Sings of a Dog Sensing You’re Going Into Labor
With so many stories all over the web about dogs sensing their humans were going into labor before they even knew it, there are a few common signs that suggest a dogs intuition about detecting labor is very real. Many dogs are very clingy when their human mom is pregnant. They may follow them around a lot, sleep with them, and always want to be by their side.
However, when you are near the end of your pregnancy, and your due date is fast approaching, many doggy moms claim their dog became even clingier and more present throughout the day. Your dog may seem extra needy, they may follow you to the bathroom, outside, into the kitchen, or even just across the room if you need to throw something in the trash. Your dog is probably doing this to make sure you are okay at all time because they know what is coming next.
Additionally, many dogs will even go a step further and rub and heads and snouts on your belly on the day or day before you go into labor. Its as if they are trying to alert you to prepare yourself. Or, perhaps they are trying to get a closer listen to what is happening inside of your belly!
These are some signs you may notice if your dog senses youre going into labor:
Here are some other signs you might notice if your dog senses youre going into labor:
Dogs have always had to rely on their incredible noses to help them navigate through the world. In fact, sense of smell is one of the oldest senses to exist. Dogs noses and sense of smell were particularly critical many thousands of years ago where dogs and their wolf ancestors lived in the wild.
Wolves would rely on their sense of smell for just about everything. They would use their nose for hunting and figuring out where their prey was and where they were going. Wolves would also use their sense of smell to pinpoint where their pack was and who was part of their pack as well.
Dogs and wolves also use their sense of smell to determine when foods are safe or unsafe to eat. Although they do not have to worry about this as much today, it is still a useful trait.
Regarding a dog using their nose to sense labor, we can assume they have had this ability for many thousands of years. Dogs are very in-tune with their human owners and can sense emotions, sickness, and much more. Many dog moms have stories about their dogs rubbing their faces on their bellies all day long until they eventually began to have their first contractions.
Jeff Werber, Ph.D., the president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, claims that it is possible dogs can sense you are going into labor before you even know. He states that dogs have 200 million sniffing receptors in their noses, which allows them to pick up on even the tiniest changes in scent. These powerful noses will enable them to detect when you are getting sick. These furry friends can even tell when someone is about to have a seizure. It is not too far of a stretch to believe dogs can sense impending labor in female humans as well.
Scientists and animal behaviorist claim that dogs sense oncoming labor due to a combination of scent and feeling the changes in human behavior. Although not every dog will show these signs and not everytime they act oddly means you are going into labor soon, be aware that it is a possibility.
You Saw the Puppies’ Skeletons on an X-ray
This might not seem like an obvious sign, but unlike humans, pups are more than one-third of the way through their gestation before you can confirm a pregnancy. Typically, dogs are considered full term at 63 days, and an ultrasound can detect the pregnancy at 25 days, according to Kelly Dunham, DVM, the Indevets area medical director for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
However, she explains not all veterinary hospitals may be equipped to perform ultrasounds, and a referral may be needed. “By day 45 of pregnancy, the puppies skeletons can be seen on radiographs,” she continues. “This is typically a more affordable, accessible, and reliable method to determine the puppy count.”
If you could see the puppies on an ultrasound, you can estimate your girl is at least 45 days along and could go into labor within the next two to three weeks (and theres nothing cooler than seeing little puppy skeletons on an X-ray!).
Like people, some dogs may go into labor a little early or late. However, since 58 days is the full-term marker, Dunham recommends that you monitor your dogs actions once they reach this milestone.
If it has been more than 70 days from breeding and labor has not started, this can be an indication that something is wrong, and you should seek immediate veterinary care, she says.
Signs a Dog Is Going Into Labor Soon
Your dog has been pregnant for about 63 days and you may even know her potential due date, but being able to recognize when shes about to give birth can help you be there for her when she needs you most. A lot happens during gestation before a dog gives birth. Youll need to watch for a few simple signs that your dog is going into labor soon, such as nesting behavior, a loss of appetite, panting, and more. Plus, one sure-fire prediction method can help you determine when your dog is about to go into labor.
Keeping a daily chart of your dogs rectal temperature during the final week of pregnancy can help you determine when labor will begin. A dogs normal temperature is between 100 and 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Before labor, the temperature drops to about 97 degrees and remains that low for two consecutive readings taken 12 hours apart.
You may see other temporary temperature drops, but the two consecutive readings with a lower temperature is what youre looking for. Once this happens, labor will commence within 24 hours. This is truly the most accurate sign your dog is going into labor.