Normal pregnancy in a canine is between 60 to 64 days. When labor is close, take its temperature on a regular basis. If it drops down to 97 or 99 degrees for two readings in a time span of about twelve hours, you could expect the dog to go into labor in the next 24 hours. The labor is divided into three stages and would repeat with each puppy born.
Avoid nutritional supplements when your dog is pregnant as your dog would naturally produce all nutrients its puppies require during lactation. These interfere with natural process in the body and if you use quality dog food, these would not be necessary. Extra supplements should be given only on the suggestion of veterinarian. Increase the frequency of meals midway through the dog gestation. Include protein diet every alternate day with a boiled egg or cheese.
Vaccinations should not be given to a pregnant canine. But it is advisable to get your dog vaccinated before it becomes pregnant, ensuring its body has all the required antibodies. These antibodies also pass to the newborn puppies during lactation.
Pregnant dogs love to get pampered and this can be done simply by regular walking, stroking or some running. This helps to prevent overweight and maintain muscle tone. It is strongly recommended to visit a veterinarian on regular basis during pregnancy period. They usually diagnose using ultrasound machines and check the condition and development of the puppies. Veterinarian would take necessary steps if any problems are found in the body. So it is important that during canine pregnancy, ultrasound should be conducted to figure out present condition. Click here (http://www.veterinaryultrasounds.com/collections/dogs-and-pets-ultrasounds), to know more about canine care.