Around 63 days from ovulation to whelping — here is what happens and what the bitch needs along the way.
Fertilized eggs implant around week three; some bitches show morning sickness or appetite dips. Keep normal exercise and normal food. An ultrasound from about day 25–30 can confirm the pregnancy.
The belly rounds and appetite grows — switch gradually to energy-dense food (often puppy food) and feed smaller, more frequent meals. Gentle daily walks maintain muscle for the delivery ahead.
Set up the whelping box in a quiet room and let her settle in. From about a week before the due date, take her temperature morning and evening — a drop of about one degree usually means whelping within 24 hours.
Correct answer: About 63 days from ovulation
Around nine weeks — 63 days from ovulation — with a few days' normal variation.
Correct answer: Whelping within roughly 24 hours
The pre-whelping temperature drop is the classic signal that labor is about to start — measure morning and evening the last week.
Correct answer: Strong contractions for 30–60 minutes without a puppy arriving
Unproductive labor suggests an obstruction — that is an emergency. Calm pauses between puppies are normal.
Correct answer: Gradually to energy-dense food in smaller, more frequent meals
Energy needs rise mainly in the final third — dense food in small meals fits the shrinking stomach space.
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