How to Help Pregnant Dogs When Having Babies

When you have a pregnant dog, one of the best ideas is to prepare in advance. Birth can be messy and complicated, and there's a good chance that you'll need to step in with some help at some point. Have your supplies ready and know what may be expected of you for a successful birthing experience.

Things You'll Need

  • Cardboard box (to hold dog and her litter)
  • Scissors
  • Clean cloths
  • Iodine/hydrogen peroxide
  • Rubber bands
  • Heating pad
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use a calendar to develop a time line. Every breed of dog has a specific gestation period. Knowing the projected delivery date will give you an idea of when you need to start looking for signs of labor.

    • 2

      Prepare your supplies well in advance of the projected delivery date. Gather sharp scissors, cotton swabs, clean cloths, iodine or hydrogen peroxide and small rubber bands, and put them into an emergency box. Prepare a whelping box for raising the puppies. This box should be large enough for mother and puppies, with an edge around the bottom high enough to keep puppies inside.

    • 3

      Take your dog to the vet for a checkup to make sure she's healthy and progressing normally. Ask your vet for the phone number of a 24-hour vet to call during the birth if you have problems or questions.

    • 4

      Watch for the signs that labor is starting when the time grows near. Your dog may become clingy, restless or upset, and start "nesting" in her box or elsewhere. This means that it's time. Expect full labor to start within ten hours. Put your dog in a private space with her whelping box and your supplies. Watch for further signs: digging, pacing and looking at her tail. Watch for visual proof of contractions starting in he abdomen.

    • 5

      Wait for your dog's water to break, then shut yourself in with her and be ready. Deliveries should start within an hour. Watch for the first amniotic sac to appear under your dog's tail.

    • 6

      Allow your dog to do the work, and step in only if she's neglecting her duty. She should break the amniotic sac, chew off the umbilical cord and clean the puppies after they are born. If she doesn't, use the scissors to break and remove the sac, then cut the umbilical cord three inches from the puppy's body, clean it with hydrogen peroxide and tie it off with a rubber band. Rub the pup briskly with a towel and clean his eyes and nose with cotton. Clean the scissors with iodine or hydrogen peroxide between each puppy.

    • 7

      Place each pup in the whelping box after you've cleaned her, to wait for your mother dog to finish giving birth. Wrap a heating pad in a blanket or towel and put it in the box with the puppies that have been born.