Beagle Pregnancy: How to Care for a Pregnant Beagle

Being a mother is nature’s gift, and we are glad that you are not just cherishing it, but you are also looking out for the best care of your pregnant beagle! By landing on our page, you have proven this!

Motherhood might get you all excited to finally have cute and tiny babies in your hand, loving them unconditionally, but the phase of pregnancy is not an easy task. Recognizing the signs and timing of successful whelping will ensure healthy pups.

This guide on how to care for a pregnant beagle has everything you need to get started.

You will learn how to detect the early signs of pregnancy and a week-by-week care guide.

 

Pregnancy in Dogs: Signs and Symptoms

Anything in prior is a blessing because you can take the topmost care and precautions; finding the pregnancy symptoms in a dog is one of them.

You need to be extra sneaky about your dog’s love affairs because they can be very secretive about it; you might not even know that she’s pregnant unless it’s a few weeks to go!

There are two ways to determine if your dog is pregnant: diagnostic testing and observation, more like observing a noticeable change in your dog’s nature.

• Palpation: This is done when the owner is aware of the breeding date of its dog. Take your dog to the vet, where he will perform abdominal palpation between 28 and 30 days after conception.

Depending on the size of your Beagle, the babies will appear as a golf ball or grapes, and these balls are a fluid-filled sack around the fetus. The timing of this test is crucial, as the bag will lose its distinct shape after one month.

• Hormone test: Relaxin is a hormone produced exclusively during pregnancy in dogs. The vet will perform a blood test to see if your dog is producing relaxin around the 25th to 30th day of pregnancy.
• Ultrasound: The vet can perform an ultrasound between 25-30 days of gestation. The ultrasound will usually help the vet detect the number of puppies your dog carries and hear their heartbeat. The image of your dog’s womb is created using sound waves. It’s entirely safe for pregnant dogs.
• X-ray; the X-ray is so far the most accurate way to detect pregnancy in your female dog. However, it takes at least 55 days for the skeleton of puppies to show up, so it’s best done after 55 days. This is very important because an accurate number of puppies inside the tummy is detected, so you will know when the dog is finished delivering.

 

A Pregnant Dog’s Behavior

The other signs of pregnancy in your dog:

• Lazy Beagle: if your beagle has been acting up lately, finding corners to rest and her energy level is so low.
• Less appetite: in the initial stage of pregnancy, your Beagle will lose the will to eat; in short, they will be less excited seeing food! Something is fishy if you notice that they leave food in their dog bowl!
• More appetite: in the later stage of pregnancy, you will see a sudden increase in your Beagle’s desire; they will ask for more food!
• Increased weight: during pregnancy, the Beagle will gain a lot of weight.
• Round tummy: Like us humans, Beagles in pregnancy will have round bellies; check if she has a swollen belly! As the babies grow, the stomach will eventually grow, one of the most prominent signs of pregnancy. Though Beagle won’t is very welcoming about it, so be careful.
• More enormous nipples: well, the nipples of your pregnant Beagle will be more noticeable than before; this is also known as the most excellent sign to detect pregnancy. A female dog’s nipples are normally small, but during pregnancy, her nipples swell.

Areolas also grow rounder in proportion to their natural flatness.Your dog’s nipples will also look dark red as well, indicating increased blood flow.

Sometimes, a female’s nipple will leak milk later in her pregnancy.

• Apart from these, irritability, being excessively affectionate, and nesting are some behavior change you might get to witness in your pregnant Beagle.

When the Beagle is in the last stage of pregnancy, she will shred bedding to create a nest. The irritability in your dogs can increase, and they may become very aggressive, so it’s best to keep them away from children.

 

How to Care for Pregnant Beagles Week by Week

The phase of pregnancy will last up to 9 weeks in your Beagle; let’s have a look at week by week care for them:

Week 1 of Pregnant Beagle:

Week one is all after the mating, and sperm will fertilize your Beagles egg. Stay with her daily routine; she doesn’t need to change her diet or exercise routine. All you can do is make sure she does not have to go from stressful events or experiences because it can ruin the chances of a healthy litter! Take extreme care of your dog’s comfort.

 

Week 2 of Pregnant Beagle:

In human society, it is believed that a pregnant woman should be fed more to keep the baby healthy and the mother well. Well, it might be accurate, but why impose the same rule on your Beagles?

Overfeeding your pregnant Beagle is a colossal mistake; it will do no good but make them overweight. There is no need to feed her extra nutrition because there is no need for it currently, instead stick to the older diet.

Your Beagle will be so lazy in the first two weeks; if you can take her out on regular walks, it’s well and good; however, don’t go for rigorous exercise.

 

Week 3 of Pregnant Beagle:

Week three is all about the prominent pregnancy signs to kick in! Your Beagle might experience morning sickness. Also, her appetite will increase; keep taking her out on regular walks.

 

Week 4 of Pregnant Beagle:

In the fourth week, you should take your beagle to the vet to conform to the pregnancy. A few methods and tests will help in confirming the excellent news! You can go for an ultrasound, x-rays, palpation, and hormone test.

Most pet parents go for the ultrasound test, as you get to know the size and number of the litter, so you can learn how many cuties you are about to welcome in your house.

Food changes; Most importantly, you need to switch your Beagles food; in this stage, she will be more hungry, and you are allowed to increase her food intake to a moderate level.

Ask your vet for better options to make in their food changes. They will be high in nutrition.

Strictly avoid high in calcium food; read the ingredient list before feeding her.

Beagle proof your home for topmost safety from consuming any toxic element.

Exercise: Reduce the duration of her walks to shorter ones, restricting her from jumping and running.

 

Week 5 of Pregnant Beagle:

During week five, the fetus will start turning into puppies, her body will show the prominent signs of motherhood, her belly will become round and swollen, the color of nipples will change to slightly red, and they will be enormous.

Food changes; you can add a small amount of white plain whole yogurt to your Beagles diet with a slight increase in her food intake.

Exercise: to keep her healthy, you need to take her on shorter walks; she might get tired quickly, do not let her run, jump, and rough plays!

 

Week 6 of Pregnant Beagle:

There won’t be any significant changes in the appearance of your Beagle.

Food change: your vet will ask you to add more proteins to your Beagles diet; you can also go for multivitamins.

Exercise: you let your Beagle decide what she wants to do; some of them might love to have a walk and enjoy the view outside, some of them won’t!

 

Week 7 of Pregnant Beagle:

Week seven is all about shedding; your Beagle will shed a lot of hair from her tummy and be completely normal. This is also a stage where your Beagle can pass worms to her babies if she has any, so get her dewormed before it gets worse.

Food changes: none needed; increase the appetite if required.

Exercise: If your beagle wants to go out, take her on short walks.

 

Week 8 of Pregnant Beagle:

Set up a whelping box in the dark, quiet, and warm corner of your home because, during this stage, the nesting behavior of your dog will be triggered.

 

Week 9 of Pregnant Beagle:

Week nine is the time when your dog requires you the most; if you are planning for a few holidays from work, this is the best time; puppies are on the way. Your Beagle may lose her appetite, and she might begin nesting. As soon as the temperature of your Beagle drops, she’s about to give birth; that’s why keep checking the temperature after short intervals.

 

How to Set Up the Whelping Box

A quick look at what’s a whelping box?

The purpose of a whelping box, also known as a nesting box or a whelping pen, is to keep puppies safe during birth and in their early lives, so they are protected from cold and not smothered or crushed by the mother.

Your Beagle will look for a quiet, warm, and dark place to give birth; make her a whelping box.

 

Pregnancy treatments for dogs:

How to know that it’s time to welcome puppies?

Once your pregnant beagle has passed 58 days, you need to keep an eye on her temperature every 5-20 times a day with the help of a canine rectal thermometer. When the temperature of your beagles goes down to 100 degrees, she will give birth within 24 hours.

 

Dog Pregnancy and Whelping

There are three stages of whelping in Beagle, and they are as follows:

Stage 1:

The birth canal of your Beagle will relax and widen as her puppies turn around into a correct position while she prepares to give birth.

This stage usually lasts up to 6-12 hours and sometimes exceeds 36 hours.

In case you see your beagle getting:

• impatient
• Panting
• Hiding away
• Her vulva passed a small amount of red/brown mucus, and she had very weak contractions.

 

Stage 2: Birth

• Once your dog starts getting strong contractions, feel the need to strain, she’s ready to give birth.
• If the contractions are weak, it might take 4-5 hours, which is why the first puppy takes so long to come out.
• When the contractions are strong, it takes 20-3- minutes.
• The time gap between each puppy is about 1.5 hours.
• Each puppy is covered with a thin sack which the mother removes, allowing them to breathe. After each puppy is born, the placenta is passed on; some dogs often eat it afterward.
• If your dog is licking her puppies until the contractions restart, it means that she’s doing fine.
• It is usual for some blood to come out of your dog’s vulva during whelping, but a lot isn’t.

 

Stage  3: Afterbirth

• To give birth to an entire litter will take up to 3-12 hours.
• If it’s taking more than 12 hours, something is wrong, and things might incline towards the risky side.
• Once the process is done, your dog needs a good amount of rest and food because she will be starving and tired.
• You must have heard about a mother dog rejecting her puppies; well, if the mother dog doesn’t look relaxed or comfortable, the chances are high of rejection.

 

Final Word

Pregnancy of your Beagles is not a stressful event for her or its owner!. With the proper amount of food, exercise, and rest, your Beagle will successfully deliver a cute little puppy.

However, take the Beagle and her pups to your nearest vet for a post-natal checkup within 24-48 hours.

If your Beagle looks stressed or uncomfortable, there are chances that she would reject her babies. Though this happens, you will have to take quick action because the puppies will not survive without any intervention. Contacting your vet is the most appropriate thing to do.

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