Chihuahua Pregnancy Stages

Chihuahuas are pregnant typically between 58 and 66 days, or roughly nine weeks. Due to inbreeding, Chihuahuas are unfortunately susceptible to higher-risk pregnancies, and working with your vet through the pregnancy and delivery is recommended to help your Chihuahua have a healthy delivery. While she is pregnant, ensure she is handled very gently and has a warm, quiet bed in which to rest.

  1. Verify Pregnancy

    • Verify that your Chihuahua is pregnant. Several signs are obvious to help you determine if a Chihuahua is pregnant. She will be low on energy and not as peppy as usual; her stomach will be enlarged, which happens quickly, and it will become hard; her nipples will grow visibly larger; and she will begin "nesting." Consult your vet, and if you know the day of insemination, mark it on a calendar so you can count down to when she should be giving birth.

    High Caloric Intake

    • Thirty-five days or five weeks into the pregnancy, she should begin to require more calories. This is a good time to begin gradually switching her to a higher-calorie puppy food, which will provide the nutrients she needs. Vets advise against giving Chihuahuas supplements (such as calcium) during pregnancy, as they may have adverse affects. Daily exercise of your Chihuahua is permissible only through the first four to six weeks of pregnancy.

    Determine the Number of Puppies

    • Forty-five days or just less than six and a half weeks, the puppies are mature enough to see. The vet is able to perform an x-ray or ultrasound to determine the number of puppies your Chihuahua is having.

    Labor Begins

    • When your Chihuahua̵7;s temperature drops below 100°F after week eight or 58 days, the last stage of the pregnancy will begin within 24 hours. This is the stage in which your Chihuahua goes into labor.