My pregnant dog has no milk at 59 days. Is this normal for labor?

A normal healthy dog is pregnant for about 63 days before going into labor. If you know when she was bred you can count the days to see how far along she is. It can be normal to not be able to palpate the pups in her abdomen, especially if she is a big dog. It can also be normal for the mammary glands to leak a small amount of milk prior to the pups being born.

Do you mean 53 days pregnant? Dogs are pregnant for 63 days /- a few. If you are seeing milk from mammary glands, then she is very close to labor. I would monitor her, give her a comfortable, warm, quiet place to be able to go to. Once she begins labor, they usually can do it all on their own. The problem to watch for is if she is actively pushing for 20-30 min without any progress. If that occurs, get her to the ER Right away. It is normal to have times of rest, and blocks in between puppies but in those natural times there is no active pushing. Good luck.

She still has a few days for the milk to come in. Often it doesn’t really start until the birthing process and will increase once the pups start to nurse. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Jenny.

In a [pregnant dog](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/pregnancy/), milk can be produced a week or so before delivery. A dog’s gestational period is about 63 days. You can also [take her temperature](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-take-your-pet-s-temperature) twice daily at the same time each day to determine when she will go into labor A dog’s normal temperature is between 100 to 102.5F degrees. Her temperature may fluctuate during this time, but once her temperature falls below 99 degrees, she should go into labor in the next 24 hours.

Hello there. A pregnant dog will not secrete milk until 1 to 2 days before giving birth. The gestation period is about 63 days so I would not expect your dog at 6 weeks (42 days) to be secreting any milk. Sounds like she is right on track! I hope this answers your question. Best wishes to you and Lyca!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would start first with confirming that Sparky is actually pregnant. Your vet can take an X-ray. At 59 days the puppies should be visible. Milk can show up in the mammary glands a day or so or up to a week before birth. Another possibility is a false pregnancy. This is a hormonal imbalance that occurs after a dog is in heat. They are not pregnant but the hormonal imbalance convinces the body that they are. The dog can produce milk, nest, carry toys around like puppies and act anxious. It usually lasts the length of a pregnancy which is 60-63 days. I hope this helps!

Hello. Dogs are pregnant an average of 63 days, so your girl is probably due any time now. If she is acting relatively normal, just give her a little more time. Keep a mental note on how much movement you are feeling in her abdomen & if it begins to diminish, or she acts lethargic, ill, vomits or develops a dark discharge from her vulva without going into labor, see your vet immediately. She may need a C-section. Otherwise, your dates may be off a bit & labor will proceed when her time is due. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.