Pregnancy and puppies

Whilst newborn puppies are very cute, they are a lot of work and can be quite stressful for us owners!

Dogs are pregnant for an average of 63 days. To confirm your bitch is pregnant, an ultrasound can be performed from 25 days. X-rays are used from 45 days to count how many puppies are expected.

This article from Veterinary Partner (VIN) https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951546 has a lot of useful info on what to look for during the birth (whelping) and when to call your vet if things are not proceeding as normal. If your pet is having trouble whelping then a caesarean section may be required which can be costly.

Ideally, bitches will be up to date with vaccination prior to breeding, so that pups are protected from deadly diseases such as parvovirus during their first few weeks of life. Vaccination during pregnancy is generally not recommended due to a small risk of foetal abnormalities.

It is important to remember to worm your bitch during pregnancy. You should worm the bitch at 5-7 weeks of gestation and then again 2 weeks after giving birth.

Puppies should be wormed every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old. 

Once the puppies reach 6 weeks old they can start their vaccination protocol comprising of 3 vaccinations 4 weeks apart.

At the time of first vaccination is usually when most puppies get a microchip implanted, which is legally required to give away or sell a puppy.

Once the puppies have reached 8-10 weeks of age, they are then ready to go to their new homes.