Pregnant Dogs

Pregnant Dog and looking after its healthcare requirements, especially when it’s expecting puppies. Of course, most pet owners might turn to their vets when their dogs are pregnant. However, your vet won’t be available at 3 am in the morning, and suddenly your dog starts to experience pre-pregnancy issues. This is where learning what to know and what to do can be of great help.

Firstly, your Border Collie needs to be old enough to handle pregnancy. It should be at least three years old but no less than two. Because bitches are typically bred too early, and border collies are famously “overbred,” their lifespans are shortened.

Furthermore, the status of your Border Collies’ vaccines should also be known before getting pregnant. If you’ve been planning her pregnancy, you’ve hopefully ensured your dog is genetically healthy and free of any problems. With the basics out of the way, here are a few other things to know about your pregnant Border Collie.

Signs Your Border Collie is Pregnant

Here are a few indicators that show you’re dealing with a pregnant Border Collie:

• Your collie will have an increased appetite in the second half of pregnancy.
• She may be more reserved than usual.
• Following conception, your dog will gain weight, most evident around her tummy. This should start to happen around one month after pregnancy.
• Similar to human morning sickness, your collie may vomit in the early stages of illness, but this should pass fast.
• Her teats will enlarge, their colour will become more apparent, and they may start to produce pale liquid a month after mating.
• She’ll probably release some mucous about a month after mating.

Visiting the Vet for with a Pregnant Dog

If you see the signs mentioned above, you probably have a pregnant Border Collie on your hands. However, to ensure that’s the case, the next best thing is to take your dog to the vet and get a pregnancy check.

The veterinarian will employ ultrasonography or a pregnancy test similar to those used on people. In fact, they should be able to physically inspect your Border collie and determine how many pups are within her womb after one month of pregnancy. This is only a “guestimate,” so it might not be accurate.

Caring for Your Pregnant Border Collie Dog

With a Border Collie, there is no need to alter your routine. You still need to take your dog for regular walks, feed it, and groom it like usual. It doesn’t require any extra vitamins unless your veterinarian explicitly recommends them.

Additionally, there’s no need to increase its calorie intake. Generally speaking, your Border Collie shouldn’t gain more than 10% of its body weight when pregnant. However, take it to the vet if you detect an unexpected weight increase or decrease. Lastly, steer clear of flea and worm medications since they can harm the puppies’ health inside your dog’s womb.

Understanding the Stages of a Pregnant Dog

The embryos of the dog are lodged in the uterus by week three, where they will grow. By week four, take the puppy back to the veterinarian for a full pregnancy check-up. An ultrasound can help determine how many puppies your pregnant Border Collie carries. Additionally, this ultrasound examines the pregnancy’s health and provides a chance to address any issues. Although you can still exercise your Border collie at this stage of pregnancy, avoid any more vigorous activities.

By week five, the puppies have entered the second trimester of pregnancy. This is when their organs start to develop, and each foetus gains weight. Avoid over-exerting your dog, and keep it away from excessively energizing activities. Your Border collie should eat more during this time to gain weight.

By week six, the foetuses grow larger and heavier and start to resemble pups. So, your dog needs extra food to keep up with the rapid development. It is advised to increase its protein intake during this time. However, your pregnant Border Collie may appear less interested in food than usual, but this is more often due to pain than a lack of hunger. Instead of two meals daily, adjust feeding schedules to modest quantities throughout the day. Also, ask your veterinarian about supplementing your dog’s food with a multivitamin.

The pups should be almost fully formed by week eight. You could have another ultrasound at this point, but it’s not required. However, knowing exactly how many puppies your Border collie carries is important.

Your Border collie should start producing milk, which is a terrific sign that labour is about to commence. The delivery normally takes place a week after this. So, to make things less taxing for your pregnant Border Collie during labour and delivery and while she’s nursing her puppies, it’s a good idea to gently groom her and trim the region around her vulva and teats.

Understanding the Birth

Border collies often give birth without difficulty. So other than being present for her, you shouldn’t need to be more involved than usual. You should call the vet if you see any discoloured discharge or if your dog is struggling to give birth without success.

Dogs may give birth in a matter of minutes or hours. Keep an eye on her and watch her stress levels; if she becomes overly stressed or appears to be having trouble, you should call your veterinarian immediately.

Problems You Might Face

• Premature labour (before day 57)
• If labour begins beyond day 68, it will be too late
• Whenever puppies arrive more than three hours apart
• The length of the first labour shouldn’t exceed four hours
• Look for uniformity in the contraction
• Puppies shouldn’t come out all at once
• Congenital disabilities in puppies
• Colourless milk

If your pregnant Border Collie experiences these issues, your best bet is to take her to the vet.

Wrapping Up on Pregnant Dog

Knowing how to take care of your pregnant Border Collie will ensure safe delivery and, most importantly, healthy puppies. However, there is a good chance that you may end up facing issues you didn’t plan for. When this happens, consider taking your dog to your vet if you think that the issue is getting out of hand!