How Long Before You Know If A Dog Is Pregnant
Dog pregnancy diagnosis Your vet can confirm a pregnancy with either a dog pregnancy test, which measures her hormone levels, from days 21-25 of her term, or by ultrasound from day 20-22. From around day 30 your vet will be able to carry out a physical examination to count how many puppies your dog is having.
When Can A German Shepherd Get Pregnant
As for the sexual life of the German Shepherd, the female reaches puberty, and has her first heat, between the sixth and seventh month of life, and, therefore, from that moment on she is considered to be fertile.
As for her being fertile, this does not mean that she can start having offspring, since it is necessary for her to develop physically and psychologically beforehand, so she must be at least two years old.
Heat lasts for two weeks and manifests itself in the form of light bleeding, more need to urinate and even some nervousness. After mounting, the gestation period of a German Shepherd bitch is variable, but, in general, we can place it around two months .
After the gestation time has elapsed, the female German Shepherd will give birth to between six and eight puppies, who will need their mother over the following weeks for their correct physical and social development.
What Is The Reason German Shepherd Dogs Nest During Pregnancy
When female German Shepherd dogs reach the end of their pregnancy, they nest. They nest to ensure their litter arrives in the best possible way.
Your female GSD will nestle and lick her self in anticipation of her pups. Its normal for your pet to groom herself excessively. Your GSD might feel anxious or uneasy prior to labor. Your GSD may seek privacy and tear up blankets, newspapers or find a safe place to nest her pups.
GSD breeds may even use toys to protect their nest. Your responsibility is to make sure your GSDs nest is safe. A whelping container is a wonderful nest for pregnant dogs.
German Shepherds nest before they give birth. Professional veterinarians say that pregnant dogs begin nesting nine to ten days before giving birth to pups.
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Signs Of Dog Pregnancy
Again, if your German Shepherd is of age, you can then check for the signs of dog pregnancy. Note, however, that some of these may not be obvious, especially during the earlier stages.
Vomiting Or Sickness. Similar to morning sickness in humans, your dog may exhibit some sickness in the early stages of pregnancy. She may have a drop in appetite and may sometimes vomit.
Fatigue. Along with morning sickness, your dog may also exhibit fatigue in the early stages of pregnancy.
Increase In Appetite. To accommodate for her puppies, your German Shepherd will show an increase in appetite and start to eat more food. This appetite change is particularly prevalent during the second half of your dogs pregnancy.
Weight Gain. Your dog will also be gaining weight throughout pregnancy. This gain can go up to a 50% increase in weight and will become more prominent in the second half of pregnancy.
Enlargement Of The Nipples. At around 25 days into the pregnancy, your dogs nipples will start to enlarge and become pinker. They may also discharge a small amount of clear liquid.
How To Identify Pregnant German Shepherd
While the pregnancy is in its first 2 weeks, you are likely not to see any symptoms. But the next stage occurs, when, after that time has passed, you can notice how dogs nipples are turning dark-pink color and start increasing in size.
In the next 5 days, you might see how fur around nipples decreases, thus puppies will have better access to them. You will probably note how your dog refuses to eat and that, in fact, might even scare you!
But if the previous symptoms are present, then you shouldnt worry, as this is a normal process and a false-alarm, and the most obvious symptom of pregnancy. It happens 20 to 30 days after mating.
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Immediately After My Female Dog Has Been Mated Is There Anything I Should Do
Make sure that she does not have the opportunity to mate with any other dogs. Remember that estrus or âheatâ will continue for several more days and she could theoretically become pregnant from another dog during this period. After a planned mating, it is a good idea to allow her to rest quietly for a few hours.
Can I Play With A Pregnant German Shepherd
Not only can you still play with your dog, you probably still should! Pregnant German shepherds need exercise to keep up their strength and maintain their health.
Youll certainly want to avoid anything that could cause trauma to their lower regions and anything hard strikes on the belly. Dont rile your dog up so much that they run around and cause potential damage to the birthing area.
This could be a major issue depending on how far along your dog is and how healthy she is otherwise.
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When Can German Shepherds Get Pregnant
Female German Shepherds get closer to being pregnant when they experience their first heat cycle, which varies from breed to breed. Usually, larger breeds of German Shepherds experience their first heat when they are 9 12 months old, while smaller breeds can have their first heat as early as 6 months from their birth.
During a heat cycle, your German Shepherd will be in pain, so naturally, she may not eat much or be as active as before. Since your dog will be bleeding, she may act moody or aggressive at times. During this stage, you should be gentle with your precious pet and let her be. No matter when your German Shepherd has her first heat cycle, she wont be ready to breed until she is about two years old.
How Many Times Can A German Shepherd Get Pregnant In A Year
This depends on many factors. The first factor is the number of times a German Shepherd goes into heat in a year. Because German Shepherds are big dogs, they may only experience one heat cycle in a year. Studies also show that most German Shepherds go into heat once every eighteen months. Estrus or heat is the stage in a dogs reproductive cycle during which she becomes receptive to mating with males.
At this stage, a German Shepherd will permit mating which might ultimately lead to pregnancy. The overall health and age of a female German Shepherd also play a role in determining how many times she can get pregnant. From ages two to eight, a German Shepherd is mostly sexually strong and more likely to have many pups in a year.
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The German Shepherds Pregnancy
Like most dog breeds, the gestation period for a German Shepherd is an average of 63 days. While some GSDs can give birth as early as the 58th day. At the same time, other dogs give birth until the 68th day.
Therefore, you must be aware of how long a German shepherd is pregnant to avoid being surprised and know what you need to do when it happens. But in most circumstances, the length of time depends on the number of puppies they carry.
The more puppies, the longer the period. In some cases, a litter may contain only one puppy. But may rarely contain as many as 17 puppies in a litter. German Shepherds average litter is with eight pups. A 2010 study by the Norwegian Kennel Club found that purebreds with a unique genetic makeup can only produce roughly five offspring. So do not be surprised if your litters first pup happens to be male.
What Is The Number Of Puppies
For German shepherds, the number of puppies that can be born at once, or what we normally call litter size, is around 8 puppies.
Keep in mind, however, that some may give birth to only one, while very large litters can breed up to 15 puppies. Additionally, the first German shepherd pup to be born is usually a male.
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Taking Care Of Your Pregnant Dog
When you find out that your dog is indeed pregnant, it then becomes necessary to alter her diet and make sure that you are taking proper precautions to care for her and her unborn puppies.
Diet is one of the most significant changes in caring for a pregnant dog, as is exercise. When a dog is pregnant, much like when a person is pregnant, they do need more calories to function and grow their offspring.
Unless you have a dog that requires a special diet or a dog that has a tendency to gain weight very easily, you should be increasing the amount of food that your dog gets and allowing her more food than she might normally eat.
You want to make sure that the food you are feeding has the right balance of fats and protein and that your dog is going to be able to get the proper nutrition. A great rule of thumb is that all life stage puppy food is a great option if you are not sure what to feed your pregnant dog.
If you have made it to the vet, you can always ask what food they recommend and see if there is any special diet that they want your pet to be on while she is pregnant.
They can often recommend brands, varieties, and overall amounts of food that are going to work for your dog and help her have a healthy pregnancy and deliver healthy pups.
When it comes to exercise, avoid those activities that might cause her stomach to be pressed or touched, and you also want to make sure that she is not going to over-exert or tire herself out too much.
Caring For A Pregnant German Shepherd
If your German Shepherd is pregnant, it is essential that you give her as much care as you possibly can. Pregnant dogs always have different nutritional needs than dogs do when they are not pregnant.
Unfortunately, the nutritional needs of a pregnant German Shepherd are not likely to be met by her everyday food. You should consult with your vet to know exactly which food and how much you should be giving your dog, as well as any nutritional supplements that she might need.
Beyond food, you will want to make sure that your dog gets exercise, but not too much, and has an opportunity to rest as much as she needs to.
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Is Your Female Gsd Able To Get Pregnant
There are different cases where a German shepherd pregnancy is no longer possible, the first one being a man-made procedure.
The second one is of old age. With that said, a female German shepherd usually loses its ability to get pregnant once she becomes 3 years old.
Within these 3 years, you can only hope to know that your German shepherd is pregnant by finding the signs of gestation period.
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Pregnant German Shepherds: Pregnancy Stages How To Take Care
Pregnant german shepherds are the good news for pet owners. It is overwhelming to imagine the excitement of expecting another set of German Shepherds from your pet. Some German Shepherd owners are afraid of their furry friends and fearful that they might make mistakes. How long can German Shepherds be pregnant?
Its better to not wait and watch your dogs progress than to find out as much as possible about her gestation period in order to be able to help her during this crucial time.
A German Shepherd Dog is approximately 63 days gestation. However, the actual duration of pregnancy can vary depending on how long it takes and what process they go through. German Shepherds can be protective, loving, gentle, gentle, and affectionate with their babies.
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What To Expect With A German Shepherd Pregnancy
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German Shepherds, like other dog breeds, are pregnant for about 63 days. To understand the pregnancy of a dog, it is helpful to understand the female dogs heat cycle which includes Proestrus, Estrus, Diestrus and Anestrus.
Proestrus lasts for 9 days and is when the female begins to attract males.
Estrus lasts for 3-4 days and is marked by a female dog is available to a male dog.
Diestrus is the final day of the reproductive cycle occurring around Day 14. The female will no longer permit mating during this time.
Anestrus is the period between one heat cycle and the next and this is typically 6 months.
Generally, the dogs pregnancy will last 58-72 days from the first time breeding or 56-58 days from the first day of diestrus.
Knowing When It Is Time To Stop Breeding
As has been mentioned above, your German Shepherds health should be valued above anything else during the breeding process.
You should consider stopping the breeding of your German Shepherd when they reach about eight years of age. When breeding after this age, health becomes a huge hazard for both parent and puppy.
When we breed a dog too often or for too long to the point it is causing major health problems we refer to this process as overbreeding and inbreeding.
This can be done to both male and female German Shepherds, and it can be seen all the time all over the world by anyone.
Perhaps you have heard of a Puppy Mill puppy. These puppies generally come from a litter where the mother or father have been bred too many times and for too long.
As such, when we purchase Puppy Mill puppies, we often see these puppies as having health problems down the road that may be the case of malnourishment from a mothers trouble with lactation.
These puppies could also have health problems due to infection, or even inherited diseases if a parents genetics have not been considered before bleeding.
No matter what, before we start to recognize conditions in the puppies, we generally start to recognize conditions in the parents.
German Shepherds are especially susceptible to certain conditions caused by too much breeding especially when age plays in as a major factor.
So, what kinds of conditions can occur as a result of inbreeding and overbreeding?
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Signs Of German Shepherd Pregnancy
The following are the most common symptoms you can notice when your German Shepherd is about to give birth.
Visible puppies in the mother Dogs abdomen are something that many owners cannot notice even if they look at their Dog every day.
Huge appetite another sign of pregnancy is the considerable appetite of your German Shepherd. She will always be hungry all day long and eat lots of food every time she gets it.
Loss of weight do not worry about this, but if it occurs for more than two weeks, you should see a veterinarian because sometimes the loss of weight may be related to some complications during pregnancy.
Suppose spotting occurs or vaginal discharge increases in amount or becomes greenish. In that case, you need to contact your veterinarian right away because it may indicate a possible uterine infection.
Discomfort in urination you should know that the pregnant GSD will have a uterus filling up with puppies. This can make it difficult for her to urinate or even cause bloody urine.
The above are the most common symptoms you usually see on your German Shepherd when she is about to give birth to her puppies. Every female Dog varies in pregnancy signs however, you need to contact your veterinarian immediately if something unusual occurs.
Cottage Cheese For Pregnant German Shepherd Dogs
Some dog breeders recommend giving pregnant German shepherds cottage cheese of all things. Youll sometimes see this advice extended to all larger dogs.
It might surprise you to learn that this is actually a bad idea in a lot of cases! One study at Mississippi State University found a link between this kind of feeding behavior and milk fever.
As you may have guessed, thats the same condition as eclampsia.
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German Shepherd Signs Of Labor
A dog in labor will generally appear agitated and will pace back and forth as it moves through the first and second stages of labor.
Provide your dog with a private space, either a kennel, box or small room, and lay down blankets or newspapers as your dog will want to nest.
When the dogs temperature drops to below 99 degrees, he will birth pups within 24 hours of this temperature drop.
How To Tell If A German Shepherd Is Pregnant
So, how do you know if your German Shepherd is pregnant? Since German Shepherds are good at enduring pain, it might be a little difficult to know whether she is pregnant or not. Here are four of the most common signs of pregnancy in German Shepherds:
If youre in doubt, always consult your veterinarian who can use tech-based procedures such as ultrasound, hormone tests, palpation, or X-Ray to determine whether your pet is indeed pregnant.
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How To Know If Your German Shepherd Is Pregnant
Sometimes, German shepherd pregnancy may not be obvious. After all, German shepherds are known for enduring pain.
Thats why as a pet owner, you should make sure you know the signs of gestation period. Heres a look at the four most common indications of German shepherd pregnancy.
- Increased Appetite: To cater to the needs of her pups, a female GSD will usually eat significantly more food.If you get what this means, you should make sure you stock up on dog food for your pet. Also, consider buying healthy food rather than those that focus on taste and not nutrients.
- Weight Gain: There will also be an increase in weight during German shepherd pregnancy. This can range from a 20% increase in weight up to a 50% increase.While this may be overwhelming at first, dont worry because theyll significantly lose weight after the gestation period.
- Frequent Urination: In general, a female dog can mark its territories more frequently when they are pregnant. They do this by urinating in various places.While urine-marking is done by female German shepherds sometimes, you will rarely see this. Besides, they dont choose the place to mark, be it the sofa, the television, or the corner of the room.
- Personality Changes: Lastly, you may notice significant changes in your female GSDs behavior. They become more restless, agitated, and more.Anyway, the most common change in a German shepherds personality is their increased aggression. This is mainly due to their maternal instincts kicking in.