Gestation in French bulldogs
- Screening for pregnancy: How do I know if my bulldog is pregnant?
If it is wanted and you make protrusions to achieve this, note the dates and the number of protrusions made (I will soon tell you about the protrusion between bulldogs in an article “How to protrude to my French bulldog?”).
If mating is done independently of your will, note as well the date on which the meeting took place. Indeed, as in humans, it may be enough for a single encounter for your dog to wait for a litter.
To find out if your dog is in gestation, there are two methods:
- 25-day ultrasound
The quickest way to find out if it worked is to perform an ultrasound at your veterinarian 21 days after the date of the last meeting between the dogs. (To be sure, it’s best to wait 25 days.)
Ask your veterinarian if they are able to perform this test, or turn directly to a clinic. Even if it is painless for the dog, this examination can be a little stressful because often it will have to shave her belly at the mower – the hairs prevent visibility – whose noise may worry your dog.
This act plus consultation costs about a hundred euros (I always prefer to add a little to the bill so that you do not have a bad surprise).
- Blood sampling at 5 weeks
If mating is more than 5 weeks old, pregnancy hormone can be detected from that date. This examination is less expensive than ultrasound but beware. Because a start of gestation is difficult to date and if in reality, your dog has been pregnant for less than 5 weeks, the result of this blood test can be negative while your bulldog is indeed pregnant.
Personally, I recommend the 25-day ultrasound which allows a quick and clear response. In addition, it is a very nice time because you can admire on screen the future puppies!
You can also get a rough idea of their number! (Approximate, because for an ultrasound with a wide range, it is difficult to clearly count puppies. Some overlap and a puppy can hide another but it already gives an idea.)
If you want to know the exact number of puppies, only the X-ray, from 45 days, will allow it. Moreover, it is often highly recommended at the end of gestation in female bulldogs to assess the size of the skulls of future puppies and to determine whether natural calving is possible or not.
- During the gestation of the French bulldog
She: The female French bulldog is pregnant for about 2 months. This passes quite quickly, and the physical changes of the dog will only be visible in the last few weeks. Before the will usually be as usual (although it may depend on everyone).
But it is possible to observe some changes in behavior early on:
- The dog can be cuddlier with her masters.
- Contact with other congeners, other dogs, can be difficult.
- The dog can be calmer.
- She can ask for more to eat or drink.
At the end of gestation, there are more marked signs:
- The female may moan with discomfort from time to time (because of the heckling of the cubs in her belly).
- She may also feel unwell wherever she used to land.
- She may no longer support any other dog (she already protects her offspring).
- Physically it has become much larger, its nipples have also swollen and a viscous liquid often flows from its vulva.
You: For your part, here’s what you need to set up:
Adapt your diet from 1 month of gestation by feeding it with puppy croquettes. (Smaller, they will take up less space in her stomach and be more nutritious. You can therefore invest in a large economical format, which will be useful later when you have to feed the puppies.)
It’s a householder. His breath and stamina will gradually be reduced. Still, I’m not sure your bulldog will be aware of it. She’ll probably want to do her usual big ride. Only her body makes life, so she has less energy to spend than before!
Prepare a calving crate. Whether your dog gives birth naturally at home or by caesarean section in a clinic, you will still have to prepare a “calving case” for her. It is a closed place where she can exercise her maternal instincts alone quietly. This is especially convenient so that puppies don’t escape anywhere in your home. (Because you’ll soon realize, little puppies are very messy ^^.) My advice: don’t wait until the last moment to provide her with this calving crate so that your dog has time to get used to it and feels at home before her little ones arrive. Sometimes it’s hard for dogs to change “night corner.” Give him time to accept it before the puppies arrive.