Childbirth in a Chihuahua - how long can it last, what you need to know about giving birth to a Chihuahua, how to give birth at home

Pregnancy and childbirth are a difficult period in the life of a Chihuahua. Unforeseen situations and complications arise at any stage. The reason may be the small size of the bitch, the disproportionately large head of the puppy, or pathologies of the animal. In order to provide your dog with the necessary help in a timely manner, you should carefully prepare for the birth of your Chihuahua, and if necessary, seek help from a veterinarian. A dog breeder should know how long pregnancy lasts, signs of impending birth, how it progresses and what care newborn puppies and Chihuahuas need.

Timing and signs of pregnancy in a Chihuahua

Normally, a Chihuahua's first birth occurs at one and a half years of age. The best time for a dog to whelp is from 1.5 to 4 years. At a more mature age, childbirth can lead to the death of the mother or cubs. The optimal weight of a bitch ready to whelp is from 1.5 to 2 kg. Dogs of this breed carry puppies for varying lengths of time, but give birth no earlier than 57 days and no later than 72 days after conception.

note

! In theory, childbirth is possible from 6-9 months of life, after the first heat has passed. But allowing childbirth at such an early age is dangerous. A pregnant Chihuahua will not only not give birth, but will not survive. Due to the physiological characteristics of this breed, early birth poses a great threat to the dogs’ lives.

Main symptoms of pregnancy:

• sudden weight gain;
• swollen mammary glands;
• enlarged belly;
• discharge of milk from the nipples.

On the 30th day after conception, obvious signs of pregnancy appear. But in very tiny babies it is difficult to determine the symptoms. For many, the weight remains within the normal range, but the tummy begins to increase during the last two weeks before giving birth. In order not to miss your Chihuahua's pregnancy, it is better to take your dog to the veterinarian. Make an appointment no earlier than two weeks after mating. About the “interesting position” of the dog can be said:

• Body temperature;
• special test;
• Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.

The veterinarian performs a complete examination of the dog to make sure whether it is healthy or not.

Basic rules step by step

• It is better to prescribe mating in the morning, as it is carried out on an empty stomach. If this is not possible for any reason, then dogs should not be fed for 3-4 hours.
• Immediately before mating, partners need to be taken for a walk.
• It is recommended to carry out this procedure itself indoors, and the floor in the room should be covered with thick fabric in order to prevent dogs from sliding on parquet or laminate.
• Before mating, it is better to wrap the bitch’s face with a bandage so that she cannot bite her partner.
• The dogs are allowed into the room and given the opportunity to sniff each other and play a little.
• If everything goes as it should, then at some point the bitch will stop and move her tail to the side, giving the male the opportunity to mount.
• At this time, it is necessary to hold the girl with one hand under the collar, and with the other under her stomach, not allowing her to wriggle out.
• As soon as the male manages to get into the loop, he begins to move his hind legs, as if dancing. At this time, the bitch may begin to squeal and try to escape, so you need to hold her tightly enough.
• As soon as ejaculation occurs, a so-called “lock” is formed, which can last from a few minutes to an hour or even longer. All this time it is necessary to keep the bitch in place. As a rule, all this time the dogs stand either with their backs turned to each other, or standing in a “corner” position.
• After the partners separate on their own, you need to give them something to drink and give them time to recover. At this time, the male may again show interest in the bitch, but one mating after another should not be allowed, as this is pointless. It is better to carry out a control mating after 1-2 days in order to have an additional opportunity to do everything as needed if the first time something went wrong and fertilization did not occur.

While the dogs are in the “lock”, you cannot pull them apart, spill water on them, or try to separate them in any other way..

Expert opinion

Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich

Expert dog handler.

“Only healthy and mature dogs that are approved for breeding are allowed to be mated. At the same time, the weight of the bitch should not be less than two kilograms, as otherwise there may be problems during pregnancy and childbirth. During mating it should be quiet and calm: it is unacceptable to distract or, especially, frighten the dogs; it is also undesirable for many people to be present at the mating: the owner of the bitch, the owner of the dog and the instructor are enough. Regardless of whether the mating was successful or not, it is recommended to carry out a control mating after 24-48 hours.”

What does temperature mean?

Body temperature is used to judge the number of days remaining before birth. Based on the obtained indicators, they can determine how long pregnant Chihuahuas walk and when the puppies will be born. During pregnancy, dogs experience 38 or 39o. This is the normal temperature for bearing offspring. But a week before giving birth, the temperature begins to change. A day before the birth of the puppies, it drops to 36o, and after birth it returns to normal.

Why do the test?

A pregnancy test is done through a blood draw. Laboratory testing determines the presence of relaxin. The placenta is responsible for the production of this hormone. She begins to produce it 15 days after the fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus. By the fourth week of pregnancy, relaxin increases sharply and remains at this level until the dog gives birth. If relaxin is elevated, it means the Chihuahua is in an “interesting position.” The accuracy of the result is 99%.

note

! The test for the presence of relaxin is the only reliable diagnostic test that confirms the success of the mating and excludes false pregnancy.

Why do an ultrasound?

Thanks to an ultrasound performed after 40 days from the moment of conception, you will learn about the number of future puppies. Most often, dogs of this breed have a singleton pregnancy. During a multiple pregnancy, a Chihuahua can bear from 2 to 4 puppies weighing no more than 100 g. An ultrasound can tell you the number of puppies in the litter, their mobility and heartbeat.

At what age to knit

A male dog is allowed for breeding for the first time when he is one year old. The girl should be at least one and a half years old by this time.

With this approach, the female will have six to seven litters throughout her life if annual whelping is planned. Earlier mating for a bitch is undesirable, as the risk of intrauterine developmental disorders increases. Premature or complicated labor may occur.

Late mating (after three years) is dangerous for a girl, since the elasticity of the genitals is lost.

Individuals allowed to mate must be healthy, treated for parasites, and vaccinated. Dog owners must agree on the place of mating, study the documents and pedigrees of both individuals in advance.

How to help a pregnant Chihuahua?

When your Chihuahua is pregnant, follow a diary in which the owner’s actions are written down day by day.

Chihuahua Pregnancy Diary:

Important

! Before giving your dog any vitamins, be sure to consult your veterinarian. With its help, you can create a detailed menu for the week.

Preparing the maternity area

The owner should have worried about preparing the “maternity hospital” 3 weeks before the Chihuahua started giving birth. If this has not been done, then build a maternity box from plywood, or use a spacious, thick cardboard box from household appliances. Subsequently, the box will become a temporary shelter for a dog with small puppies, so carefully consider its architecture.

Place the new “house” for the Chihuahua in a secluded and warm place, for example, close to the radiator. Place oilcloth and a large sheet on the bottom of the box. The dog will build a cozy “nest” from fabric for himself and his newborn babies.

To ensure that a pregnant Chihuahua can easily enter the box, make a proportionate entrance. Make the threshold (side) 10-15 cm high so that the cubs do not voluntarily leave their place of stay in the absence of the mother. For safety reasons, protect the “shelter” of mother and puppies from small children.

If you do not prepare a birthing area for a Chihuahua in advance, the dog will independently choose the place where it will give birth. Such a place may be any hard-to-reach corner of the apartment (house), which will prevent the owner from monitoring the normal course of labor and providing prompt assistance if necessary.

Make sure that the woman in labor spends most of her time in the place prepared for her, sleeping and resting. It is important that after giving birth the Chihuahua stays with the puppies in a designated place, and not anywhere.

Before giving birth to a Chihuahua at home, the owner should take care to ensure that the newborn puppies have an optimal and constant temperature in the apartment (private house). Optimal indoor air temperature for litter: +25-30 ° C. Remember that Chihuahuas are heat-loving dogs and hate sudden changes in temperature, especially cold. Even a small draft can result in the development of a cold in children.

What to feed a pregnant Chihuahua?

When the pregnancy reaches four weeks, increase the daily amount by 2% weekly. If the dog is accustomed to eating dry food, then after the first month the diet should contain food specially designed for pregnant women. When feeding naturally, more kefir, cottage cheese, vegetables and fruits are added to the diet.

Two weeks before giving birth, foods containing a lot of calcium and protein are excluded from the diet. But a week before giving birth, the dog is treated to rice or buckwheat porridge cooked in water. You can add a little to it:

• butter;
• crushed walnuts;
• grated raisins or dried apricots;
• apple pieces.

During this period of time, vegetables will be useful:

• zucchini;
• pumpkin;
• boiled cauliflower.

Vitamin and mineral supplements should be discussed with your veterinarian. It is better to discuss the menu of the last week before giving birth with your doctor.

What is a false pregnancy?

With a false pregnancy, a Chihuahua experiences all the symptoms that are characteristic of bearing offspring. The dog begins to act as if there are puppies in her womb. She is inactive, has poor appetite, enlarged nipples, a growing belly, and sometimes leaks colostrum or gastric distress.

False pregnancy can be caused by:

• mated to a sterile male;
• disruptions in hormonal levels or in the reproductive system;
• mental disorder;
• poor-quality sterilization, in which the ovary or part of it was preserved.

Only a doctor can determine whether a false or true pregnancy is present.

How can you tell when labor is starting?

Here's what you need to know about your Chihuahua's approaching due date:

1. The dog becomes restless and changes in behavior. She begins to “dig” under the bedding or diaper in the birthing area, seeks privacy, or, on the contrary, attracts the attention of people.
2. She has a rapid heartbeat, heavy breathing, and whitish discharge from the loop.
3. The tummy begins to gradually drop, and colostrum appears on the nipples.
4. The day before giving birth, your body temperature drops.

Based on these signs, you can guess that the puppies are about to be born.

Important

! The main sign of childbirth is considered to be a decrease in temperature.

How is childbirth?

Chihuahua labor can last up to 5 hours. Each subsequent puppy appears approximately an hour after the previous one. The intervals between the birth of puppies are almost the same. The birth is considered complete when more than 2 hours have passed since the last puppy.

A small dog needs the help of an owner who will be there at a crucial moment and monitor its condition. When contractions begin, be prepared to deliver the baby. Their onset is indicated by the sides, which begin to “walk” from side to side. Sidewalking refers to the movement of the puppy through the birth canal.

Before giving birth, the dog lies on its side and rests its paws against the wall of the maternity house. After the bladder ruptures, amniotic fluid comes out and labor begins. Contractions of the uterus increase in strength and occur more and more frequently each time.

When you deliver puppies, you may see them in the membranes. It does not always rupture while moving through the birth canal, so the Chihuahua chews it on its own.

To make the baby squeak, the mother stimulates his breathing and blood circulation by licking the puppy. The Chihuahua must chew the umbilical cord, lick the puppy, and eat the afterbirth that comes out after the puppy arrives.

Important

! Don't stop your dog from eating the afterbirth. She does this instinctively. If she does not chew the umbilical cord or membrane, then you need to help her do this. For cutting you will need disinfected scissors.

How to care for a dog during the postpartum period?

After you finish delivering the baby, give the dog a break and gain strength, while you take care of the puppies. Weigh each of them and record the data obtained. Prepare a warm and clean bedding for the puppies to feed on. Place the dog on the bed. Place the puppies close to the mother's breast so that they can all suckle.

The room in which the puppies and their mother are located should be warm. Change the bedding to a new one every day. After a month, you can remove the house that was intended for puppies. Over three days, the puppies will lose a little weight, but this is within normal limits. The main thing is to control their feeding and make sure that all the babies are full.

After giving birth, pour warm tea with milk for the new mother. It needs to be washed and dried. After two hours, you can take her out for a 5-minute walk if the weather is dry outside. A walk is needed so that the dog can go to the toilet. Monitor breast emptying and nipple condition. The mammary glands should not be hard. If the dog is not able to feed the puppies, then buy special milk.

In the first week after giving birth, the Chihuahua should eat the same as before the birth of the babies. Warm tea diluted with milk and honey is added to food. After a week, they gradually give them lean meat and boiled fish.

note

! After giving birth, the bitch starts bleeding. The duration of this process should not be more than a week. If the discharge does not stop, changes color or smell, then you need to contact a veterinarian.

Stocking up on inventory

The tools required for proper childbirth in a Chihuahua are as follows:

• rectal thermometer;
• a heating pad or a couple of plastic bottles;
• hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate);
• dry and clean cotton towels;
• absorbent diapers;
• sterile sharp scissors;
• surgical forceps or tweezers;
• surgical silk threads or sterile catgut;
• cotton wool and medical alcohol;
• pipettes;
• electronic balance;
• notepad with pen;
• telephone number of the veterinarian or the nearest veterinary clinic in case of emergency.

The list can be supplemented with disposable syringes, Oxytocin or Mastometrin injection solution. The drugs are used to artificially stimulate labor in Chihuahuas. Consult your veterinarian regarding this issue.

Place the tools in a box and store them in a dry and easily accessible place.