I have a Chihuahua dog that we rescued from a bad owner that left her out in the cold 1 month ago, now we recently found out that she’s pregnant, do you know how long this lasts and what we should do to make sure she is healthy? Anyone, please help.
A dog’s pregnancy will last approximately 9 weeks. Chihuahuas, being a small breed, are prone to have problems with delivery, so you’ll want to be certain you have selected a veterinarian who can be on call as she gets closer to her delivery date; especially if you don’t know what she has been bred to.
Beginning at approximately 7 weeks, I’d begin getting her accustomed to a safe place where she would like to have her puppies. Old blankets or towels will help with keeping her and the puppies comfortable and warm.
Also at this time, begin watching her closely for signs that she is getting ready to give birth – producing milk, any enlargement around her vaginal opening, etc. Some dogs will stop eating or drinking just before the birth (because it creates an uncomfortable feeling of fullness, or just because they’re preparing and they know they’ll need to be there to care for their puppies and won’t be eliminating wastes for a while). But this is not a given, many dogs will eat right up until the time they go into labor.
58 – 65 days from the first breeding. Your vet should be able to perform an ultrasound, measure a placental sac and give you a close estimate of the due date based on the size.
You should do this at any rate to determine how many pups she will be expecting. She will need a thorough physical exam, will need to be checked for heartworms, and any other conditions that may endanger her or the litter when she whelps.
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Normally a dogs gestation is around 8 weeks old, our collie gave birth just shortly after 45 days, all the puppies are fine and healthy…
Give her plenty of meat and protein and her normal food, dogs are quite good at eating what they need and a healthy dog should have no problems.
She will start to nest soon, and she will tell you where she wants the puppies, work with her and be ready for the wonderful new additions you soon will have..
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A dog’s pregnancy will last approximately 9 weeks. Chihuahuas, being a small breed, are prone to have problems with delivery, so you’ll want to be certain you have selected a veterinarian who can be on call as she gets closer to her delivery date; especially if you don’t know what she has been bred to.
Beginning at approximately 7 weeks, I’d begin getting her accustomed to a safe place where she would like to have her puppies. Old blankets or towels will help with keeping her and the puppies comfortable and warm.
Also at this time, begin watching her closely for signs that she is getting ready to give birth – producing milk, any enlargement around her vaginal opening, etc. Some dogs will stop eating or drinking just before the birth (because it creates an uncomfortable feeling of fullness, or just because they’re preparing and they know they’ll need to be there to care for their puppies and won’t be eliminating wastes for a while). But this is not a given, many dogs will eat right up until the time they go into labor.
References :
God Bless You. I work for a Chi rescue org and I thank you for helping a Chi in need. A Chi is pregnant 63 days just like any female dog. I would have a vet check her out, take car of any worms she may have and feed her a high protein brand of puppy food while she’s carrying. She needs the extra calories and nutrition right now for those puppies. Then I would get a “whelping box” ready, which could be a old baby playpen, a small plastic child’s swimming pool, or an actual wooden pen. Line it with newspapers, have some old washrags ready and read up on “whelping for Chihuahua’s” on line. If this is her first litter, she will need your help. Let her get in her whelping box and become familiar with it beforehand. When she gets in it on her own and starts messing around with the papers, you will know her time is very close…this is called “nesting”. Just stay with her, have your supplies ready and just keep vet nmbr handy in case 2nd puppy hasn’t come with 30 mins of the first one.
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