How Long Does A Golden Retriever Pregnancy Last

Warning Signs To Look Out For During And After Birth

Hopefully the birthing process will go smoothly for everyone and it will be complete within a matter of hours. But complications can happen, and Margolis shares some common warning signs owners should look out for.

Emergencies around the time of the expected birth:

After whelping, it is recommended that you monitor the following:

If any vomiting , lack of appetite, poor mothering, poor pup weight gain or any abnormal signs other than mom taking good care of pups, they should be evaluated by a veterinarian, says Margolis. Complications can include mastitis, metritis, eclampsia, etc.

If you notice any unusual behavior or troubling symptoms not covered here, be sure to contact your veterinarian to make certain you have a healthy and happy mother and new litter of puppies.

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Vaccinated Your Golden Retriever

Since pregnancy is a vulnerable stage, your pal might suffer from several health complications in this phase. Hence, you should give your pal safe topical medications to prevent fleas and heartworm.

Besides this, your dog needs some vaccinations to ensure the proper growth and a healthier lifespan offspring. Thus, it is essential to give all the necessary shots for your pal.

However, if you fail to vaccinate your pal during pregnancy, you can get the shots after the delivery of the puppies.

What Do I Do After The Sixth Week

After the sixth week of pregnancy, your dog should gradually increase her food intake; high energy, low fiber foods are recommended. As the fetuses increase in size, abdominal pressure increases and frequent small meals are advised. Diets containing high levels of omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid have been shown to improve the health and development of puppies and should be considered. Discuss DHA-supplemented diets for your pregnant dog with your veterinarian.

During the last three weeks of pregnancy, your dog’s food intake should increase by up to one and a half times the normal level, by feeding smaller meals more frequently.

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Can You Give A Dog A Pregnancy Test

So there are multiple of ways of finding out if a dog is pregnant, but is it ever as simple as getting them to pee on a stick? Im afraid not. Since 2010 Pfizer have produced a pregnancy test for dogs called the Witness Relaxin test, which detects elevated levels of relaxin hormone secreted by the placenta during pregnancy. However, the test needs a sample of blood plasma, so requires a visit the vet to have blood drawn and the plasma separated.

The tests are widely available online, but dont seem to have gained much following with vets, so its wise to ask ahead whether a vet keeps them in stock. These tests can usually detect pregnancy from about 22-27 days after mating But be warned they can also produce a false negative result. If you are pretty sure your dog should be pregnant the test should be repeated after a week.

At $20-$30 a test in a box of five they dont come cheap. But they dont need to be refrigerated and have a shelf-life of around 18 months.

And finally, just in case youre tempted to try: human pregnancy tests detect the presence of human chorionic gonadotrophin hormone they cannot detect pregnancy in dogs! But theres no time to rest on your laurels, because dog pregnancy is short, and those puppies are going to be here before you know it. Next well look at the stages of a dogs pregnancy, and caring for the female dog during her pregnancy.

What Is Actually In Your Dog’s Food

WAIT! BEFORE YOU GO on about your day, ask yourself: Is the dog food you’re feeding your best friend really the best food out there? At its core, theres an unhealthy meat dependency in pet food. Most of the time, meat in your pet food means: Bad ingredients. Bad practices. And bad health.Learn more about clean protein dog food…

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When Did I Know My Dog Was Pregnant

After she had her first puppy? Just Kidding

Raven was bred on March 1st, 2019. So, I assumed she was pregnant as of that date and 63 days later wed see puppies.

The real question is when did Raven show clear signs that she was pregnant.

Pregnancy #1 During her first pregnancy I wasnt totally confident she was pregnant until the last week. I checked her every day and it wasnt until the final week that I noticed her belly really started to stick out. I remember thinking back then: her nipples look bigger, but what did they look like before? Maybe because it was her first pregnancy she was much tighter around the stomach and started showing a lot later then she has in her second and third pregnancy.

Pregnancy #2 It was around 3 weeks out that I was fairly confident Raven was pregnant. I noticed 3 signs. First, her stomach was big enough that she was showing. Second, her nipples were much larger then normal. Third, something I didnt think about until pregnancy #3 was that the fur that feathered around her stomach/sides really started to flare out from her body.

Pregnancy #3 Very similar to pregnancy #2 This time I really noticed the enlarged nipples and her fur flaring from the side of her body. The last thing I noticed was her bulging belly. All 3 signs became apparent around 4 weeks out.

So whats going on? Am I getting better at noticing the signs of pregnancy? or do the earlier signs mean something different?

So, I have two questions for you guys today:

Golden Retriever Feeding Guide For Seniors

As your Goldie gets older he will become less active and will need fewer calories to stay on his ideal weight. Your pooch will be considered a senior when he is eight years old, so make sure to tweak his diet around this age.

An older Golden Retriever will need around 900 calories per day served in two equally spaced meals. However, if your senior dog needs to lose some weight, you will have to put him on a diet and lower his calorie intake.

You should talk with your vet and see if there is a need to transition your pooch to senior dog food at this point or not. Food for older dogs has fewer calories and is supplemented with glucosamine and vitamins that are beneficial for older dogs. However, many seniors continue to eat regular food without any side effects, but you should check just in case you need to change his diet.

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When Can A Golden Retriever Get Pregnant

Unlike humans, Golden Retrievers become sexually matured at a very early age. Furthermore, the male gets mature much earlier than the female. Thus, you will notice mounting behavior in a male Golden Retriever as young as five months.

Moreover, a female Golden Retriever reaches sexual maturity only after it gets its first cycle. Besides this, these dogs need to complete the proestrus stage and reach the estrus stage to produce mature eggs that get fertilize to develop the puppies.

However, a female dog can breed or get pregnant only estrus stage within a short time of 5-12 days. Therefore, your Golden Retriever must be at least six months old to get pregnant.

Further, after you know when your pal can get pregnant,;arent you curious to know the signs of pregnancy in a Golden Retriever?

The Labrador Site Founder

Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.

She is also the founder of the Gundog Trust and the Dogsnet Online Training Program;

Pippa’s online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website

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Pregnancy Loss In Dogs

Happily, miscarriage known as spontaneous abortion isnt very common in dog pregnancies. Embryos which are lost early in pregnancy are reabsorbed by the mother, so we dont know very much about how often it happens. Spontaneous abortion in the later stages of pregnancy is rare. When it happens it is usually the result of either an imbalance in the hormones supporting the pregnancy, or an infection of the uterus.

If your girl loses a puppy in the later stages of pregnancy youll notice abnormal bleeding from her vagina, and possibly find the lost puppy. Always take your Labrador to the vet if she loses a pregnancy. Shell need a checkup to make sure shes healthy. If the loss was the result of an infection then she will need to be treated.

It is also possible to miscarry one or more puppies, and carry the rest of the litter to term. Your vet will be able to tell you if your dog is still pregnant with other puppies.

What Are The Signs Of Labour

There are three stages of labour, with the signs of the onset of labour occurring in stage one; this stage can last from 12 to 24 hours. Both the strength and frequency of contractions in the muscular wall of the uterus increase throughout stage one, but no visible contractions are noticeable. However, the following signs and symptoms of labour in dogs may be evident:

• Change in disposition and behaviour, e.g., restlessness, anxiety, irritability, reclusively
• Intermittent nesting

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The Stages Of Your Golden Retrievers Heat Cycle

A Golden retrievers heat follows a cycle every time it happens. There are 4 stages to the canine heat cycle that your dog will go through. Knowing about these stages may help you know what to expect as they go through them.

The 4 Stages of the Heat Cycle:

Lets take a closer look at what each of these stages entails.

She Starts Odd Mounting Behaviors

Dont be surprised if your dog starts to mount dogs, objects, or your legs. Shell probably do it a lot. It wont matter if the other dog is male or female. Its a natural reaction to the hormones shes experiencing.

She will also be much more tolerant of other dogs mounting her. If this isnt normal behavior for your golden retriever, dont worry, it will end when her heat cycle is over.

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After The First Month

• Putting on the pounds Yes, but we dont have a pet scale to accurately measure her weight.
• More pee pee!; I never really noticed an increase in pee pee breaks.
• Belly starts to pooch; Yep! This is probably one of the first things I notice that confirms pregnancy.
• Shes a Goldenshes always hungry, hungry hippos!

I mention this again below. Since were on our third pregnancy one of the clear signs Ive noticed is the fur along Ravens abdomen begins to flare out when shes pregnant. Every breed and dog will be different. This is something Ive noticed with Raven.;

QUICK TIP: We slowly startfeeding Raven a little more of her regular dog food. We feed her Wellness Core Grain Free Dog Food. By the time she gives birth we also start adding a powdered probiotic to her meals which we noticed has helped her with digestion when taking care of her litter.

How Much Should I Feed My Golden Retriever Puppy

A Golden Retriever puppy will have to be fed three meals a day until he is six months old, at which time you can feed him twice a day. Meal size can vary from one puppy to the next, but the average three-month-old Golden puppy will eat two cups of food a day. At this time, you should divide the food into three meals and serve it in the morning, noon, and evening.

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Gestation Period: How Long Are Dogs Pregnant

The normal gestation period in dogs is approximately 63 days from conception, although this can vary by several days. While this might seem like a straightforward answer, conception is often hard to determine. Sperm can live for several days inside the female, and eggs can remain fertile for up to 48 hours, which means the act of mating itself is not an exact measurement of gestation. This makes it hard to predict the length of pregnancy without the assistance of a veterinarian.

Hormone measurements give a much more exact time frame for gestation. Many breeders use vaginal smears and blood tests to monitor reproductive hormones during the breeding process. This helps them determine the best time to breed their bitch, as well as the length of gestation and the potential due date.

Gestation length according to accurate hormone measurements:

• 56-58 days from the first day of diestrus
• 64-66 days from the initial rise in progesterone
• 58-72 days from the first time the bitch allowed breeding

Pregnancy in dogs is relatively short compared to humans, about 9 weeks total, and each day matters. Knowing the length of the gestation period is important for the health of the pregnant bitch and the puppies and is used to monitor nutrition and veterinary care during pregnancy.

Are There Tests That Determine When To Mate Your Golden Retriever

If you plan on getting your Golden Retriever mated, there are two simple tests available that help determines the right age to do so.

These include:

Both of these tests can be easily performed and are readily available in the veterinary practice.

The serum progesterone test is the one that gives a good indication of the time frame for when the mating is most likely to be successful. This test is useful for females dogs with a history of unsuccessful mating.

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Facts About Golden Retriever Gestation

Everyone loves puppies. If youre new to breeding or youre excited about getting a puppy from a breeder, days can feel like years. Fortunately, the gestation period in dogs is significantly shorter than in humans. The gestation period for Golden retrievers is usually between 59-65 days, which equates to around nine weeks. You can find many Golden retriever pregnancy calculators online to work out and prepare for your Golden retrievers due date.

Is There A Pregnancy Test For Dogs

Methods of confirming pregnancy include a dog pregnancy ultrasound, which should be done on day 25 of the pregnancy, as well as blood tests, which can be done on day 35, and abdominal x-rays, which can be done on day 45. Please discuss these methods with your veterinarian for more information.

False pregnancy in dogs, or pseudopregnancy, is believed to be caused by hormonal imbalances that allow nonpregnant dogs to show symptoms such as lactation and behavioral changes. These changes usually occur one to two months after her heat is over and can last for up to a month.

Treatment for false pregnancy usually isnt necessary if these signs persist. However, if your dog isnt going to be bred, spaying her can prevent future episodes.;

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Vaccination And Worming During Pregnancy

Maintaining your dogs vaccination and parasite control is essential during pregnancy. It is important to continue with her healthcare and preventative treatments such as intestinal worming, heartworm prevention and flea control while she is pregnant. If youre not sure if any of the products you are using will harm her, check with your vet.

Ideally, before pregnancy your dog should be evaluated and treated for parasites that could impair her health or be transmitted to her offspring. Hormonal changes during pregnancy cause immature roundworms that are sitting in the tissues of the body to become active and even enter the milk supply, infecting the puppies when they feed from her. Hookworms can also be transferred through the milk. She will need to be wormed 10 days prior to giving birth and every 3 weeks while she is nursing her pups. The puppies will need to be wormed from 2 weeks of age and every 2 weeks thereafter until 12 weeks of age.

Your dog should also be given all appropriate vaccinations, as determined by your vet, prior to becoming pregnant. If this is an unexpected pregnancy, a vaccination for Parvovirus is recommended no later than 6 to 7 weeks into the pregnancy. Parvovirus remains one of the most common causes of puppy deaths and vaccinating the mother prior to giving birth provides her with good Parvovirus antibodies which she will transfer to her pups.