The complete process of a dog giving birth and how to assist in the delivery

Dogs are multiparous animals. Due to the varying breeds of dogs, the number of puppies in a litter also differs greatly. Generally, small-sized dogs usually have 1-4 puppies, medium and large dogs have 6-9 puppies, ranging from 1-2 to 12-13, and the highest record is 25. The following article analyzes the entire labor process of a female dog.

Dog labor is based on the contractions of the uterus and abdominal muscles, which release the fetuses and their accessories. The contractions of the uterus are intermittent, so they are usually referred to as "contractions". The contractions of the abdominal muscles and diaphragm are called "straining." Straining is a voluntary contraction accompanied by semi-contraction.

The labor duration depends on the physical fitness of the mother dog, usually 3-4 hours, sometimes 7-8 hours. The interval between each puppy is 10-30 minutes, with the longest interval being 1-2 hours. During labor, the mother dog often assumes a lateral position and constantly checks her abdomen. At this time, the uterine muscle contractions strengthen, there is straining accompanied by pain.

Dog pain can be divided into labor pain, which consists of three stages: pre-labor pain, labor pain, and post-labor pain. Uterine opening pain is characterized by weak and interval pain. Labor pain is caused by the fetus passing through the birth canal, with a characteristic of time-limited pain. Post-labor pain occurs after the fetus is born, characterized by weakness, and a long duration of pain. When the pain duration decreases, the mother dog breathes quickly and gradually intensifies, then extends her hind legs.

At this time, it can be seen that the vulva has a thin liquid flowing out, then the first puppy is born. At this point, the fetus is still wrapped in the amniotic membrane. Inside, the mother dog quickly tears the membrane with her teeth, bites the umbilical cord, and wipes off the mucus from the fetus. If the first puppy can be born smoothly, other puppies are usually not prone to difficulties during labor.

During the labor process, sometimes the anterior fetal carcass is not expelled, and the subsequent fetuses have already been born. In some cases, even after all the fetuses are born, the placenta has not been expelled. If the placenta does not come out immediately, the umbilical cord is still in the birth canal, and the mother dog can bite the umbilical cord and pull out the membrane. Most mother dogs can eat the placenta.

If the mother dog becomes quiet after giving birth to some puppies, the outer membrane of the puppy is continuously licked. After 2-3 hours, if no more straining is seen, it indicates that the labor has ended. However, some labor may occur within 48 hours, but most of these are stillbirths. After the first week of labor, the dog will also expel brown-green lochia from the vagina; the uterus will recover two weeks after labor. If the lochia continues to be expelled, the dog should be taken to a pet hospital for treatment immediately.