Information About Birth for a Pregnant Chihuahua

While being owner to a pregnant dog can be scary, it may be comforting to know that 98 percent of dogs give birth successfully without assistance from humans. However, chihuahas are more likely to have complications during pregnancy and birth than other breeds. There are many helpful things you can do to prepare your chihuahua and yourself for birth. There are also many steps you can take during the birth to ease the process and make sure all puppies are delivered successfully.

  1. Pregnancy Signs

    • Your chihuahua should visit the vet at least once during her pregnancy.

      A chihuahua's gestation period is generally two months. Gestation may be shorter if the chihuahua's pups grow too large for her womb -- which is more likely if the father dog is a large breed. Obvious signs that your dog is pregnant are the telltale belly bump, enlarged nipples, frequent urination and an increased appetite and thirst. Take the mother chihuahua to the vet for an examination 25 days after her suspected conception date. At this point, the vet will be able to detect that your dog is pregnant from an ultrasound reading. After 45 days, the vet can tell you how many pups are gestating and the expected birth date. Knowing the number of pups to expect is essential for a healthy delivery.

    Food and Activity Level

    • Keep play and walks light and short during the later weeks of your chihuahua's pregnancy.

      Halfway through her pregnancy, your dog's appetite will increase significantly -- she should be fed twice what she was eating before pregnancy. Also take your chihuahua off of any dietary supplements, as soon as you discover she is pregnant, until she is done nursing her pups. Feed her small meals throughout the day. Four to six weeks into the pregnancy, decrease your dog's activity to light walks. Do not engage in rough or vigorous play or run with your dog until she is done nursing her pups.

    Gestation

    • Small breeds like chihuahuas may deliver anywhere between 56 and 68 days of pregnancy. If your dog has been pregnant for 69 or more days, take her to the veterinarian as soon as possible. When your dog is approaching her delivery date, begin taking her temperature once a day via the anus. A normal temperature for a dog is 102 F. Your dog's temperature will drop to 100 F when she is about to give birth.

    Delivery Signs

    • Make sure your chihuahua has a quiet, comfortable and private resting spot.

      When your chihuahua is ready to give birth, she will exhibit some or all of the warning signs: whining constantly, vomiting, restlessness, pacing, excessive panting and nest building. Her cervix is beginning to dilate, which is very painful, so make her as comfortable as possible. Dilation and uterine contractions may take six to 18 hours before your chihuahua actually begins to give birth. If your dog does not go into labor within 24 hours of her temperature dropping, take her to a veterinarian immediately.

    During Delivery

    • During the birthing process, your chihuahua will work to push the babies through its birth canal. Generally allow 10 to 30 minutes of pushing for each pup and up to 45 to 60 minutes of rest between each birth. If the mother pushes for more than an hour or takes a break longer than two hours between pups, take her to a veterinarian immediately. If you can see a pup partially emerged from the birth canal and the mother has been pushing for more than 30 minutes, you can gently ease out the pup, pulling carefully downward toward the mother's rear until the pup is released.

    Post-Delivery

    • After each pup is born, the mother chihuahua will burst the amniotic sac, bite through the umbilical cord and lick the pup clean to stimulate its breathing and heart beat. The mother will often eat the sac -- this is normal. If your dog does not clean the pups herself within 10 minutes of birth, gently burst the sac, tie off the umbilical cord, cut it and vigorously rub the pup with a clean towel to induce breathing and circulation. After completing the births, the mother chihuahua will expel any remaining uterine tissue and blood. Your dog may expell blood and fluid for up to 8 weeks after birth. However, if your dog continues to bleed after 8 weeks, take her to see a veterinarian.

    Monitoring Health

    • It is especially important to monitor the mother and pups' health during the first few days after birth. The mother dog will have a large appetite, so feed her well -- three times as much as what she ate before pregnancy. Continue to check her temperature daily. It should be 101 to 102.8 F. The mother dog should be alert, attentive to her pups and allow them to feed freely on her milk.

    Warnings

    • Watch for illness warning signs in the mother chihuahua.

      If you witness any abnormal behavior from the mother after the birth such as restlessness, seizure, listlessness, inability to stand, disinterest in pups or refusing the pups milk, take her for an examination immediately. She may be suffering from a common pregnancy-related illness, such as metritus (uterine infection), eclampsia (milk fever), mastitis (mammary gland infection) or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).