Is a cage the right place for my pregnant dog to have puppies?

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sounds like Liberty may be getting close to giving birth- I would encourage her now if possible. Dogs, when they are close to whelping, do seek out nesting areas on their own without assistance most times. She may have found underneath your deck a safe spot to give birth, but if it is cold out at all, I would try and keep her inside the house if possible. When taking her outside to potty, you may want to leash walk her out so she doesn't hide underneath the deck or other places that may be a less than ideal area for her. I hope this helps and good luck with the new pups!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I wouldn't push the exercise (no dog parks, running with you for mile, too long chasing balls) but I would let her do light activity as much as she wants. She can run. Personally I do not think you need to cage her or chain her up. She will slow down close to delivery on her own. I hope this helps!

Letting her roam the yard is best. Please note that it is not ideal for an 8 month old dog to be pregnant. Recommended minimum breeding age is 18 months of age. Just because biologically she can get pregnant does not mean she should. You need to monitor her carefully for any potential complications.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! The first thing is to be sure that Soska is up to date on all her vaccinations, is heartworm negative, in on heartworm prevention and has been dewormed. You can discuss monitoring her progesterone levels and vaginal cytology to optimize the correct breeding dates with your Vet. I will attach a handout on stages of pregnancy and when to worry during labor. Be sure to have a bulb syringe, hemostat, thread to tie umbilical chords and scissors. Here is a good website for whelping boxes:https://gordonsetterexpert.org/2015/10/29/design-yourself-the-perfect-whelping-box-set-up/ Whelping and When to be Concerned Stages of Labor: -Stage 1 tends to start 10-24 hours after temperature drop (usually below 99 F). -Stage 1: nesting. Can persist for 3-24 hours before abdominal contractions begin -Stage 2: Visible abdominal contractions. FIRST PUPPY SHOULD ARRIVE WITH IN 1-2 HOURS. -Stage 3: passage of placenta. Usually occurs within 15 mins of passing puppy. If it does not happen, don’t worry. When to worry/Call: -Strong contractions > 45-60 mins without birth of a puppy -Weak and infrequent contractions >4-6 hours without birth of puppy ->4-5 hours between puppies (after birth of first puppy without birth of the next puppy). On average a puppy is born every 45-60 mins. HOWEVER, the mother can often rest for several hours between puppies. This rest period is NOT associated with contractions and usually doesn’t exceed 4-6 hours. -If one puppy is born and she is having VISIBLE contractions for >2 hours without 2nd puppy. Recommend calling around 1 hour mark to talk to someone. -Failure to enter active labor (contractions) 24-36 hours after rectal temp falls below 99 F -Mother is in obvious pain: biting at vulva, crying) -No puppy within 2 hours of seeing green vaginal discharge -No puppy within 1 hour of seeing clear fluid from vulva (rupture of allantochorion) -No puppy within 1 hour of seeing a clear/water filled balloon at vulvar lips (puppy is in birth canal) I hope this helps and I wish you the best!

You can put four screws with eyeholes in the box . . . one in each corner. Then get some yards of felt and cut them the size of the box floor. Sew little elastic loops at each corner, and put your newspapers down in the box. Cover them with a piece of felt, which you secure to the screw in each corner by looping the elastic over the eyehole. I usually do this once the bitch is done nursing the puppies. If you want a fluffier base, buy some thick (fake) sheepskin and do the same as above with it. You won;t need newspapers underneath. Both the felt and the sheepskin are machine washable and drable, so you can change them every time they're soiled and put fresh ones down.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She should have all her vaccines and be dewormed prior to getting pregnant. Things to think about are if Virguie's breed has any trouble giving birth naturally so you can be financially prepared for a surgical C-section. Record all breeding dates accurately. Discuss measuring Progesterone levels with your Vet to time breeding. Look in to whelping boxes and watch videos on whelping so you can help during birth with removing the placentas from the puppies faces and tying umbilical chords. Purchase a bulb syringe to remove mucous from the puppies noses. Virguie should be fed puppy food while pregnant and while nursing. At day 50 pregnant have your Vet take an X-ray of her bally to estimate the number of puppies to expect. Start measuring Virguie's rectal temperature daily around day 58 pregnant to watch for a temperature drop that indicates the start of labor. Always keep your Vet prepared so they can assist you if you have problems. Be prepared to financially deworm and vaccinate the puppies when they need it and to take care of any unexpected illnesses in the mother and with the puppies. I hope this helps!

We have no way of knowing how far along Gorda is but generally the belly does not show significantly until 6weeks plus and milk generally present 3-5days before labor and delivery with full gestation being 9weeks (63days). Whelping area should be at least 5' x 10' to allow her room to get up and turn around and reduce the risk she may lie on pups, should be easily accessible and visible to you without having to disturb her to monitor her progress and can be kept at 75-80F. Fleas can be a significant risk to pups and she should be treated to prevent passing them on - bravecto is licensed for use in pregnant/lactating mothers and would be best given before she enters the whelping box to prevent contamination.