Breeding Labradors: how mating occurs, how long pregnancy lasts and how childbirth proceeds

Labrador pregnancy and childbirth are a joyful event for the whole family. It is important for the dog owner to know the first signs and how long the Labrador's pregnancy lasts in order to determine the due date. Often owners are interested in Labrador's pregnancy week by week or day by day. It is important to know what to feed your dog during pregnancy. You need to make sure that this is not a false pregnancy. The main goal of the owner is the birth of healthy puppies and maintaining the health of the mother. To avoid mistakes when breeding a Labrador, you need knowledge. Therefore, we will try to answer all these questions.

At what age can Labradors be bred?

In order for the offspring to be healthy, and the process of birth and mating not to be too difficult for dogs, you need to know at what age the appropriate period for their reproduction begins.

As a rule, males mature earlier than females. For them, the suitable age for mating is 18 months. The female becomes ready for the mating procedure no earlier than two years.

NOTE!

The difference in age is due to the fact that after mating the bitch begins the period of pregnancy and childbirth. The dog must be sexually mature and adult to produce healthy offspring.

IVF protocols

There are several IVF protocols (programs), differing in duration, the presence of additional measures and conditions of use. The following are currently used:

• Natural (IVF in a natural cycle)
  - does not include taking hormonal ovarian stimulants, the egg is formed as a result of normal ovulation;
• Short
  - in this protocol, ovarian stimulation is carried out with the onset of menstruation, which reduces the procedure time, but does not allow controlling the growth of follicles;
• Super short (Tokyo)
  - involves minimal stimulation of the ovaries to prevent complications caused by hormonal imbalance, also used for cryopreservation of embryos;
• Long
  - prescribed before menstruation and includes the stages of controlling the work of the pituitary gland and ovaries, stimulating follicle growth and ovulation;
• Long with soft stimulation
  - includes several stages of stimulation and inhibition of the ovaries for maximum maturation of small eggs;
• Cryoprotocol
  – it uses frozen germ cells or embryos for in vitro fertilization.

The standard IVF protocol includes the stage of stimulating the ovaries with hormonal drugs in order to cause the formation of several follicles (and, accordingly, eggs) in one menstrual cycle. This allows you to obtain a larger number of embryos, which increases the chance of a successful pregnancy.

How to understand that a pet is ready for mating?

To correctly set a mating date, you need to know when your pet goes into heat. This phenomenon repeats itself cyclically once every 6-8 months, but it also happens once every 10 months - this is also the norm.

Some external signs will help to correctly determine whether a dog is ready to conceive offspring:

• The animal becomes more restless and listens less to you;
• On walks, he very carefully sniffs almost every object he encounters;
• Follows your commands reluctantly.

If you have a bitch, then she says about the period of estrus:

• Loop increase;
• The appearance of liquid bloody discharge in the pet;
• The dog becomes attractive to males and may even allow him to approach her.

But this is only a certain stage of the entire period. It lasts 7-10 days and during it conception is still impossible.

You must wait until the next stage, which is characterized by:

• Colorless discharge, the amount of which is noticeably reduced;
• When touched to the croup, the dog instinctively assumes a mating position;
• There is no doubt that the bitch will allow the male to approach her.

This stage lasts five days and mating must occur during this stage.

If you have a male dog, then you will also notice changes in his behavior. Carried away by the smell, he can become almost uncontrollable when walking, so he must always be on a leash.

What to do after the birth of a puppy?

Puppies are born with a protective fetal membrane, which the mother dog usually removes shortly after birth.

If she does not remove this sac, you must manually remove it to stimulate the puppy's breathing. Tear open the bag, wipe the liquid out of the puppy's nostrils, then open the mouth upside down and wipe away any remaining liquid. Stimulate your puppy's breathing by gently stroking him with a towel.

If the umbilical cord was not cut during birth or by the mother, you will need to cut it, but be careful not to pull on the umbilical cord, as this can damage the puppy's organs. Tear it about an inch away from the puppy's body by carefully tearing it off with two fingers and your thumb.

Third stage of canine labor: afterbirth

The final stage of labor is the passage of the placenta. You will see a greenish-black mass of membranes (sometimes called "afterbirth") that is released after each puppy is born.

On what day of heat should you breed?

It turns out that great responsibility falls on the female, because she will have to bear and give birth to offspring. Conception should not occur on any day of estrus; there are special favorable days for this, when the chance of the bitch becoming pregnant is much higher.

To figure out what day dogs should mate, you need to know about the three periods of estrus in a female:

• Proestrus - during this stage, the eggs mature inside the ovaries. The dog becomes more aggressive and disobedient, and leaves behind a lot of marks on walks.
• Estrus , or sexual heat. This stage occurs on the 10th day after the first. It lasts 4-6 days and is characterized by the release of the egg from the ovary and its movement along the fallopian tube. It is at this stage that mating should occur, that is, it is the 11-14th day of estrus.
• Metestrus is the stage when the dog’s body returns to its normal state.

IMPORTANT!

To know when estrus begins, the owner must monitor the condition and behavior of the dog more than one estrus. Immediately before mating with a dog, you need to be examined by a veterinarian.

Is there a pregnancy test for dogs?

Methods to confirm pregnancy include an ultrasound of the dog's pregnancy, which should be done on the 25th day of pregnancy, as well as blood tests, which can be done on the 35th day, and an abdominal x-ray, which can be done on the 45th day. Discuss these methods with your veterinarian for more information.

False pregnancy in dogs (spooning) or pseudopregnancy is thought to be caused by a hormonal imbalance that allows non-pregnant dogs to exhibit symptoms such as lactation and behavioral changes.

These changes usually occur one to two months after the end of estrus and can last up to a month.

If these signs do not go away, treatment for the false pregnancy is usually not required. However, if your dog is not going to breed, spaying him may prevent future episodes.

How to choose a pair?

When choosing a pair, especially if one of the dogs is mating for the first time, you need to be extremely responsible. It will be better if one of the Labradors - a female or a male - already knows what to do. Therefore, for the first mating of a female, select an experienced partner, and vice versa.

Of course, all dogs have highly developed instincts, and experience may not be useful. There are many cases where young Labradors did everything right the first time, but it’s better to be safe.

Luteal phase support during IVF

In the natural menstrual cycle, after ovulation, a temporary gland (corpus luteum) is formed instead of a follicle. It produces small amounts of hormones (progesterone and estrogen) that prepare the woman's body for a possible pregnancy.

With IVF, the corpus luteum produces less progesterone compared to its “natural” counterpart. Because of this, changes in a woman's body may not be sufficient for a successful pregnancy. Therefore, immediately after the puncture, the expectant mother is prescribed additional injections of progesterone, estrogen or human chorionic gonadotropin. Hormonal support for a woman is provided throughout the first trimester and is aimed at maintaining the normal development of the embryo after IVF.

Preparing the dog

In order for mating and further pregnancy to go without problems, you need to follow some rules:

1. Carry out a comprehensive bacteriological analysis. A month and a half before estrus and potential mating, contact a veterinary clinic to have your dog examined. Tests will reveal whether there are any viruses in the dog’s body that can negatively affect future offspring.
2. Treat your dog's skin for parasites. This must be done in a month. You can use different shampoos.
3. The dog must undergo deworming.
4. Vaccination course. This course must be completed after seven, when the deworming course is completed.

For a male dog, these recommendations will be enough - males, for the most part, do not need overly thorough preparations, because they only participate in conception.

It would also be a good idea for the female to undergo the following tests:

1. Analysis for brucellosis - this bacterium can cause miscarriage or stillbirth of puppies;
2. Ultrasound of the uterus and ovaries - you need to make sure that there are no tumor formations or cysts;
3. A blood test and a vaginal smear - this way you will know whether there is any inflammatory process going on in your pet’s body.;
4. A blood test for progestron is a motherhood hormone. Its level in the body indicates whether the dog is ready to become a mother in the future or not;
5. X-ray. Only needed for females who have already had a caesarean section to exclude the presence of adhesions.

Research and analysis

Most likely, you gave your pet an anthelmintic even before the planned mating, treated hidden infections if there were any, and also vaccinated the bitch on time. But there are also force majeure situations.

Many veterinarians do not advise vaccinating pregnant dogs at all, but if you live in a disadvantaged area (for example, a stray flock has settled nearby), it is better to try to vaccinate your animal. Manufacturers of complex vaccinations write in the annotations that their product can be used in the first trimester after conception. Doctors, as a rule, play it safe and give vaccines to pregnant bitches before 15 days.

The same can be said about antiparasitic drugs. But there is no consensus on the treatment of infections during pregnancy - specialists make decisions based on the experience and recommendations of colleagues and assessing possible risks.

Although Labradors are most likely to cope with pregnancy and childbirth themselves, have the phone number of a trusted veterinarian handy. At the very beginning, you need to make sure that fertilization has taken place and the pregnancy is proceeding normally. You can determine pregnancy in a dog in the laboratory by:

• taking a blood test to determine the concentration of the hormone relaxin (in a bitch preparing to give birth, it significantly exceeds the reference values ​​for non-pregnant women);
• Ultrasound examination (ultrasound) - it can be carried out from 21 days after mating, optimally - on the 25th day;
• listening to the puppies' heartbeats with a stethoscope (after 25–30 days).

Basic Rules

Basic rules for knitting step by step:

1. On the day of mating, dogs do not need to be overfed. Eating should take place 3-4 hours before a potential meeting.
2. Since the male plays the dominant role in the mating process itself, it is better to meet on his territory.
3. If the dog is very nervous in a new environment, then taking sedatives 1-1.5 before meeting the animals will help.
4. Before intercourse, both dogs need to be walked and wait for bowel movements.
5. Trim and sharpen the dog's nails so that he does not injure the bitch's back.
6. If the mating is planned for a hot time, for example in the summer, then plan the meeting in the morning or evening hours, when the sun is not too hot.
7. If a dog is mating for the first time, the release of hormones can provoke aggression. It is better not to be near them, or provide your pet with a muzzle and a leash with a collar.
8. Make sure there is clean water in the area accessible to dogs.
9. Do not interfere with animals sniffing and getting to know each other. There's no need to rush here.
10. Do not rush to complete the act, wait until the dogs move away from each other.

Expert opinion

Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich

Expert dog handler.

The most important thing here is not to interfere or show unnecessary concern. Before mating, you should already know everything or a lot about this process so that some things cannot scare or shock you. Believe me, dogs know better than you what to do. It’s enough just to observe, because excessive attention can confuse the dogs and interfere with the process.

Postpartum care

Here are the steps you need to know for postpartum care, nutrition and care.

Keep your dog on a high calorie diet

Your dog should be on a higher calorie diet (pregnancy or puppy) while she is nursing (nursing puppies). Make sure she always has food and fresh water on hand.

Create a private space for your dog and puppies

Keep the mother dog and her puppies in a clean, quiet, low-traffic area. If there is too much noise around her, she may become nervous and begin to neglect her puppies.

Monitoring puppy feeding

Newborn puppies need to feed from their mother's milk every 1-2 hours, so your dog will likely be with them constantly for the first week or two.

If you think your dog is not producing milk or not allowing puppies to nurse, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Medicines and vaccines should be avoided while your dog is nursing.

Call your veterinarian if your dog seems sick

If your dog is sick, call your veterinarian immediately and let them know she is nursing a baby so they can prescribe safe medications if necessary.

If your dog stops eating, vomits, or becomes very lethargic (weak and tired), or if you notice redness and swelling in any of his mammary glands, contact your veterinarian.

How can you tell if your dog is pregnant?

If a Labrador is pregnant, you will find out about it no earlier than 3-4 weeks after mating.

The main signs of pregnancy in a Labrador:

• Swelling of the nipples;
• Increasing the dog's waist;
• Sometimes toxicosis, which manifests itself in vomiting from eating familiar foods.

NOTE!

Before you find out that your dog will soon have offspring, do not rush to change his lifestyle. Let your pet eat and run as usual, and change the routine later.

Puppies care and nutrition

Follow these guidelines for caring for newborn puppies.

Approach puppies carefully

Although you can pet and hold puppies constantly, it is important not to interfere too much in the first week or two of their life as they are very susceptible to illness and this can be stressful for mom and babies.

Be careful when approaching puppies, as some mothers may become aggressive towards people or other pets if they feel threatened.

As puppies get older and more rambunctious, your dog will want more and more time to sleep, sleep, exercise, or interact with family members. Give your dog a chance to get away from the puppies, but make sure he comes back often to check on them.

Provide warm bedding

Puppies cannot regulate their own body temperature until they are 3 to 4 weeks old. For the first four weeks of their lives, you should provide mother and puppies with a warm, clean crate or bedding.

Use a heating pad under the puppy crate or a lamp above it to keep the puppies warm. Make sure there are unheated areas as puppies will need to move away from the heat source if they get too hot. The temperature in the warm zone should be around 36°C.

Start socializing your puppies

At this point, if the mother dog allows it, you can get the puppies accustomed to your presence. Interacting with them at an early age can help them fit into the household well.

Keep an eye out for "poor workers" or "puppies" (puppies that are much smaller and don't grow as quickly as their littermates) as they may have health problems that affect their ability to grow. If you notice that one of your puppies is smaller or has less energy than the others, consult your veterinarian.

Puppies should not be taken away from their mother and sent to a new home too quickly, as they learn very important social rules and behaviors from their mother and siblings.

Puppies should not be separated from their mother if they are less than 8 weeks old. Wait until they are 10 weeks old so they can get the most benefit from social interaction with their mother and littermates.

Start weaning at 3-4 weeks of age

Once the puppies are 3-4 weeks old, you can begin the weaning process by giving them access to puppy food. You can mix dry food with water or canned puppy food to make it easier for them to eat.

They should still have constant access to their mother as she will continue to breastfeed them. Over the next few weeks they will rely more and more on puppy food rather than being fed. Most dogs wean their puppies between 5 and 6 weeks of age.

Contact your veterinarian immediately after the puppies are born.

Contact your veterinarian for his or her recommendations on when puppies should be examined first.

They may want to see them right away to evaluate for cleft palate, umbilical hernia and other health problems, or they may advise you to wait until they are a little older.

Many veterinarians recommend deworming at regular intervals, starting at 2-4 weeks of age and vaccinating at 6 weeks of age.

How is pregnancy progressing?

Labradors are pregnant for approximately 9 weeks (62-64 days).

Childbirth can begin either earlier than expected or later. Therefore, you need to be on guard, starting from day 58, and monitor the dog every day.

If childbirth is too late or much earlier than necessary, this is considered a pathology. In this case, they must take place in the presence of a veterinarian.

Labrador pregnancy development calendar by day

Every day has the characteristics of intrauterine development of embryos.
Stages of development of puppies depending on the gestational age of the Labrador

How does childbirth take place and how to deliver it?

Usually childbirth in Labradors is easy, and the bitch copes with everything herself at home. Difficulties may arise during the first birth or when the female is already old.

In the first case, the dog will need your little help in helping the puppy to be born, and in the second, a caesarean section.

The intervals between the appearance of puppies should be no more than half an hour, and the process itself takes 5-6 hours.

IMPORTANT!

If you see that it is difficult for a dog to give birth, and everything around speaks about it - bloody discharge, the puppy cannot appear for a long time, then this is a reason to call a doctor at home.

The danger of false pregnancy

False pregnancy is familiar to many owners of Labradors and other dogs and most often passes without serious consequences for the pet’s body, being limited to the manifestation of unpleasant symptoms . False pregnancy is a hormonal imbalance that occurs after estrus and lasts up to 2-3 weeks: the dog’s body “thinks” that conception has taken place and behaves accordingly. Discharge from the genitals may appear, nipples may swell, and in some cases there may even be a slight increase in the abdomen and training contractions. Since fertilization has not occurred, there will be no puppies, but the dog does not know about this and prepares a place for them, worries, tries to “build a nest,” and her appetite changes.

If you notice symptoms of a false pregnancy in your Labrador , be sure to show your pet to a veterinarian. If the painful condition does not go away for a long time (more than two weeks), hormonal treatment is indicated. With repeated false pregnancies, the situation seriously threatens the dog’s health. In this case, surgical intervention is prescribed - removal of the ovaries (sterilization).

How many puppies can be born?

Each time the number of puppies is individual. Usually their number is 5-6, but this also depends on heredity and how carefully the preparation for mating was carried out.

Often, during her first birth, a young bitch can even give birth to 1-2 puppies.

There are cases when dogs that are too old to give birth give birth to 11-12 dogs. In this case, you cannot do without a cesarean section, and in general such births are very dangerous for the health of the Labrador.

How long does it take for dogs to give birth?

Canine labor is divided into three stages. Contractions in the first stage can last 6-12 hours. Puppies are usually born 45-60 minutes apart, but the mother dog may take up to four hours between puppies. Here's what happens at each stage.

The first stage of labor in dogs: the onset of contractions

The first stage is defined as the relaxation of the cervix and the beginning of intermittent contractions. However, you are unlikely to notice contractions at this stage of the labor process.

During this stage, your dog will become restless, going in and out of the nesting box, panting, digging, and sometimes even vomiting. This stage can last 6-12 hours.

Second stage of canine labor: stronger contractions and labor

The second stage of labor begins with stronger and more frequent uterine contractions, which ultimately lead to the birth of the puppy. Puppies are usually born every 45-60 minutes, with 10-30 minutes of vigorous straining. Expect some puppies to be born tail first, as this is normal for dogs.

The mother takes a break during whelping, and she may not exert herself at all for four hours between puppies.

If your dog strains for more than 60 minutes or requires more than a four-hour break, take him to the vet as soon as possible.

What to feed after childbirth?

Nutrition after birth during lactation is a very important aspect that affects the growth and health of the mother and growing puppies.

In terms of nutritional composition, the feed should consist of:

• Protein – 30-35%;
• Fats – 20-30%;
• Coarse cellulose – 1-2%;
• Calcium – 1.5-2%;
• Phosphorus – 0.9-1%;
• Vitamin A;
• Energy value – 4200-5000 kcal/kg.

If you are feeding your bitch food, then on the shelves of the pet store you can easily find specialized brands for nursing dogs. The main thing is to take only those that are super premium and holistic.

NOTE!

If the bitch eats natural food, then you will have to try to improve her diet. It should contain those products that can be easily absorbed by the dog’s body. There should not be anything salty, spicy, fatty or smoked - this will negatively affect the digestion of the female, milk, and also the puppies.

Pregnancy and childbirth of a Labrador.

So your dog is mated. Pregnancy or whelping is the period from conception to childbirth. From the first mating this period is 63 days. It is normal for puppies to be born at 59 or 66 days. Dogs, like people, may vomit in the morning. This is usually observed at 3-4 weeks of pregnancy and is associated with hormonal changes and stretching of the uterus. At this time, it is recommended to feed the bitch several times a day in small portions, and you can also consult a veterinarian about medication to relax the tone of the uterus.

During the first half of pregnancy, you can feed the dog as usual, deworming if you did not do this before mating. It is necessary to increase the duration of walks in the fresh air, and from the second half of pregnancy switch to a diet for puppy dogs. Of course, you can feed your dog natural food, but this is not rational, it’s the same as using laundry soap if you have washing powder. A puppy dog ​​needs about 1.5 kg of meat per day to cover energy costs and not touch the reserves of her own body; in addition, vitamins and mineral elements are needed in a certain proportion, as well as carbohydrates and fats. All this is contained in concentrated ready-made dry food. It is better to use professional food “Hill's”, “Eucanuba”, or “Diamond”, “Purina Pro Plan” and some others. These companies produce a large number of brands of food, including for pregnant bitches. The main rule for using dry food is that you must not deviate from the manufacturer’s feeding recommendations indicated on the packaging and in no case should you exceed the dosage. More than 10 years ago, I first started feeding dogs dry food and my own bitch successfully carried puppies, whelped, nursed a litter of 7 puppies (and fed milk for more than two months), the weight loss was extremely insignificant, she did not shed hair at all and shedding was almost complete unnoticed. Compared to the state with previous matings and natural feeding, I felt a significant difference.

External signs of pregnancy

Enlargement of the abdomen, as well as the weight of the dog, no more than 35-30 days left before birth Swelling of the vagina, the appearance of mucous transparent discharge no more than 20 days left before birth Swelling of the mammary glands, you can palpate the puppies through the abdominal wall no more than 15-10 days left before birth Through the wall of the abdomen, you can notice active movement of the fetus until birth, no more than 7-10 days left. A decrease in body temperature, the appearance of colostrum remains no more than 3-2 days before birth. A decrease in temperature by 1.5-2 degrees, a significant decrease in appetite or refusal to feed until no more than 1 day left of birth

A puppy bitch needs daily exercise in the form of non-tiring walks, and in the first half of pregnancy it can not be limited, but in the second half it is necessary to limit the bitch in sudden movements, jumping, and energetic movements.

A playpen with special restraints for the bitch so that she cannot crush the puppies and with a reflector for heating the babies.

The time of birth is approaching. The bitch should give birth at home, in a familiar environment. Sometimes an unfamiliar environment and strangers in the house lead to a delay and suspension of labor. I personally know one such Labrador bitch who does not give birth while someone is in the same room with her. The nest for puppies should be placed in a calm and quiet place where no one will disturb the bitch. The optimal size of the playpen for a female Labrador with puppies is 150 x 200 cm. The walls of the box are made so high that older puppies cannot climb out of it on their own. on one side you need to make a hole for the mother and a door that can be closed. You need to lay a sufficient layer of newspapers on the bottom of the arena and change them as they become dirty. An old blanket or piece of faux fur should be placed on top of the newspapers so that the puppies can rest their paws well. Before giving birth, the dog loses its appetite, becomes restless, begins to dig the litter, becomes agitated, and breathing quickens. A day before the birth itself, the rectal temperature drops by 1.5 - 2 degrees, but at the time of birth the temperature rises. The birth process can be divided into three stages - dilation of the cervix, birth of the puppies and birth of the placenta. During the first period, the bitch breathes very heavily, pushing begins - a chaotic contraction of the muscles of the uterus, while the puppy moves from the horns into the uterus. When contractions or contractions of the uterus occur, the puppy is pushed towards its cervix and it opens. At the same time, the abdominal muscles contract and the puppy moves into the vagina. This is where the second stage of labor begins. The amniotic sac appears from the loop, ruptures, the flowing amniotic fluid of light straw color irrigates the birth canal and the puppy is born. A good mother always strives to treat the puppy herself; she ruptures the amniotic sac with her teeth, bites off the umbilical cord and begins to thoroughly lick the puppy, massaging it with her tongue and stimulating breathing and blood circulation. From the outside it sometimes seems that she treats him rather rudely, but in fact she awakens in him the desire to live. If the mother does not respond to newborn puppies, then you yourself must take care of her offspring. To do this, you should always have on hand boiled scissors immersed in an antiseptic solution (furacillin solution is suitable for these purposes, 1 tablet dissolves in a glass of boiling water), a bottle of brilliant green and clean diapers. First of all, you need to break the bubble around the puppy’s muzzle and free the mouth and airways, then cut the umbilical cord, after squeezing the blood out of it, about 4 cm from the puppy. After this, dip the umbilical cord in a bottle of brilliant green, then you can rub the puppy with dry diapers, imitating the actions of the mother. If you leave the umbilical cord too short, the bitch may begin to chew the cord on her own when her instinct finally kicks in, and the puppy may be injured. The placenta is delivered a few minutes after the puppy is born, but sometimes it arrives with the puppy or a few hours after birth. It is necessary to keep strict records of the birth rate of placentas, because the placenta remaining in the uterus can cause acute metritis, which, in turn, can lead to the death of the bitch. You can create a special table where you will enter the order of birth of the puppies, their weight at birth, the presence or absence of an afterbirth (placenta) and marks (if the puppies are the same color). To do this, you can use colored woolen threads, which are worn in the form of collars and will need to be replaced as the puppies grow with larger ones.

The bitch will try to eat the placenta during childbirth, do not prevent this, as they contain traces of oxytocin - a hormone that stimulates labor and the onset of milk production, and thus the appearance of maternal instinct. During birth, various complications can arise, such as the puppy being in the wrong position, or suddenly the bitch stops pushing at the moment when the puppy is only halfway through the cervix. In this case, you should try to grab the puppy with your fingers and pull it towards the exit. It is best to pull the puppy by the skin to avoid damaging his joints. But if that doesn’t work (he goes with his head), then it’s best to grab his head behind the ears with your index and middle fingers. If he walks with his hind legs, then you should not pull on them; it is best to try to hook him around the waist using the same technique as in the first case. The puppy should not be allowed to stand in the aisle, as in this case the umbilical cord will be pinched and the puppy will begin to reflexively breathe, which can lead to death. If you can’t catch the puppy, you can “push” it back and wait for stronger contractions, during which it can be born alive. Often the puppy is pulled with rocking (rotation) - first in one direction, then in the other direction. In other cases, you need to contact a specialist.

If the puppy is born and shows no signs of life or is not breathing, take the puppy in your hands, fixing its head, and shake it in an arc with its head down, stopping abruptly above the floor. This helps remove water from the respiratory tract. Sometimes owners of bitches resort to stimulation of labor. What do you need to know about this? Oxytocin is contraindicated in a number of cases, for example, when contractions have just begun and the cervix is ​​not fully dilated; when the puppy is too big and cannot be born; during strong contractions. You must remember that inappropriate use of oxytocin and its dosage can lead to uterine rupture.

How to determine the end of labor? As soon as the last puppy was born, my bitch immediately starts eating! To do this, I keep a bowl ready and towards the expected end of labor I begin to offer her food. While she is giving birth, she does not touch food, but with the last puppy she begins to show interest in food. In addition, if the bitch did not expel all the placenta or did not give birth to puppies that died in utero, then the discharge from the loop acquires a black-green color and, over time, a putrid odor. This can lead to acute metritis (inflammation of the uterus) and only a specialist can help the dog. Therefore, after childbirth, it is necessary to carefully monitor the discharge from the loop and the condition of not only the offspring, but also the mother. If the birth was successful, all the placenta came out - the cervix closes and the next day the bitch does not have any discharge. And after a day or two, mucous discharge of a dark red color appears and lasts two to three weeks. By the end of this period, the discharge lightens and acquires a light pink tint.

Another problem that sometimes arises with a whelping or (and more often) lactating bitch is eclampsia or postpartum tetany. It is expressed by convulsions without loss of consciousness in animals. Tetany occurs when calcium is overused during pregnancy or lactation. Therefore, dairy dogs are mainly affected, and sometimes eclampsia occurs during the peak of milk production, which corresponds to 21-24 days from the start of feeding. Calcium leaves the bitch's body along with milk, but phosphorus remains. This leads to a violation of the very important relationship between these elements. These disorders are accompanied by seizures. Early signs include restlessness, restlessness, and whining. The bitch lies in a tense position, her eyes are slightly bulging, her breathing is rapid and heavy. Sometimes the temperature rises. In this case, it is necessary to urgently prescribe a course of calcium injections. For this purpose, a 10% solution of calcium gluconate is suitable, which is administered intramuscularly in a dose of 3-5 ml. In addition, you can give an injection of oxytocin and seduxen. To calm your breathing, place a plastic bag over your head, but not tightly! In this condition, diet does not play a role.

At first, the mother herself will care for the newborn puppies. If the bitch’s maternal instincts are developed normally, then the nest will always be clean, the feces will be removed by herself, the puppies will be licked clean, fed and warm. Your task is to keep the bitch clean, make sure that she regularly shifts from one side to the other in order to avoid stagnation of milk in the mammary glands, which can lead to mastitis and very unpleasant consequences.

The start of the first complementary feeding (if the bitch has a sufficient amount of milk) occurs at 3-4 weeks from the date of birth. It is better to start complementary feeding with food intended for puppies from 3-4 weeks of age. The brand of food does not matter; usually such food is produced by professional companies and the food is called “Starter”, for example “Royal Canine Starter Pro”, “Happy Dog Starter”, etc. If the bitch does not have enough milk in the first days of the puppies’ life, you can purchase ready-made concentrated bitch milk. There is no need to experiment with cow's milk, yolk and honey, as was advised in the old days. At that time, there were no professional feeds in our country, and cow’s milk in its composition is very far from dog’s milk, fatter and less protein. For intensive growth, puppies require a lot of protein, not fat or carbohydrates, so you should not give them milk porridge. The enzyme system of the gastrointestinal tract of puppies is very delicate and the slightest failure can lead to serious problems. Even the most beautiful dog can be ruined by improper feeding in the first months of life. We must remember and be aware of this. The breeder must budget his funds and be prepared for the fact that he will have to buy food, the cost of which in the end sometimes exceeds the cost of several puppies. Saving on feeding puppies and feeding them porridge or mashed potatoes out of poverty is a crime! In the end, such puppies will never make worthwhile dogs. They are expected to have lifelong diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, a decrease in the body’s resistance (resistance) and a tendency to various diseases. And again, all claims will be addressed only to the breeder. Once again, listen to the advice: before breeding a bitch, weigh it a hundred times, count it, and become imbued with responsibility for the future offspring.

Author of the article: Tatiana Dimitriu, Stenveyz nursery

The likelihood of pregnancy after IVF

In vitro fertilization has proven its effectiveness in the fight against infertility. This technology gives a chance to become parents to people who have no way to conceive a child naturally.

However, it should be understood that the results of IVF can be both positive and negative. The probability of pregnancy after this procedure is 50-70%, which is comparable to the chances of conception in healthy people during natural fertilization. These numbers may change up or down, depending on the following factors:

• Parents' health conditions
  - the result of IVF can be negatively affected by various chronic diseases, infections, mental disorders, age-related changes, etc., as well as the treatment used against them;
• Parents' lifestyle
  - smoking, drug and alcohol use, high physical and emotional stress, poor nutrition - reduce the likelihood of pregnancy;
• The IVF protocol used
  - additional reproductive technologies (ovarian stimulation, ICSI, etc.) can increase the chances of a successful pregnancy;
• Qualifications of specialists
  - the effectiveness of IVF directly depends on the level of training and quality of doctors performing the procedure, so it is worth contacting the services of clinics that have the appropriate license to conduct in vitro fertilization.

If the first IVF attempt is unsuccessful, both parents undergo additional examinations to determine the exact cause. Based on their results, the doctor may prescribe a repeat procedure or additional measures to increase the likelihood of conception.

Labrador before childbirth: harbingers

1. 2-6 days before contractions, the dog’s temperature fluctuates throughout the day. Temperature fluctuations from morning to evening are 1-2°C. A couple of days before contractions, the temperature drops to 37.2-37.4°C.
2. A day before contractions, the dog may refuse to eat. Vomiting appears.
3. Puppies stop active movement in the womb.
4. The stomach drops. The back is no longer as wide as before when looking at the dog from above.
5. The bitch becomes restless and sleeps little. Begins to tear up the litter or “dig.”
6. Asks to go for a walk 5-6 times a day. Sometimes urinary incontinence occurs.
7. You may experience shortness of breath or rapid breathing.
8. Redness of the eyes is observed.
9. The dog hides in a secluded place and constantly changes its position.

Childbirth of a dog, Labrador retriever: Photo

Differences in timing between dogs of different breeds

To determine the timing of thoroughbred animals, you need to start from their dimensions. The larger they are, the longer it takes to form fruits.

In small

Small breeds (Chihuahuas, Pekingese, Yorkies) carry their young for 55-60 days. Their offspring are always the most numerous.

Due to its modest dimensions, future mothers often encounter gastrointestinal problems. Their enlarged uterus begins to crowd the stomach, so food is made as high in calories as possible, but small in volume.

In the middle ones

Average dogs (boxers, huskies, spaniels) are less likely to suffer from complications, and the number of embryos is always determined by chance. The entire process takes 60-63 days.

In large

Large representatives (wolfhounds, mastiffs, mastiffs) remain pregnant for 63-65 days, but sometimes the period is extended to 72 days. This is due to the cubs being too large and requiring a long time to develop. Despite the small number of offspring, childbirth often occurs with complications due to the problematic passage of overgrown babies through the birth canal.