Caring For a Pregnant Dog

 Is your dog pregnant? Or maybe you think your dog could be pregnant. Or maybe, you are considering breeding? Whichever is the case, you need to be prepared to give your pregnant dog the love and special care she needs while she is busy growing puppies in her belly. Here is a list of ways you can support your pregnant dog as she prepares for whelping (delivery):

Signs that your dog may be pregnant:

• Increased appetite
• Weight gain
• Increased nipple size
• Swollen belly
• Tires more easily
• Nesting behavior
• More affectionate
• Irritable

Keep in mind that all of these signs could also be different medical conditions other than pregnancy. You must go to a veterinarian to determine if your dog is pregnant or it is something else. 

How to tell if your dog is pregnant:

You have noticed the signs stated above and are taking your dog to the vet to determine pregnancy. A dog's pregnancy only lasts about 62-64 days depending upon the breed. The sooner you bring your dog to the vet, the better. There are different ways your vet can determine if it's a pregnancy:

• Palpation: Starting at about 28-30 days, you can start to feel the puppies. They will feel like little golf balls or grapes in the abdomen. This is the fluid filled sac around the fetus. Abdominal palpation should only be done by a veterinarian. Otherwise, you risk injuring the puppies. 
• Ultrasound: At around 25-35 days of gestation, your veterinarian can listen for the fetal heart beats. This will also help your vet determine approximately how many puppies are in the litter. 
• Hormone Test: At around 25-30 days, your veterinarian can measure your dog's hormones to determine pregnancy. 
• X-ray: At around 55 days, the skeletal system of the puppies has developed and your vet can perform an x-ray to get an accurate count of how many puppies to expect. 

Caring for a pregnant dog:

• Proper nutrition is key to helping your dog through pregnancy. If your dog is already on a high quality food and is at a healthy weight, you do not need to change her diet for the first 2/3 of the pregnancy unless directed by a veterinarian. During the last few weeks of pregnancy, you may need to increase your dog's food intake if this is recommended by your vet. 
• You can continue to give your dog her normal exercise routine until her belly is enlarged. Then, you will want to change to shorter, more frequent and less strenuous exercise. Light exercise will also help your expecting mother keep her energy up for whelping.
• Regular vet visits are key. Your veterinarian will want to make sure your dog is up to date on vaccinations and take a fecal sample to make sure your dog does not have internal parasites. A de-wormer may be recommended at this time as well. The vet will also determine if there are any anatomical or mechanical concerns for delivery. Finally, you will also want to discuss with your vet an emergency plan during whelping.

Prepping for pups:

Before the puppies arrive, you will want to either build or purchase a whelping box. This is a box that is safe, warm and draft free for the mother and pups. It should be easy for the mother to enter and exit, but the puppies cannot get out. You will want to introduce the mother to the whelping box to get her comfortable with it before delivery-- otherwise, you may find your dog having her puppies in other areas besides the whelping box-- like a closet, under a porch, etc....

If this is your first time delivering pups, you should also find someone experienced with whelping. Ask them questions on what to expect & have them available during delivery. You need to do lots of research and reading on what to expect and when something may be going wrong during delivery.

Check List: Here are the things you will want to have on hand during the delivery process--

• Non-skid bath mats for bedding after whelping is done.
• Dry clean towels
• Paper towels
• Thermometer
• Clean sterilize scissors
• Unwaxed dental floss
• Iodine
• A heat lamp placed up high and to one side of the box to allow the mother and pups to choose either warmth or a cool place.
• A bulb for cleaning the puppies mouth & nose
• Baby scale
• Veterinarian & emergency room phone numbers.

Labor signs: 

Your dog may stop eating a couple days prior to whelping and start to nest. If you notice this, you will want to give your vet a quick call to confirm. Many dogs will begin to pant. For the most part, your dog will naturally know what to do and you are there just in case there are complications. Here are some more links you can read to further prepare you for a little of cute, little furballs: 

Caring for Pregnant Dogs and Preparing for Birth (thesprucepets.com)

Dog Pregnancy: Signs, Care, and Preparing for Puppies – American Kennel Club (akc.org)

Dog Pregnancy, Labor, and Puppy Care Guide | PetMD

Sensory Overstimulization In Dogs

Many successful dog trainers have done wonders for dogs through positive reinforcement training and behavior modification, but there are some dogs where the rules just don't seem to apply. They need extra help. It's not because these dogs are overly aggressive, trying to dominate you or are basically non-compliant, it's because they are overwhelmed by the world! Every little butterfly, rustling tree leaf, scent or motion seems to send them into overdrive. 

 
How can you tell if your dog is overstimulated?

• Hyperactivity: Boredom and over-stimulation can often look alike. If you are regularly exercising your dog (mentally and physically) and they still seem to be going bonkers, you may want to evaluate whether you are over doing it and your dog is over stimulated. Yes, dogs like humans can be over-trained.
• Hiding: Dogs will often try to find a place to hide that is quiet and dark when they are over stimulated. If your dog is hiding somewhere, check your environment. If you have children in the house, make sure they are following proper dog etiquette with boundaries. Let's face it, kids need to be loud and super active sometimes, but that often does not mix with canines. Allowing your dog to have a place to retreat will minimize the risk of nipping, biting and "accidents" that cause injury to your two-legged family members. Same goes when you have guests over. Sometimes, the human life can be just too much for your canine. 
• Nipping and Biting: Again, please re-read the above about hiding. Your dog will first try to retreat to a quiet place before resorting to nipping and biting. Sometimes though, dogs nip and bite when they are playful. It's how dogs play with each other. Your job as a human parent to a dog, is to recognize when the playing has gone too far and your dog is starting to get overstimulated. Try to keep playtime to a duration where your dog does not get over stimulated and in addition, invest the time to train your dog not to nip & bite while playing with humans.  
• Compulsive Behavior: Tail chasing, constant licking and spinning in circles can all be compulsive behaviors. Yes, puppies and kitties will tail chase and spin in circles in normal play, but there can be a point where it becomes compulsive and cause injury. If these behaviors are becoming compulsive, chances are your dog is over stimulated. 

If your dog seems to be hitting the above criteria as an overstimulated dog, the first thing you must do is  take your dog to the vet for lab work to eliminate the possibility of a medical issue. The next thing you need to do is check your environment. Is your household overly active without an escape option for your dog? Are you stressed out? Do you lead an overly hectic lifestyle or get easily frustrated when training your dog? If so, you probably need to re-assess your lifestyle and find ways to simplify and control your own frustration. When training your dog, you must remain calm. If everything is as cool as a cucumber and medical problems have been eliminated, there are products and methods out there to help your dog:

• DAP (dog-appeasing pheromone) : This pheromone mimics the scent of a lactating mother dog. It is said to help calm about 80% of dogs. It can come as a collar, a spray or a plug-in. 
• Thunder Shirt: This is a snug wrap that is often used for canines with a thunder phobia. It can also be used to calm dogs in busy kennels.
• BACH Rescue Remedy: This is developed for humans, but many trainers often use it on canines as well. It is a blend of medicinal flowers designed to help deal with immediate problems. For more information click here. 
• Eye Contact Game: This behavior modification technique is part of Chris Bach's The Third Way training program: "[The trainer] uses food to reward a dog’s choice to do something right and simply interferes with a dog’s choice to do something wrong. By utilizing THE THIRD WAY’S exclusive teaching and proofing processes and without force or punishment, owners teach dogs how to ignore food and obey cues. As a result, they are very reliable in the face of strong distractions and are not dependent upon food to be accurate and willing performers. Dogs learn what owners want." 
• T-touch: Is a massage technique that employs circular movements of the fingers and hands all over the body to activate cell function and awaken cellular intelligence. You can find out more here. 
• Socialization: There is a critical period in which puppies must be socialized: 4-16 weeks of age. But, dogs must also be socialized after that period on a continuous basis. Proper socialization is key to dog behavior. There are dogs, especially rescue dogs with abused pasts, that normal socialization will just not work. These dogs may never have a normal life and owners will need special vigilance to give them an environment conducive to their individual needs. 
• Calm Hand Strokes: When your dog is anxious about a situation or over stimulated, sometimes calmly petting your dog in long, slow strokes on the back while avoiding the head works wonders. The key to this technique is that the owner must be calm.
• Anti-anxiety medication: Medication can be used after all other options have been exhausted or as a way to calm your dog in order to effectively institute other methods. These options should be discussed with your veterinarian and a professional dog trainer. 

Keep in mind when trying new products and techniques with your canine, that you should try one thing at a time and give 2 weeks to a month before you switch or add on. This will allow you to know what is and isn't working. Always let your veterinarian know what products/ techniques you are using on your dog. Finally, keep in mind, that sometimes you need to bring in a professional trainer for help. 

For more information, go to these links:

• 5 Ways to Calm a Hyper Dog, The Dogster: http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/dog-puppy-training-behavior-calm-overstimulated 
• Is Sensory Overstimulation Stressing Your Dog?, PetHelpful: https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Understanding-Sensory-Overstumulation-in-Dogs
•  4 Signs Your Dog is Overstimulated, I (heart) Dogs: https://iheartdogs.com/4-signs-your-dog-is-overstimulated/ 

Cold and Flu Season for Canines

Do you ever have days where you feel like this?

You just don't want to get out of bed. You feel tired, lethargic and you're thinking you might be coming down with a cold or flu. It happens to all of us... unless you live in a bubble. It also happens to dogs.

Canine Influenza is a virus that is transmitted from dog to dog. Humans cannot become infected. Symptoms are similar to human flu: coughing, sneezing, runny nose and fatigue. Sometimes dogs can be asymptomatic (they carry the virus, but show no symptoms). If you suspect your dog is under the weather, please take them to the vet. Although, canine flu is rarely serious, it can become serious if not treated properly: high temperature, difficulty breathing, pneumonia and/or bleeding in the lungs. Plus, you will want to rule out any other medical issues that are not the flu. Once your dog has officially been diagnosed with the flu, your vet will decide the appropriate treatment: rest, lost of fluids, maybe medication...rest...more rest... and quarantined to the house with no contact to other dogs until they recover. There is a vaccine, but the vaccine won't help if your dog already has the flu. It's similar to a human flu shot, your dog will need to get the shot before the flu season starts and it will not promise you a long, happy, virus free, bounding, slobbering through snow drifts winter...it just eases the blow to your pup's body.

Please remember that if your dog is under the weather, vomiting or has diarrhea, please keep them at home until they get better. Also remember that if your dog does get a cold or flu, like humans, these things happen sometimes.  The only way you can be completely sure your dog will not catch a virus is to isolate them from all dog contact and that would be a pretty lonely life. We at Bark City work diligently to keep our facility clean: Our facility is set up with 3 different air circulation systems (one for the standard side, one for the enrichment program, and one for the training room), we spray down and disinfect all of our yards twice a day and disinfect all indoor space and toys daily, we have also laid down our turf correctly with proper drainage (read here on why that's important). Even with all our effort, sometimes those asymptomatic dogs sneak past. 

As the cold and flu season sets upon us (and our canine companions), let us prepare the best we can. Bone broth and kleenexes anyone? 

This dog isn't really sick. He is just really tired from playing too much at Bark City.