Can a dog give birth at 59 days? Surprising Answer

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What is Early Contractions and Labor?

The normal gestation period for female dogs is approximately 63 days. Depending on the breed, pregnancy can range from 56 to 69 days, with smaller dogs generally giving birth slightly earlier. The beginning of labor is usually marked by a drop in body temperature and sometimes lack of appetite in the pregnant bitch, or dam. This is followed by the first stage of labor, when the dam starts experiencing mild to moderate uterine contractions and the cervix starts to dilate. The contractions last up to 16 hours, and are marked by behavior changes, as well as sometimes vomiting, panting or vocal noises. Stage two labor starts when the contractions become more extreme, the placental sac breaks and the puppies begin to be pushed out. Stage three labor occurs after all the puppies have appeared and the uterus is emptied of any remaining placental matter. Most female dogs have straight forward pregnancies and give birth without incident, but a number of conditions including infectious diseases, hormone imbalances, genetic abnormalities and stress can cause a dam to go into labor early and either have a spontaneous abortion (a miscarriage) or give birth to premature puppies. In most cases the bitch will survive, although she may have trouble getting pregnant and/or whelping going forward. Puppies born more than a few days early have little chance of survival and may even be stillborn.

Almost 98% of dogs give birth without incident, but in a few cases, an infection or another abnormality may cause a dog to go into labor before the right time. This is defined as early contractions and labor (or premature labor) by veterinarians. It can lead to miscarriage as well as stillborn or premature puppies, depending on what stage of gestation the bitch is in. Certain conditions may affect the females fertility and ability to reproduce going forward.Youtube Play

Early Contractions and Labor Average Cost

From 367 quotes ranging from $300 – $5,000

Causes of Early Contractions and Labor in Dogs

These are some of the most common conditions which might cause your dog to abort a pregnancy or to go into labor before the proper time:

Puppy abnormalities

  • Severe Congenital Birth defects
  • Genetic abnormalities
  • Developmental abnormalities

    • Health problems in the dam

  • Hypothyroidism
  • Progesterone deficiency
  • Nutritional deficiency
  • Structural abnormalities in the uterus
  • Exposure to drugs or toxic compounds (especially steroids)
  • In utero stress –adverse environment in the uterus, due to stress, overcrowding or bacterial infection
  • Being very young or old
  • Trauma

    • Infections that lead to early termination of a pregnancy

  • Bacterial infections. One example is Brucella canis –common cause of pregnancy aborted late, after 45-55 days. Puppies are usually stillborn
  • Canine Herpesvirus – puppies are often born premature, either stillborn or too weak to live
  • Canine Distemper, Canine Adenovirus, or Canine Parvovirus– female dogs with severe infection will usually not carry a pregnancy to term
  • Protozoal infection

    • One Week Prior

    A week prior to the estimated big birthday, its a good idea to clip your dogs hair around the belly and rear, literally from tail to ankles. This will help prevent getting her coat stained with birth fluids, which are known for being almost impossible to remove, especially in light-colored dogs. If you are unable to, or unwilling to clip the whole tail, the next best option would be to wrap the tail using vet wrap right when the whelping process starts.

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