Pregnancy of a beloved dog is an exciting period of life for the owner. A little more and new babies will appear in the house, a little clumsy, but very cute. In order for the period of gestation and childbirth to go smoothly, you need to prepare for it in advance. On average, pregnancy lasts from 58 to 72 days, and planning for it begins with a trip to the veterinarian. Before mating, both male and female dogs are tested for sexually transmitted diseases. To calculate the optimal day, your dog's progesterone levels are checked and swabs taken. If the time is chosen correctly and the animals have no pathologies, then after 2 months puppies appear.
How to take a dog's temperature
Pets' temperature is measured rectally using a thermometer. There can be any thermometer, but an electronic one is much more convenient than a mercury one.
- Dip the tip of the thermometer into a thick, unscented cream or petroleum jelly.
- Place your pet and securely secure it.
- If the animal is nervous, calm it down.
- Insert the tip of the thermometer into the dog's anus to a depth of about 1 cm.
- After taking measurements, praise your pet and release him.
Carefully monitor your dog's temperature; normally it is between 38 and 39 degrees .
Small deviations are allowed, both positive and negative. If the birth is still far away, but the readings have dropped, then this is a cause for concern. It is better to show your pet to a veterinarian. If the temperature is too high, this may indicate an inflammatory process or intrauterine fetal death.
Changes during labor
At the first stage, contractions appear. The woman in labor often begins to stagger and shortness of breath appears. Even vomiting is possible. The pet refuses food. The duration of the stage is about 12 hours. Sometimes contractions drag on for up to a day and a half.
It is extremely important to measure your temperature systematically. The normal course of labor is characterized by a consistently reduced rate.
Frequent contractions lead to anxiety in the animal. The dog gets very excited and scratches the bedding. The vagina begins to relax, and the cervix dilates.
The reproductive organ periodically contracts. Towards the end of the first stage, contractions become more frequent and more intense.
At the beginning of the second stage, normalization of thermometer readings is noted. The waters are receding. The abdominal muscles tense. The cervix is completely opened. The fetus ends up in the birth canal. The abdominal muscles contract as often as possible. The appearance of attempts is recorded. After this, the puppy is born.
The baby appears in a bubble. The dog breaks the shell on its own. If the bitch refuses this, human help is needed, otherwise the puppy will die.
The final labor stage lasts about 4-6 hours. The afterbirth is coming off. There should be exactly as many of them as puppies were born.
After childbirth
After labor is completed, the thermometer readings change. They are within +39.5°C. The increase is explained by increased milk production. After 3-4 days the condition is completely normalized.
A dog's temperature during heat
Most often, bitches come into heat twice a year, but this can happen less often or more often. In general, females tolerate the heat period well, but some individuals may be lethargic or, on the contrary, too playful. Most dogs have a normal temperature throughout their estrus cycle. At this moment, the bitch’s immune system is most vulnerable, so if the animal feels unwell, it is better to show it to a doctor.
If the thermometer shows 0.2 or 0.3 degrees above average, then do not panic, this is normal.
Symptoms to watch out for
- depressed state;
- nausea, vomiting;
- a sharp increase in temperature;
- purulent discharge from the genital tract.
If your dog shows one or more of these signs, it should be taken to the clinic immediately . Perhaps the animal has pyometra - purulent inflammation of the uterus. This disease threatens the dog’s life; without assistance, it will die.
Physiological norms of body temperature in a pregnant pet
To talk about any deviations, you need to know the normal temperature of a dog’s body. It must be remembered that small, medium, large and especially large breeds differ significantly from each other, including in biochemistry. Accordingly, even their normal temperature varies markedly:
- For “trifles” the norm is 38.5°C-39°C.
- Medium breeds have a normal temperature between 37.5°C and 39.0°C.
- Finally, for large breeds a range of 37.4°C-38.3°C is typical, and for dogs of particularly large breeds a range from 37.2°C to 38.0°C is considered acceptable.
Simply put, the smaller the dog, the higher its permissible body temperature. And there is nothing strange about this, since the metabolism of such “babies” is simply crazy, and therefore their bodies emit much more heat.
But! There is a big nuance regarding the body temperature of pregnant bitches (especially in the first half of pregnancy): it is always slightly higher than normal. An excess of approximately 0.3°C is allowed, and this is not considered a pathology. In addition, the body temperature of females is also usually closer to the upper limit of normal, so pregnant dogs will always be much “hotter” than males.
In addition, the female’s body is constantly under enormous stress during this period. In fact, the entire pregnancy is one big, prolonged stress, including one that affects the thermoregulation system. Because of this, any physical activity of the puppy also causes an increase in body temperature. And this is also considered the norm.
Before birth
For most dogs, the temperature drops below 36.9 degrees 12-24 hours before giving birth. In some animals this does not happen, this is also normal. Often, a few days before giving birth, the readings begin to fluctuate: either they drop to 37-37.5, then they rise again to the normal level.
If an animal is about to start giving birth in the next few days, and the thermometer shows values above 39.5, then you need to urgently go to the clinic. A high temperature indicates an inflammatory process in the body; perhaps one or more fetuses have died. If the temperature has dropped to 36-36.5 degrees, and the birth is still far away, then, most likely, there is a threat of termination of pregnancy.
Dog temperature chart just before giving birth
Pregnancy, periods of gestation
Ideally, the gestation period for puppies is 63 days, but if there are more cubs in the litter, then the birth comes earlier, and vice versa, if there are fewer, a few days later. The duration of gestation depends on some other factors: the age of the bitch, breed, living conditions and feeding. In total, taking into account all the errors, 56-72 days of pregnancy are considered normal.
As a rule, the more puppies (large breeds have up to 15 cubs in a litter), the easier the birth. As practice shows, with a small number of puppies, low labor activity may be observed due to insufficient stimulation of the uterus.
The early period includes the first three weeks of pregnancy, when the dog’s lifestyle practically does not change, the animal is still active and sociable. In some cases, toxicosis may occur.
In the period from 3 to 6 weeks, the bitch becomes more cautious and less active, eats well and gains weight.
In the last 6-8.5 weeks, the pet becomes lethargic, anxious, practically does not go for walks and begins to build a “nest”.
Reasons for rising temperature
Hyperthermia at any stage of pregnancy is an alarming signal. Such changes cannot be ignored. They often indicate the development of serious diseases.
An increase in temperature to above +39.5°C is a reason to immediately contact a veterinary clinic.
Symptoms signal the onset of an inflammatory process, even the death of one or more fetuses.
A sharp rise in temperature during labor indicates a pathological course of the process.
There are concerns about thermometer readings above +40°C after the puppies are born. You need to call a veterinarian without delay. There was probably a dead fetus left inside.
Eclampsia also provokes hyperthermia. This is an extremely dangerous disease that develops during the postpartum period. If qualified assistance is not provided in a timely manner, there is a risk of the animal’s death. Small breed animals are more susceptible to this pathology.
Another cause of hyperthermia in the postpartum period is mastitis.
First aid for a pet with abnormalities
Deviation from temperature norms: increase or decrease (hypothermia), signals that the pet requires medical attention. There is no way to take him to a veterinary hospital and there is a lot of time before the doctor arrives; provide first aid yourself.
If the temperature rises above 400C, you must try to bring it down before it rises to a critical level. Try to lower your temperature a little without using medications, procedure:
- Contact cooling. Apply ice, wrapped in a towel or light cloth, to your inner thighs, neck, and paw pads.
- If there is no ice, wet your dog's fur and paw pads with cold water.
- Let's drink cool water in small portions.
- Place the dog in a cool place.
Read Dog poisoning: symptoms, treatment, first aid
Usually, the above actions succeed in lowering the animal’s temperature.
Attention! Never use antipyretics for your dog from your home medicine cabinet; they are toxic and can lead to death.
If your dog's body temperature drops below normal, you should increase it yourself in the following ways:
- To keep the body warm, wrap it in a blanket heated on a radiator or with a hairdryer.
- Warm up using a heater, heating pad, warm water bottle, or electric blanket.
- Try giving warm water or heated liquid food if the dog is conscious.
During heating, the animal should lie quietly, without unnecessary actions. After some time, the temperature will stabilize.
If your dog has a fever
The body’s natural protective reaction to an infection or virus is an increase in temperature, due to this, most microorganisms die, but too high an indicator means that the body cannot cope and the dog’s life is at risk. A high temperature of up to 40-41 0C indicates that the dog has a fever. Symptoms associated with the condition:
- lack of appetite
- constant thirst
- infrequent urination
- weakness and immobility
- rapid breathing and heart rate
Do not treat yourself; the effects of incorrectly chosen medications can cause more harm than good. Therefore, you should immediately contact a veterinarian, call at home or consult by phone. After examination and tests, the doctor will prescribe a course of treatment.
For hypothermia
Hypothermia in dogs, under the influence of external factors and a decrease in body temperature below 370C, is called hypothermia. To determine the stage of hypothermia, you need to measure your body temperature, there are:
- mild - from 32 to 35 degrees (the dog is trying to warm up, looking for sources of heat, trembling, weakness)
- average - from 28 to 32 degrees (shallow, intermittent breathing, drowsiness, inactivity)
- severe - below 28 degrees (dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, weak heart rate, loss of consciousness, coma)
In case of severe hypothermia, the dog’s life is at risk; it is necessary to immediately call a veterinarian at home or take it to a veterinary clinic.
Monitor your dog's body temperature, measure and record data regularly to know your pet's normal. Good health to your pets!
