BIOL 2223 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: False Pregnancy, Obstructed Labour, Medical Ultrasound
Document Summary
Pregnancy, parturition and care of the neonatal puppies. Methods of pregnancy diagnosis in dogs, stages of parturition and requirements for care of the newborn puppies up to weaning. Care of the dam after whelping and causes of dystocia. Required readings: please read pages 17(cid:346) in (cid:515)small nimal care and management(cid:516) (cid:345)rd edition by d. m. Gestation is defined as the process of carrying or being carried in the womb between conception and birth. In dogs a normal gestation or pregnancy is approximately 63 days. This time varies from 58 to 71 days depending on when the ova (eggs) of the dam are fertilized by the sire. Some dogs with a pseudopregnancy secrete milk and exhibit nesting behaviour, but are not pregnant and produce no puppies. It is caused by a normal sudden drop in blood levels of a hormone called progesterone. All dogs go through this, but only some exhibit signs of pseudopregnancy.
