labrador

Taking Care of Pregnant Labradors

Most pregnant Labradors are at their state because of planned events. When you are blessed with a pregnant Labrador, you have to take care of them to ensure they will bring healthy babies.

For instance, make sure that the pregnant Labrador is at the right age. This is important because some dogs are bred accidentally during their first heat. The right age of breeding dogs is when they are at least one year old.

Make sure that you visit a veterinarian regularly, especially if your pregnant Labrador was not examined before becoming pregnant. This will guarantee that your dog is healthy and to examine if the puppies are doing ok.

For pregnant Labradors and other dogs, regular exercise helps in keeping the muscles tone while promoting general health. If your pregnant Labrador becomes overweight or obese, it can be potentially dangerous for both the mother and her puppies.

Vaccination, Parasite Control and Nutrition for a Pregnant Labrador

When your Labrador becomes pregnant, you have to take care of them more and be wary about various issues such as nutrition, exercise, vaccination, parasite control and others.

Pregnant Labradors need extra immunity because it would directly affect her puppies through her milk. For this reason, make sure you have given the necessary vaccinations for your dog. However, it is not recommended to vaccinate pregnant Labradors, so make sure to take her to the vet before breeding.

Another thing to consider is intestinal parasites and heartworms. This is important because pregnant Labradors could pass these parasites on to their puppies. Therefore, before breeding, make sure that your dog receives all the examinations to guarantee that the mother needs to be free of these harmful parasites.

During the first six weeks, your pregnant Labrador will not have the appetite compared to her usual eating amount. However, when she reaches her sixth week, your dog will likely to have a better appetite. During this time, proper nutrition is important because she is now feeding both herself and her puppies. However, since the puppies are pushing against her organs, she will not be able to eat as much as needed in one serving. Instead, you could give her several little meals.

In taking care of a pregnant Labrador, you should double the amount of time and energy in ensuring that your dog is receiving proper nutrition, parasite maintenance, sufficient exercise and diet in order for her to pass a healthy life to her puppies.