What to Expect When Your Pet's Expecting
- Dallas Duncan
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
No matter if it’s a stray pet, accidental mating, or planned litter, there’s a lot to expect when folks find out their pet’s expecting.
Pregnancy diagnosis and monitoring looks different based on breed, whether the animal is owned by a licensed breeder or not, and the individual health considerations of the dog or cat. Frequently, says Dr. Mandy Adams, DVM, a veterinarian at Comer Veterinary Hospital, pregnancy diagnosis depends on when and how an owner gets the animal.
“You have the breeders versus you have people that find a dog that’s pregnant, which happens pretty frequently,” she says.
Comer Vet staff can diagnose a pregnancy with ultrasound as early as 30 days. As far as determining how many furry new grand-pets owners can expect, ultrasounds aren’t as accurate at counting. This is due to the Y-like shape of dog and cat uteruses, which have the potential for fetal puppies and kittens developing on each side. X-rays can be used once a pregnancy is 45 days along and there is fetal bone development, which allows veterinary staff to count heads and spines, says Jessica Morris, veterinary technician and practice manager at Comer Vet.
Once an animal is confirmed pregnant and pet owners know how many puppies and kittens are on the way, that’s usually the only diagnostic imaging they’ll undergo during gestation.
“If it’s just an everyday animal that they found that’s pregnant, then we don’t do monthly checkups,” Adams says. “However, if a breeder has a really nice show dog that they have done artificial insemination on and things like that, then they may want to have that done. But that’s not something that we routinely do.”
Most pregnant animals are also free of the required lab work, bloodwork, and other monitoring that pregnant people undergo. There are some circumstances, however, when such things might be recommended by a vet.
“I personally like for them to have a fecal done so that we can know, as far as worm burden, what Mom could pass down to the puppies. And you know how to proceed about getting her dewormed and the puppies dewormed,” Adams says. “When you have an animal that is a high-risk breed, you would probably want to do a progesterone test, so that you would have a better idea about when they may whelp. If it’s a high-risk patient, then that gives your doctors a way to look and see, ‘Okay, well, this pet is gonna need a c-section’.”
Assessing and monitoring progesterone levels for breeds like this, including English bulldogs and French bulldogs, provides a more accurate estimate of when that surgery should be pre-scheduled to ensure safe delivery for mom and babies.
Prenatal Care for Dogs and Cats
Pregnant cats and dogs divert much of their energy into growing puppies and kittens. This means they require more food and water to support themselves and their offspring.
“Sometimes they don’t want to eat as much when they are pregnant. Their appetite will decrease. So, with them not eating quite as much, you want them on the high-calorie, high-fat diets,” Morris says. “We usually recommend changing them to puppy [or kitten] food while they’re pregnant and while they’re nursing.”
Adams says this can be a balancing act, as some animals may put on more weight than is healthy, which can set them up for complications later in pregnancy. Dogs and cats are at lower risk for developing metabolic diseases or pregnancy-influenced conditions, but it is not unheard of. Adams says pregnant animals that aren’t eating well or acting normally should be brought in to be checked.
“A lot of times during the pregnancy, they may be more clingy or affectionate to the owners. But during the later portion, they may be a bit more aggressive with dogs that try to come around them. Or, if they have their little nest sorted out, if somebody comes close to that or their food, or something like that, a lot of times they’ll get grumpy,” Adams says.
Labor and Aftercare
When it’s nearing time for puppies or kittens to arrive, Morris says pet owners should keep an eye out for panting, pacing, circling, straining, extended time in their nesting area, and visible abdominal tensing.
“Their temperature drops within 24 hours, so if you take their temperatures regularly or keep an eye on that, then it usually drops below 99-ish. Anything below that would be signs of labor, usually 24 hours beforehand,” she says.
A big thing for pet owners to keep an eye out for is when the mom begins straining, but is not producing a puppy or kitten.
“If they strain for more than an hour, they need to be seen. Or if you see a green discharge, but you haven’t seen a puppy or a kitten, they need to be seen,” Adams says.
She says high-risk patients could lose their puppies or kittens if labor is not carefully observed for signs of difficulty.
“It’s alarming to some people that they can have several hours between puppies or kittens,” Adams says. “They don’t need to be straining during that time. If it’s been three hours and they’re not straining, we’re okay to watch. But if they go two hours, and then all of a sudden they’re straining for a whole hour and they’re not producing anything, then they need to be seen. There’s a lot of possible complications.”
In addition to dystocia, or difficult labor — a condition that requires veterinary intervention and possibly a c-section — some species are known to prolapse after labor, or have an organ slip out of place. Morris says for cats and dogs, this is more commonly seen during their heat cycles, but if it occurs, will need to be taken care of by a veterinarian.
After delivery, pet owners have the ability to spay female cats and dogs to prevent future pregnancies. If patients are stable and had delivery via a c-section, pet parents can opt for their animals to be spayed at the same time.
“That way, Mom only has to have one surgery,” Adams says. “Or, they can wait until the puppies have finished nursing and milk has dried up, then spay. Now, cats are different because they can get pregnant while they’re nursing. You just have to bite the bullet and get them done as soon as you can, around probably that six- to eight-week mark.”
She said especially for outside cats that have exposure to intact males, it becomes a never-ending cycle of litter after litter.
“Luckily, most of our patients eventually get spayed or neutered,” Adams says.
During the nursing phase, she recommends keeping moms on the puppy or kitten food so they have both extra calories and nutrients in their milk that can be passed on.
“I also like to have them have a lot of water intake as well,” Adams says. “Sometimes we’ll add moisture to the food and can get them a little bit of extra fluid in there.”
Morris says calcium loss is something to note in nursing small breed dogs.
“Make sure they are on a good quality dog food or even a vitamin supplement,” she says. “Make sure their sugar stays good and that their calcium levels stay high and aren’t depleted by nursing puppies.”
Have questions about pregnancy diagnosis or care for your pet, or need to schedule her spay after delivery? Please give us a call at 706-783-5111 or request an appointment through our online form.
