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A female dog is usually diestrous (goes into heat typically twice per year), although some breeds typically have one or three cycles per year. The proestrus is relatively long at 5 to 9 days, while the estrus may last 4 to 13 days, with a diestrus of 60 days followed by about 90 to 150 days of anestrus.
Female dogs are at risk for endometritis and pyometra in the postpartum period and after estrus or vaginitis. Signs and symptoms include fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, excessive thirst, restlessness, a foul smelling vaginal discharge which may or may not be bloody, infertility, or they may be asymptomatic.
A litter consists of the puppies born from the same pregnancy. A whelp is a newborn puppy and giving birth to dogs is called whelping. Dogs commonly give birth in a whelping box, a simple box or pen provided to the dam to help shelter and contain the puppies. A person who intentionally mates dogs to produce puppies is referred to as a dog breeder.
After the initial mating, the male dog may step over the female dog while they are still tied so that they are facing away from each other (in a bottom-to-bottom position).
Pyometra is a result of hormonal and structural changes in the uterus lining. This can happen at any age, regardless of how many heat cycles have occurred or previous pregnancies (or lack thereof), although it becomes more common as the dog gets older. The main risk period for a female is for eight weeks after her peak standing heat has ended. [2]
Female dogs have their first estrus ("heat") at 6 to 12 months-of-age; smaller dogs tend to come into heat earlier whereas larger dogs take longer to mature. Female dogs have an estrous cycle that is nonseasonal and monestrus, i.e. there is only one estrus per estrous cycle.
One mom dog who survived being shot four times shortly after giving birth to 11 puppies is making a miraculous recovery thanks to the kindness of generous donors. According to WREG Channel 3 News ...
A female dog nursing her newborn puppies. The female dog may produce colostrum, a type of milk high in nutrients and antibodies, 1–7 days before giving birth. Milk production lasts for around three months, [120] [121] and increases with litter size. [121]