In a previous post, we began our dog pregnancy diary. In that post, we covered weeks 1 to 5. Following on from that, in this post, we will continue our dog, Biscuit’s pregnancy diary from week 6. We will also include events during week 7. This is an incredibly exciting time for our family!
Every dog is different and they all experience a range of symptoms and behavioural changes during pregnancy and week 6 seems to be an important milestone. We have noticed an incredible amount of changes in this two-week period. At this point, we do feel on the final countdown! Biscuit’s due date is fast approaching and we are all preparing for the big day!
Dog Pregnancy – Week 6
Despite her exhaustion during week 6, Bsicuit has her playful moments. Her favourite thing in the whole world is her ball. She continues to chase the ball but we make sure not to exhaust her too much! Biscuit still gets excited when visitors arrive at the house and loves any attention she gets. She still enjoys barking at passersby she doesn’t recognise and at dogs barking in the distance (annoyingly!)
Appearance
By week 6, Biscuit was visibly pregnant. The change was incredible! It was during week 6 of our dog, Biscuit’s pregnancy that everyone could see she was pregnant!
She began to waddle when she walked. Her stomach continued to grow and became much firmer and rounder. Her nipples began to grow too.
Behaviour
Biscuit became more and more tired as the week progressed. Aware that Biscuit can no longer handle the bigger walks, we took our other dog on a long walk at the weekend. Biscuit remained at home, but rather than resting, she looked at the door the whole time we were gone. She didn’t sleep once. Perhaps Biscuit was feeling a little pushed out so we made sure to increase her walks a little but ensured that these walks were only 10 – 15 minutes at a time.
We also walked at Biscuit’s pace, which, by week 6, she hadn’t slowed down much on her walks.
Symptoms
Biscuit hasn’t vomited since week 4. She is eating well and her appetite continues to increase. Biscuit will eat her own food and then seek food from elsewhere and steal food from her own son! Her appetite can only be described as ‘ravenous’ at this point.
Dog Pregnancy – Week 7
At the beginning of week 7, we started to prepare a whelping area for Biscuit. We have bought her a lovely new soft bed which she seems to have taken well to. We’re only 2 weeks away from the due date and we are starting to prepare our home for what’s to come!
We have switched Biscuit to puppy food. The logic is, that puppy food has more nutrients and is easier to digest. This helps Biscuit to build her strength for the delivery of her puppies without taking away too much energy from her body by digesting the food. We are also adding more wet food to Biscuit’s diet. She enjoys this more than dry food. Again, the wet food is designed for puppies.
We have reduced Biscuit’s walks and we walk at a much slower pace. At times, she is nervous when we walk and barks when she normally wouldn’t do so, for instance, if she sees a person approaching. We take Biscuit for her walks in our local cemetery. It is incredibly quiet there and not frequented by many dog walkers. If we do see a dog approaching, we walk the other way to reduce her anxiety or stress.
Appearance
Week 7 and our pregnant poochon’s belly continues to grow. Biscuit is now huge! She waddles even more now when she walks. Her large belly makes it difficult to pick her up.
Biscuit’s nipples have continued to grow and are now drooping a little. This is very noticeable when she walks, or should I say waddles!
Behaviour
Oddly enough, at the beginning of week 7, Biscuit had an energy burst. Rather than napping throughout the day as she had done throughout the pregnancy, she found the urge to move around a lot more. My daughter’s dog came to stay for the day and Biscuit enjoyed a little play time with her doggy pals. This playtime was limited and rather reserved, nevertheless, she did involve herself in their games.
Biscuit is less interested in the ball this week. She is quite happy to watch while her puppy, Castiel engages in her favourite game. Occasionally, she will make a charge for the ball but it seems the energy required for the game is a little too much for Biscuit this week.
Throughout week 7, Biscuit continues to remain awake for longer periods of time.
Biscuit continues to seek attention and affection from members of the family. At night, she will often try to sleep on our beds (something we don’t allow). We haven’t permitted her to do so for fear of kicking her in the night.
Symptoms
Biscuit’s appetite has decreased during week 7. We were advised to offer her smaller, more frequent meals. Currently, she eats 3 or 4 times per day. Biscuit has never been a big eater, but her appetite has increased significantly up to this point.
During week 7, we noticed Biscuit was unable to hold her bladder through the night. Presumably, the puppies are placing a lot of strain on her bladder!
We have noticed some mucus coming from Biscuit’s vulva. This is only noticeable after she has urinated. There is only a small amount but it is noticeable if you are looking for it! After a quick Google, I learned this is perfectly normal up to 2 weeks before delivery.
Overall, Biscuit’s pregnancy appears to be progressing well. We remain at home with her much more now and are planning our time carefully for weeks 8 and 9. We are all incredibly excited for the weeks ahead!
If your dog is pregnant, please check out my post ‘Whelping Kit Essentials‘.
