DOG TRAINING EQUIPMENT

Female dog heat symptoms can be recognized during what experts call the estrous cycle. While the estrous cycle takes place, your female dog has a high chance of getting pregnant if she has intercourse. In this article I will tell you all about the 3 most common symptoms of dog in heat and were you must learn all about them.

Female Dog Heat Symptoms

1. The most common dog heat symptom takes place during the first part of the estrous cycle. You can recognize it because she will have a high increase in urination and also the female dog's vulva will swell. It is not as easy to detect in smaller dogs so you will have to pay close attention.

2. Another very common heat symptom is blood discharge from the dog's vagina. So don't worry if this happens, it is a common, natural symptoms of dog in heat. It doesn't mean that she is sick.

3. Sometimes female dog heat symptoms are hard to recognize, but this one you can't miss. Male dogs will follow the female dog like a magnet, they can easily recognize female dog heat from a distance, so they will even hang around your house. Be careful, during the heat cycle the female dog will allow the male to mount her, so don't let her out of sight or not only will she end up pregnant, but she can get disease from street dogs.

The heat cycle lasts around 90 days and they have it approximately every 7 months. You can check for pregnancy by monitoring her progesterone levels.

Female dog heat symptoms are not to be taken lightly. Dog health and training can be a very complicated subject if you don't know what you are doing. That is why I will point you towards a website that has a few reviews on the best dog information products out there, don't think twice about purchasing them, they are a must have if you want your dog in good health (not only the symptoms of dog in heat) and properly trained.

You have finally managed to breed your dog and now you have an expectant mother. So what exactly do you do now? Well, there are plenty of things that you should do in order to take care of the mother to be and it all takes a little time, money and patience!

Things That Need to Be Done

If you want to earn good money from top quality puppies, you really need to look after them, both before they are born and afterwards! Unfortunately for many owners, this does mean that they have to spend quite a lot of money in order to raise them and protect them. So just what can you do to care for your pregnant dog?

• Changing The Diet

As soon as your dog becomes pregnant, you may want to think about updating the diet. A good quality food that is suitable for pregnant dogs is advisable, as this will give the dog all of the necessary vitamins and minerals needed to keep her healthy. Remember that if the mother gets ill, the puppies can suffer and that is definitely something that you do not want to happen!

• Getting The Dog Checked Over by a Vet

The thing that will cost the most money in the breeding process is getting the dog checked over frequently by a vet. You will need to take your dog to the vet fairly frequently and once the puppies are born, they also need to be looked at regularly. It is not like you can skip this part as you need to make sure that the puppies are healthy and that they are growing right inside the mother. So, regular vet checkups are essential and they can be quite costly!

• Having a Vet on Call

As well as getting the dog checked over by the vet, it is usually a good idea to have a vet present while your dog is actually giving birth. All kinds of complications can occur and the mother and her puppies could potentially die if things do not go to plan. So, having a vet on hand will ensure that the puppies are born healthy and if any problems do arise, your dog can be treated there and then.

You really do need to take good care of the mother and her unborn puppies. Changing the diet and giving regular vet check ups will ensure that your dog and her puppies stay happy and healthy. Also, remember to provide a good, safe and quiet place for the mother to give birth and if the father of the puppies lives with you, ensure that he cannot get to the mother or puppies after the birth.

Are vitamin and mineral supplements that necessary for your pregnant dog? Yes. Besides a balanced and healthy diet, pregnant dogs that are into their fourth week of pregnancy need more vitamins and minerals in their system. Also, a balanced di-calcium phosphate may be needed to be added into their diet as well.

“Where should I purchase these dog supplements?”

Di-calcium phosphate tablets and vitamin/mineral supplements can be obtained from most veterinarians or animal hospitals, and even some grocery stores. Health food stores are common to carry these types of animal supplements as well, so you should not have too many problems trying to locate some for your dog.

“What forms do these prenatal supplements come in?”

Just like what is supplied for humans, vitamins and minerals for prenatal dogs are sold in both powder and tablet forms. A lot of dog owners get bothered over choosing the right kind of supplements for their dogs, but it is an individual choice for you and your dog. Regardless if its form, the quality of both types of supplements is the same.

“How do I know what dosage of supplement to administer to my pregnant dog?”

You will find the correct supplement for your dog by looking at the labels of the supplements. The correct supplement for your pregnant dog will be stated clearly, and there are supplements for matrons as well as puppies. It is very important that you realize that prenatal dog supplements have gone through lab testing before they are approved to be marketed and sold in stores. There will also be specific instructions on the labels on how to give the supplements to your dog regarding the dosages or stages of pregnancy.

Your dog may not be used to swallowing tablets, or the tablet may be too big for a dog its size. What you can do is crush the tablet up into powder form and then putting it into your dog’s food for it to consume. If your dog has no problems with swallowing tablets, like my Chihuahua for instance, who swallows tablets easily when I place it at the back of his throat, you may want to choose that. But powder form supplements is also a good choice if that is what your dog is better at ingesting. See below for more information on Vitamins for Dogs.

There are various reasons why dog owners purposely breed their Labrador Retrievers. One reason is that their dog is up to breed standard and they want to produce a litter. Some dog owners want to improve the breed. In some instances unknown to the owner, breeding may also took place despite that dogs are carefully confined when they are in season. No matter what the reasons are, it is important to know the signs if your Lab is in the family way.

A female dog can only become pregnant if she is bred during her heat cycle. Canine cycle, referred as estrous cycle has four stages. The first stage is proestrus in which the female dog is attractive to males but not receptive to them. This stage generally lasts six to eleven days. This stage has already ended when the dog becomes receptive to the male and will stand to be bred. The next stage is the estrus, the actual fertile stage in which the female dog is now receptive to male. This stage lasts five to nine days. This stage has ended when the female is not receptive to the male anymore. The third stage is the diestrus, a non-receptive time and the last stage of the estrous cycle is the anestrus in which no ovarian activity took place.

Dog pregnancy generally lasts 60-65 days. Early signs of pregnancy in dogs include loss of appetite, sudden decrease in activity, nipple growth and behavioral changes. As the pregnancy progresses, further signs occur. Three to four weeks into the pregnancy, you will notice an increase in appetite and weight gain by one month. Around five weeks, your dog's nipple will develop and she will begin to look broader. Increase in abdomen size can be seen and uterine swelling around the placental sites that feels like firm and discrete lumps exist. During the last few weeks of pregnancy, puppy movement can be felt and milk production begins.

Dog pregnancy can also be detected through x-rays, ultrasound or blood test. Blood test can be done by a veterinarian 30 days after being bred. In some cases, a female dog will display signs of dog pregnancy without actually being pregnant. That is why it is important to visit your veterinarian to confirm the pregnancy and that proper care will be given. Dog owners should always remember that their pregnant Labrador Retrievers need special care to make sure that they are ready when the time comes.