What to Expect When Your Lab is Expecting
Extra care is needed for a pregnant lab especially because she’s carrying little labs inside her.
As with human mothers, labs can also experience early signs of pregnancy so it’s helpful to know those things and be prepared for them. Morning sickness is one of the early symptoms to look out for.
We’ve listed some basic reminders below so you can be ready when your lab is pregnant.
…Just as humans, female Labradors show early signs of pregnancy. In the fire three weeks after breeding, they might experience morning sickness due to hormonal imbalance. In this period they eat very less or totally avoid food due to the nauseous sensation. However this lasts only till the body adjusts and when the hormones are balanced. To ensure that your dog eats, try to provide small meals at regular intervals.
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Diet is very important at this stage. Replace the old diet with a new nutrient enriched food.
…Try to include meat, milk and veggies to provide the mother with all the necessary proteins and carbs.…
…It is very likely for the pregnant dog to become obese which might affect the pups or create problem during the delivery. Therefore health should be maintained and this is possible through regular exercise. Fitness is need but not tremendous exercise which might strain the dog or at times leads to abortion. Hence a walk is sufficient to ensure the health.
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Check the body temperature of the dog. The normal temperature of a Labrador is between 101-102 degrees Fahrenheit. But the temperature is dropped to a few degrees just before the delivery for the next 24 hours. When the temperature drops you can confirm that the delivery is to take place within twenty four hours.
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When you are sure that the time is near for the expected delivery, start preparing a whelping box. It must be wide and deep in order to house puppies. Use papers, cloth, towels to line the box and provide fresh towels as this can be washed and reused. By preparing this box you are securing the mother and the pups and this protects the pups from being misplaced.
There are other things to remember:
- Provide good nutritious food
- Do not give any vaccinations during the pregnancy period as this at times leads to abortion
- Take your pregnant dog to the vet to check the health and know the growth of pups
- Vaccine your dog before breeding in order to avoid transmission of parasites from the mother to pups
- Ensure that your dog is in the right age for pregnancy as many go ahead at the first heat. The correct age is one year
Read the full article here.
