is proceeding as it should, or a long time passes without progress, you should contact your veterinarian.
From birth to the first puppy meals
After the birth the high nutritional demand continues, for now the bitch must produce milk for the whole litter. Lactation is in fact the most demanding period of the entire process, often more so than the pregnancy itself, and here the bitch needs plenty of nutrient-dense food. When the puppies, after a few weeks, begin to taste solid food, it is an advantage that the transition happens with meals created for precisely that phase. At ESSENTIAL FOODS the whole journey has been thought through in puppy, a carefully considered universe where the advice comes directly from us, so you have help at hand from the first puppy meals onwards.
Although the answer to how long dogs are pregnant is simple, the nine weeks are a period that rewards thorough preparation. If you get to grips with the phases, adjust the feeding along the way and have the veterinarian on the sidelines, you give both bitch and puppies the best possible start to what lies ahead.