What are the signs one hour before a dog gives birth? If a dog starts scratching the ground, is it time to give birth?

The reproduction method of dogs is no different from that of humans, but because dogs do not live that long, the time from pregnancy to birth is not long either. So what are the signs of a dog giving birth one hour before it is due?

What are the signs of a dog giving birth 1 hour before birth?

An hour before giving birth, a dog will anxiously look for a quiet, warm, comfortable and hidden environment.

The owner can prepare such an environment in advance. Due to prenatal anxiety, the mother dog has a poor appetite, so the owner can put water nearby for the mother dog to drink.

The mother dog's temperature will drop by about one degree Celsius before giving birth, and the temperature will drop as the baby approaches the birthing date. The owner needs to remember the mother dog's delivery date and make preparations in advance.

If a dog starts scratching the ground, does it mean she is about to give birth?

Observe that the dog has a decreased appetite before giving birth and doesn't eat much. It likes to scratch the ground or the scratching board. It also makes a sound like pain when it is about to give birth.

There are also symptoms of frequent urination and urgency, which is caused by the enlarged uterus squeezing the bladder sphincter. Of course, it is also accompanied by an increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and restlessness.

Starting from the day before giving birth, the dog's appetite will obviously decrease, or even stop eating, and have black and yellow loose stools. At this time, you can feed some brown sugar water + liquid calcium to replenish the mother dog's physical strength.

What to do when a dog gives birth to puppies

Take care of the puppies and feed them milk.

If the sum of the number of dogs is greater than the number of nipples, you must prepare a way to replace sheep milk powder or breast milk. Because there are always puppies who don't have enough food to eat. There must be strong dogs and a litter of dogs with poor health. Be sure to keep warm in winter.

Strengthen the nutrition of the female dog.

Dogs grow up every day, and the amount of milk they eat is increasing. Some dogs suffer from postpartum syndrome and convulsions due to malnutrition, especially calcium deficiency. Therefore, calcium supplementation is very important.

Wean at the appropriate time.

Generally speaking, you can consider weaning a puppy when it is around 24 to 28 days old. At that time, the puppies have begun to grow teeth, and it is easy for them to bite their mother's nipples while drinking milk. The mother dog will also refuse to give the puppies milk.