Your Dog is Showing Nesting Behaviors
In the latter stages of pregnancy, the mother dog may start to show some nesting behavior. She may start to pick up household materials, such as paper and cloth, in order to build a nest. Most of this may occur in a secluded area of the house.
It’s strongly recommended that you support the female dog in this process by building a whelping box for her in preparation for the newborn puppies. The whelping area serves a number of purposes such as providing newborn puppies enough warmth, and containing them in a safe area. A heating pad will also be an excellent addition to the whelping box.
People who are attempting to breed their dog should be aware of the signs she exhibits after breeding. They should provide her with the proper care and attention, but remember that nature mostly takes its course on its own. The owner needs to provide a suitable whelping box for delivery and monitor the dogâs ability to care for her pups. All puppies should see a veterinarian for routine de-worming by three weeks of age and should be weaned between three and four weeks.
Susana is an avid animal lover and has been around animals her entire life, and has volunteered at several different animal shelters in Southern California. She has a loving family at home that consists of her husband, son, two dogs, and one cat. She enjoys trying new Italian recipes, playing piano, making pottery, and outdoor hiking with her family and dogs in her spare time.
Owners who have a pregnant dog but are unfamiliar with delivery and aftercare should consult their veterinarian for information. If the dog is pregnant but the owner had no intentions of breeding her, he or she should be responsible in her care and that of the puppies and then have the dog spayed as soon as possible.
A pregnant dog requires good nutrition to develop healthy puppies. Veterinarians may recommend protein supplements or other additions to the dogâs diet and owners should be aware that a the dog may have an increased appetite. Fluid intake is also important and thirst may increase, so owners should be sure to provide fresh water at all times.
Keeping an Eye on Water Consumption
Its easier to notice changes in your dogs thirst or drinking behavior if you develop a water bowl routine.
Water is critical to your dogs health and well-being. Never deprive your dog of water. If youre worried your dog is drinking too much (or not enough), dont wait, give your vet a call.
How to Tell if a Dog Is Pregnant
Dogs are messy, hit-and-miss drinkers, so it can sometimes be hard to know just how much water they get in a day.
Most need about an ounce of fluids per pound of body weight per day, so a 10-pound dog needs a bit over a cup of clean water daily. Really active or lactating dogs may need more and puppies generally drink more than adult dogs. If your dog drinks a lot more than that, it may signal a health problem. Read on to learn more.
Many things can affect how much your dog drinks, from weather to activity level to diet.
Common sense should be your guide when it comes to your dogs thirst. If your canine companion is drinking so excessively youre noticing the change, its probably time to talk to your vet who, with a few tests, can get at the root cause of your dogs increased thirst.
Hot summer days, play, exercise, illness, infection — all of these can lead to dehydration in dogs and trigger them to seek water. Along with increased thirst, signs that your pet may be dehydrated include: lethargy; dry gums and tongue; and thick rope-like saliva.
Dehydration can turn life-threatening fast, so if you suspect your dog is very dehydrated, seek veterinary care right away. If your dog seems mildly dehydrated but is not vomiting, give your pet small amounts of water — one teaspoon for a little dog, 1-2 tablespoons for larger dogs — every ten minutes for a few hours.
Dont let your dog have free access to a lot of liquids when they are dehydrated, as drinking too much too fast could cause vomiting.
Many conditions can lead to excessive thirst or dehydration in your dog, including diabetes, Cushings disease, cancer, diarrhea, fever, infection, kidney disease, and liver disease,
Sometimes, however, it may not be the condition itself causing your dogs excessive thirst, but the medication used to treat it. Talk to a vet about your dogs medication and its side effects; if drugs are behind your dogs thirst, the vet may be able to lower the dosage.
A dry food diet — which may be as little as 5%-10% water — can also lead to noticeable thirst in your dog. High sodium foods will also cause your dog to drink more.
Large amounts of salt can be poisonous to your pet, so avoid sharing highly salty “people” food with your dog. Signs your dog may have eaten too many sodium-rich treats include tremors, diarrhea, depression, and vomiting.