Things You'll Need
- Puppy food
- Vitamin supplement (optional)
- Whelping box
Instructions
How to Care for Pregnant Pomeranian Dogs
Contact your veterinarian as soon as pregnancy is suspected. At your next appointment, your veterinarian will give your dog an ultrasound and advise any specific care instructions for your Pomeranian.
Typically, pregnant Pomeranian dogs exhibit their first pregnancy symptom about two weeks after breeding by developing enlarged, darker nipples, followed by brief morning sickness around three to four weeks of pregnancy. At this point, your Pomeranian's abdomen will begin to enlarge noticeably, and the puppies can usually be felt when petting the stomach around 30 days after breeding.
Feed your pregnant Pomeranian her regular food for the first month of her pregnancy. During this time, she will not need any additional supplementation.
Switch your dog to a high-quality puppy food beginning in the fifth week of Pomeranian pregnancy. Give your dog an additional 25 percent of her normal intake beginning this week.
Increase your Pomeranian's food intake by another 25 percent at Week 6, and continue increasing by 25 percent at Weeks 7 and 8. For example, if your dog normally ate 2 cups of food a day before pregnancy, by Week 8, that amount will have increased to 4 cups per day.
Continue to consult with your veterinarian; he may recommend a vitamin supplement to meet your dog's pregnancy needs. However, most dogs do not require additional supplementation unless their diet is lacking in the nutrients provided by the switch to puppy food.
Take your pregnant Pomeranian for daily walks during her pregnancy. By keeping her in top shape, you can help ensure the health of your dog and her puppies, as well as help condition her for the trauma of labor and delivery.
Create a whelping box about two weeks before her expected due date. The whelping box's sides should be high enough to contain the puppies until they reach between four to six weeks of age. Line the whelping box with towels or newspaper and place it in a quiet, somewhat isolated spot in your home.
Monitor your pregnant Pomeranian for signs of impending delivery. The most obvious sign is the drop in her temperature that occurs within 24 hours of the onset of labor. To detect this drop, take your dog's rectal temperature daily beginning one week before her due date. Once you see the drop--usually 2 to 3 degrees--you can help pinpoint your Pomeranian's labor.