If your female dog is pregnant, you’re no doubt looking forward to the day all her pups will be crawling around. But, before you get to that stage, you’ll need to take good care of mummy dog to ensure she has a happy and healthy pregnancy and gives birth to healthy pups.

Whether your dog’s already pregnant, or you’re hoping she’ll be pregnant soon, here are some good tips on how to look after pregnant your dog mum.

Nutrition for your Pregnant Dog

Your dog will need extra nutrients and more food for her pregnancy. This is to ensure she has adequate nutrition to sustain her throughout her pregnancy, while also providing nutrients for the pups’ growth.

While adult dog food is adequate for a dog’s individual nutrition needs, when they’re pregnant they’ll need food targeted at growth, so you’ll want to start feeding her puppy food.

Just like any other food change, make the transition gradual by slowly adding it to their diet. Your pregnant dog shouldn’t need any additional supplements, just make sure she’s getting enough high-quality food, and check with your vet if you have any questions or concerns.

Exercise

Even while pregnant, it’s important your dog continues to get exercise, so make sure to take her on plenty of walks. As she progresses through her pregnancy, you may notice she gets tired quicker, so it’s a good idea to go for more frequent, but shorter, walks to keep up her strength and fitness.

Vaccinations and pest control

A mum dog will pass on her immunity to her pups, so before she gets pregnant make sure she’s up to date with all her vaccinations. If she’s due for her vaccinations during her pregnancy, check with your vet what your best options are. Some vaccinations are safe to give during pregnancy, but you’ll want to make sure that’s the best course of action for your pregnant dog.

It’s also important that you keep up to date with worm and flea treatment during the dog's pregnancy. Just make sure the treatments you’re using are safe to use for pregnant dogs.

Preparing for the puppies

As your pregnant dog mum gets closer to giving birth, she may start looking for somewhere quiet, comfortable, and warm to give birth. It’s a good idea to prep this area for your dog – somewhere like a cardboard box with blankets in a quiet room is a great place to start – just make sure it’s easy for her to get in and out of, but not the pups!

Plenty of love and attention

As well as making sure you meet all her nutritional, health, and exercise needs, giving her plenty of love and attention is also a must. It’s not easy being pregnant – especially when it’s a whole litter – so do whatever you can to keep her happy and comfortable.

And if there’s anything that makes you concerned, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your vet.