Dog Medications During Pregnancy

Giving your dog medications during pregnancy may not be a good idea for her unborn puppies. A few medications are considered safe during pregnancy, but any drug not recommended or prescribed by a veterinarian should be avoided as it could result in birth defects to the puppies or harm to the mother.

Your vet may also recommend vaccinations during your dog’s pregnancy to protect the unborn puppies from diseases like canine distemper, parvovirus, and rabies. A pregnant dog exposed to any of these diseases who hasn’t been vaccinated, is risking her life and the lives of her puppies.

The most common drugs considered safe for a female dog during pregnancy are Thryoxine which is used to treat hypothyroidism; Revolution which is a flea, tick and worm preventative; Psyllium; and insulin. Antibiotics and pain medications are sometimes given to a pregnant dog during a difficult delivery but giving a dog antibiotics during pregnancy can be unsafe.

Some antibiotics can be administered during pregnancy but carry the possibility of putting the puppies at risk by causing deformation or death of the puppies. However, allowing your pregnant dog to suffer from bacterial infection without any treatment may be just as dangerous to both puppies and the mother.

Newborn puppies are immunologically suppressed and should not be exposed to bacterial infections. Treating your pregnant dog with safe antibiotics before she delivers removes any risk that the puppies will contract a bacterial infection from her.

A dog’s pregnancy lasts approximately 63 days and for the duration of that time your dog’s diet has to be carefully monitored and so does any medication given her. Monitoring your dog’s diet and medication during pregnancy will ensure that the puppies get the nutrients they need. Being careful that your dog receives only the correct medications during pregnancy is just as important as her diet.

A high-quality, dog food is essential for the health of both the mother and her puppies. Vitamin and calcium supplements aren’t absolutely needed and should not be given without first consulting your vet.

Proper care of the mother during her pregnancy will increase the chances of her giving birth to a litter of healthy puppies.

 

Caring For a Pregnant Dog

Caring for a pregnant dog means you’ll need to start paying very close attention to her diet and activities and you’ll have only about two months to get her in the best condition possible in order to support a litter of puppies.

You won’t need to increase the quantity of food you feed her until the last few weeks before she gives birth. A lot of vets recommend that you switch a pregnant dog’s food to a puppy formula to help boost the nutrients she will need to provide for her growing puppies. You can also feed her a quality dog food that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates and grains. This will provide her needs as well as a puppy formula can.

It’s important that you don’t give her a calcium supplement for dogs. Humans are different, and pregnant women need to add folic acid and calcium to their vitamin supplements, but calcium supplements have a detrimental effect on dogs. A pregnant dog releases calcium naturally, so if you give her a calcium supplement you will affect the hormone that naturally releases calcium. This can cause a dangerous imbalance in her system after the puppies are born and begin nursing.

Around the third week of pregnancy she will begin to experience morning sickness and may not eat as much food during the week. Her appetite will usually return about a week later but if it lasts more than a couple weeks, contact your veterinarian.

You can take your dog for daily walks but be sure you don’t tire her out. When she’s about three weeks from delivering her puppies you should stop all exercise. Isolate her from other dogs at this time, including any other dogs in your home, and keep her isolated until the puppies are at least 3 weeks old.

Early in her pregnancy, and throughout it, you will need to check to be sure she does not contract parasites. Parasites can easily be passed from the mother to her puppies, and puppies are unable to handle the loss of blood caused by parasites. Anemia becomes a real danger for the puppies if they become infected with parasites.

Caring for a pregnant dog doesn’t require a great effort on your part. When she’s ready to deliver her puppies she usually can do it without your help. When her temperature drops below 101 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit you’ll know it’s close to delivery time. When she begins to have contractions she may seem restless and pace around the area you’ve set up for her to deliver. Even though a female dog is fully capable of delivering the pups on her own, you should monitor her throughout her delivery.

Once the puppies are born be sure to keep her whelping area clean at all times and free of puppy poop. She may not be very hungry for a few days and this is normal. Just be sure she has clean water at all times and some food if she gets hungry.

In a few weeks it’s time to enjoy those beautiful little creatures she’s given you!