Good Dog Has Been Bred Your Litter A to Z Calendar Events

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This form is equipped with LIVE LINKS. Click that link to be taken to the exact place in Your Litter A to Z where that reminder is discussed further.

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On a phone/tablet: You can click the words of the reminder and the link will show on the right side. Click the link to be directed to that information.

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Week 1 Reading:

A2Z, Module 1, Before You Breed

A2Z, Module 2, She's in Season

A2Z, Module 3, Pregnancy and First Trimester

Pregnancy and First Trimester Document

Week 1 Resources:

Breeding Diary (download)

Pregnancy and First Trimester Video

Nutrients for Breeding, First Trimester

Fit To Be Tied, Lesson 5, Pregnancy Stages

Exercise Throughout the Breeding Cycle

Got a breeding? Record it in your Breeding Diary.

Do vaginal cytology every 12-24 hours until you identify D1 of diestrus. If you have D1 of diestrus, go to your A2Z Calendar page, link below. (Days 1 - 4)

Note: Since using D1 of Diestrus is more predictive, we recommend going back to the calendar page and inputing diestrus. Click here to go back to the calendar page: A2Z Calendar

Keep her away from other male dogs until she is completely out of season, at least two days after diestrus begins. (Days 1 - 4)

Reduce her daily food ration to her maintenance amount but keep her on a repro diet.

FIRST TRIMESTER STARTED WITH OVULATION

Go through the First Trimester module in A2Z.

The eggs should be fertilized now and your puppies are called a zygote.

There are usually few, if any, signs of pregnancy at this point.

The zygote is undergoing cell division and is now known as a blastocyst.

Keep her on a maintenance amount of a reproduction diet with the correct amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrates and vitamins. (Days 4 - 15)

The blastocysts are still in the oviduct, undergoing the process of cell division.

Embryonic puppies are very sensitive to toxins during this trimester. (Days 5 - 15)

Be EXTREMELY cautious of giving any medications, OTC or prescribed, during pregnancy. Use only pregnancy-safe tick, flea and heartworm treatments. (Days 5 - 15)

Do not vaccinate while pregnant except for the Canine Herpes Vaccine. (Days 5 - 57)

Keep her stress low! She and the embryos are very sensitive to stress during this trimester.

The blastocysts move into the uterus but are still free floating.

Track your girl's first trimester in your First Trimester Checklist. (Days 6 - 15)

Make pregnancy ultrasound appointment for Day 28-31 post ovulation. (Days 6 - 15)

Pyometra is a risk for the next 6 weeks. Head to the vet if your bitch goes off her food, is lethargic, or is drinking and peeing more than normal.

Week 2 Reading:

A2Z, Module 3, The First Trimester

Pregnancy and The First Trimester Document

Week 2 Resources:

Pregnancy and the First Trimester Video

Pregnancy and the Second Trimester Video

Nutrients for Breeding, First Trimester

Fit To Be Tied Exercise Throughout the Breeding Cycle

Follow Fit To Be Tied's First Trimester exercise guidance with strength, balance, proprioception, flexibility and Good For The Soul exercises. Do no High Risk skill training this trimester.

Groom and cuddle a lot, if your bitch enjoys it.

Train, do tricks, go visiting--anything to keep her life enriched and brain active.

The blastocysts are arranging themselves evenly along the uterine horns.

Keeping your bitch's stress low is essential to healthy implantation. Resorption is common during this trimester.

Be cautious showing your bitch so she does not pick up any diseases or parasites.

Get your bitch's back-up food in preparation for morning sickness.

Embryos are implanting in the uterus and each embryo's placenta is forming. (Days 13 - 15)

It's not unusual for bitches to get morning sickness during implantation. This may be your first indication that your girl is pregnant. (Days 13 - 15)

Your bitch may have a clear, jelly-like discharge from her vulva. Your bitch may also spot a small amount of blood during this period. These are normal. Any other discharge is not normal and she should be seen by a vet. (Days 13 - 15)

If your bitch has morning sickness, use your back-up food. (Days 13 - 15)

Morning sickness and pyometra can be hard to tell apart. If your bitch is also lethargic, and drinking/peeing more, or if she has a colored discharge, take her to your vet for an exam. (Days 14 - 15)

Give your girl lots of cuddling these days--it's good for her and her pups!

SECOND TRIMESTER

Go through the Second Trimester module in A2Z.

Track your girl's second trimester in your Second Trimester Checklist.

Your pups' organs and nervous system are developing. They are now about 1/3rd inch long. They are highly sensitive to toxins, disease and stress for the next several days. (Days 18 - 19)

Canine placentas are complete. They are known as zonary and they form a band around each individual embryo, attaching it to one place in the uterus.

You can use the Relaxin test to confirm pregnancy now but it works best if you wait another week.

You can palpate to confirm pregnancy from now until 30 days after ovulation. (Days 18 - 24)

Keep her on a reproduction diet but increase her food amount 50 to 80% more than maintenance.

Your pups' heartbeats are visible on ultrasound (but hold off on your ultrasound for a bit longer).

Use only pregnancy-safe medications and chemicals during the second trimester.

Follow Fit To Be Tied's Second Trimester exercise guidance with strength, balance, proprioception, flexibility and Good For The Soul exercises. Do no High Risk skill training this trimester.

Week 3 Reading:

A2Z, Module 4, The Second Trimester

Pregnancy and The Second Trimester Document

Keep Your Pups Safer Use Canine Nomographs to Better Time Puppy Vaccinations

Deworming Dams and Puppies

Week 3 Resources:

Pregnancy and the Second Trimester Video

Nutrients for Breeding, Second Trimester

Fit To Be Tied Exercise Throughout the Breeding Cycle

Continue your enrichment program with grooming, cuddling, play, work and training that she enjoys.

Best days to palpate for pups, if that is your method of choice. (Days 22 - 26)

Ultrasound to confirm pregnancy and estimated litter size. (Days 24 - 26)

Your pup is the size of a walnut and is starting to look like a puppy.

Your puppies are developing organs, whisker buds, toes, and toenails. Fetal pups are relatively resistant to external pressures and toxins at this point.

Adjust your bitch's food amount based on the number of pups identified on the ultrasound.

Take reservations and even deposits for puppies. The time to sell your pups is now.

Palpation is NOW difficult due to increased fluid in the uterus.

Arrange for whelping and puppy sitting help.

Make appointment for to draw blood for a nomograph between now and 2 weeks out from whelping.

Your bitch's mammary glands may be developing now.

Sexual differentiation in the puppies begins with testicular development.

You might notice your girl's abdomen is becoming rounder.

Deworm your bitch daily with fenbendazole if she has ever had round, hook or whipworms from birth on. (Days 38 - 59)

Third Trimester Reading:

A2Z, Module 6, The Third Trimester

Pregnancy and The Third Trimester Document

Deworming Dams and Puppies

C-Section Document

Whelping Equipment & Supplies

Things to Take to the Vet During Whelping or C-Section

Setting Up the Whelping Area

Supplementing Newborns

Whelping Rules

Third Trimester Resources:

Temperature Chart (download)

A2Z, Module 5, Placing Your Puppies

Checking Pups with a Doppler

Pregnancy and the Third Trimester Video

Nutrients for Breeding, Third Trimester

Fit To Be Tied Exercise Throughout the Breeding Cycle

THIRD TRIMESTER

The 3rd trimester is when the pups do most of their growing so expect your girl to put most her weight gain in the next 3 weeks.

Go through the Third Trimester module in A2Z.

Track your girl's third trimester in your Third Trimester Checklist.

Stop all strength and skill training, focusing solely on flexibility, balance, proprioception and Good For The Soul exercises that she enjoys. (Days 39 - 55)

Continue deworming her daily with fenbendazole, if she has ever had round, hook or whipworms from birth on. (Days 39 - 58)

Be SUPER cautious of giving any medication or chemical during the 3rd trimester.

Keep her on a reproduction diet with the correct amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrates and vitamins. (Days 40 - 57)

Do not supplement with calcium or calcium-rich foods until whelping has begun.

Your pups have now hair and toenails.

Sexual differentiation in the puppies begins with testicular development.

Make final coordination with your vet (phone numbers, c-sections, etc). Get oxytocin and calcium, if your vet will give it to you.

Draw blood for vaccine antibody titer for nomograph through CAVIDS.

You may notice the hair on your bitch's abdomen thinning.

Inventory or gather your whelping and possible c-section supplies. Get anything you need.

Your pups' bones are mineralized now.

You should be able to feel your pups move when your bitch is resting.

We suggest x-raying ONLY for medical reasons, not routine counting of pups.

Limit rough play between her and other dogs from now on.

Fetal brain development begins in earnest. Keep your bitch's stress low.

Pack your go-bag for a possible vet visit/c-section during whelping.

Give her a final bath and shave her abdomen, if you intend to.

Listen to puppies' heartbeats with Doppler.

Go through the Labor and Whelping module.

Feed one meal a day in the whelping box, if she is still enjoying eating. (Days 53 - 57)

Set up whelping area.

Take her temperature twice today to determine her baseline.

Take and record her temperature four times a day, approximately every 6-8 hours. (Days 54 - 56)

Spend time in the whelping box with her each day, cuddling, relaxing, sleeping, etc. (Days 54 - 57)

Pups whelped now can survive, though will be premature and very fragile. (Days 55 - 57)

Make and freeze liver water.

Make and freeze Myra's puppy formula.

Buy good chocolate, get some light videos, and stock up on magazines for 1st stage labor.

Get lots of rest, no matter how nervous or excited you are!

LABOR AND WHELPING

Your bitch's whelping window begins today. (Days 57 - 66)

Print and complete your Whelping Rules. Post them in your whelping area.

She can go for short walks now but do no other exercise with her.

Take and record her temperature four times a day, approximately every 6-8 hours.

Got a temperature drop? Coordinate with your whelping help. You want to see pups within 48 hours, ideally within 36 hours. A temp drop is 2 consecutive temps below 99F 6 hours apart.

First stage labor (nesting, digging, panting)? Go take a nap! Tether her to you, if you are worried.

Review your Whelping Rules. Commit to them!

Give your vet a head's up when first-stage labor starts.

Rest up EVEN MORE, if your bitch isn't in labor.

Your bitch's whelping window ends today! The pups' placentas are deteriorating rapidly. If they haven't been born yet, schedule a c-section TODAY!

Pups are here? Go back to the A2Z calendar page (link below), add your whelping date and get started on Module 8, The First 48 hours.

Once you have whelped your puppies, click here to get new to do's and dates for your Dam and Puppies: Your Litter A to Z Calendar

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