Your Litter A to Z|

Nov. 18, 2021

Your Litter A to Z, Module 3 - The First Trimester

From Ovulation Until Day 21 Of Your Bitch’s Pregnancy

Module 3 Documents

Required Reading

Read The First Trimester

What’s In This Module

Yahoo, your girl has been bred! Now it’s time to focus on taking care of her and her unborn pups during the first trimester or for the 3 weeks following ovulation. You will not see any signs of pregnancy during this time, no matter the Old Breeder Tales. Coat flips, gum color changes, and the other signs aren’t consistently indicative of canine pregnancy because it is so easy for bitches to lose pups. My recommendation is you sit back, enjoy your girl during this period, and just assume she is pregnant.

First Trimester Basics

Possible Signs of Pregnancy

There is usually very little evidence that a bitch is pregnant during this trimester. That’s because all intact bitches undergo the same hormonal changes in the 3 weeks after estrus, whether or not they are pregnant. In addition, since resorptions are so common in dogs, a bitch may be pregnant at Day 15 but not be by Day 30. Some pregnant bitches may show subtle signs but these are best used in hindsight rather than to guess. Instead, get a pregnancy ultrasound so you can determine how much to feed your girl and can properly prepare for the whelping. Here are some of the many Old Breeder Tales regarding signs a bitch is pregnant:

  • She goes out of season shortly after breeding and before the normal end of her cycle. It’s better to use vaginal cytology to identify when she is out of season rather than guessing.
  • Her vulva remains larger than normal after the end of her heat cycle.
  • Her nipples become larger than normal.
  • Behavioral changes might include being clingier or calmer than normal.
  • Morning sickness—vomiting and/or lack of appetite–between 14 and 21 days.
  • A clear, jelly-like discharge from her vulva around 21 days.
  • Her coat on her abdomen flips along on her flank.
  • Her gums get paler right around Day 21.

REMEMBER, none of these are very good indications your bitch is pregnant!

Care For Your Bitch And Her Pups During The First Trimester

Nutrition In the First Trimester

  • Decrease your girl’s food quantity back to her normal maintenance amount. DO NOT OVERFEED DURING THIS TRIMESTER!
  • Continue to feed her a reproductive diet, with 29+% protein (dry weight), 18+% fat (dry weight) and 20+% carbohydrates (calories) with a Calcium-Phosphorus ratio (Ca:Ph) of between 1:1 to 1.3:1 and supplements:
  • folic acid – critical for avoiding cleft palates and other mid-line defects, and supporting immune system development. Supplement with 800 mcg to 5 mg/day. Folic acid dosing is NOT based on bodyweight, it’s based on breed and risk
  • multi-vitamin-mineral and amino acid – feeding a good quality canine vitamin-mineral-amino acid supplement will not result in over-supplementation and will support your bitch and pups. Use the manufacturer’s recommended dose for your dog’s weight
  • probiotic – probiotics may reduce pregnancy complications and adverse outcomes in the bitch. Use the manufacturer’s recommended dose.
  • Omega 3 Fatty Acids – Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and Eiis critical for healthy fetal development. Enough to provide 15 mg per pound body weight of docosahexanoic acid (DHA). Use the DHA calculator to determine how many mg is right for your dog.
  • antioxidants – help reduce the oxidative stress that comes with pregnancy.
  • Use the First Trimester Nutrition worksheet for more info and recommended products.
  • Watch the nutrition video below:

Dog Food Calcium:Phosphous Ratio Calculator

Click Calculator to evaluate the Ca:Ph ratio in the foods you feed your bitch.

Fitness and Exercise in the First Trimester

Watch the First Trimester Fitness video below.

Keep her fit during this trimester with Fit to Be Tied strength, flexibility, and balance & proprioception exercises but at a minimum, do:

Do lots of Good For the Soul activities this trimester but hold off on swimming until a few days after diestrus starts to be sure her cervix is closed.

She can participate in any skill training this trimester but be cautious of infectious diseases at dog shows, training classes, etc.

Review Exercises Throughout the Breeding Cycle Chart

Skill Activity - First Trimester Low Risk & Moderate Risk Chart

Other Care During the First Trimester

Day 16-21: Monitor her for morning sickness, nausea and/or malaise as implantation takes place. If she is nauseous or off her food:

  • Take her temperature to insure it is normal (100-102.5°F). If her temp is higher than normal, take her to the vet to check for a pyometra.
  • Monitor how much she is drinking and urinating. If she is doing either more than normal, take her to the vet to check for a pyometra.
  • Monitor her behavior. If she is much more lethargic than she normally is, take her to the vet to check for a pyometra.

Day 28-30 post ovulation: Take her for an ultrasound with the best ultrasonographer/repro vet you can find. Be sure to make this appointment at the beginning of this trimester. Use the ultrasound to:

  • confirm pregnancy and health of fetuses
  • check for and count resorption sites.
  • get a puppy count

Maintain or add enrichment to her life—games, play, training, Good-for-the-Soul exercises, and other mentally and physically stimulating activities. These activities will improve the puppies’ trainability, stress management, and health.

Groom and pet her regularly, if she enjoys it.

Avoid stress for her, especially from Days 16-21 during implantation.

If required in your area, treat her with heartworm, flea and tick products proven safe for pregnant bitches on her normal schedule.

Additional Resources for First Trimester

  • Images of Embryonic Puppies in the Canine Embryonic Atlas. Search on Days 1 to 21 – discover what is happening to your embryonic pups during the first trimester

Troubleshooting the First Trimester

My bitch has morning sickness.

It is not unusual for bitches to experience morning sickness around the time the embryos move into and implant in the uterus. You might see signs as early as Day 14 after ovulation or as late as Days 21 or 22. Signs that she has morning sickness include refusing food, especially in the morning, or vomiting. How can you tell if she is pregnant, having a false pregnancy, or is ill? Not easily but here are a few suggestions.

Check the date. Morning sickness typically starts during implantation, 14-16 days after ovulation. With morning sickness comes nausea and, less frequently, actual vomiting. It can continue for a week or two but typically not more than that. If she does not eat anything for three days or shows other signs of pyo, take her to your vet. Is she eating dinner? Bitches with morning sickness will often turn down breakfast but eat dinner. Bitches with pyometra will often not eat at all.

Did her mother have morning sickness or pyometra? We have found that both run in families. If your bitch has a family history of morning sickness, wait it out for three to four days. However, if she has pyometra in her family, it is probably safest to get her to the vet as soon as you can. 

If she does appear to have morning sickness, we recommend these steps:

1. Take her temperature to ensure it isn’t elevated. If it’s 103F or higher, get her in to see your vet because she may have an infection. Most bitches with pyo do not have a fever but there are other infections that may be causing her symptoms.
2. Stop feeding her normal food immediately! Bitches can imprint on a food that causes them to feel sick so offer her anything else so you have a chance to return to her normal food once she is feeling better. Try the alternative foods in the next section, My Bitch Will Not Eat.
3. This may sound corny but try feeding her Saltine crackers or rice/chicken to calm her stomach.
4. If she is only sick in the morning, feed her more in the evening or throughout the day.

5. Check every medication, whether over-the-counter or prescription, against the Drugs During Pregnancy and Lactation list.
6. Do not worry if she misses a few meals but if it goes on for 3 days, time for a vet visit. 

If your bitch vomits continuously or does not eat at all for more than three days, take her to your vet for confirmation that she does not have a pyometra (pyo, a uterine infection). Pyo is a life-threatening condition, although it can take some days to develop.

My bitch will not eat.

Anorexia can be a sign of both pregnancy and the serious uterine infection known as pyometra. If she goes off her normal food and shows no other signs of pyometra, try these options. If she eats nothing for 3 days or is very finicky for a week, have your vet check her out to confirm she is fine.If your bitch has morning sickness, do not encourage her to eat her normal food if she is not interested. Change to another food immediately!! Warm the food you are feeding to bring out its aroma. Mix the food with liver water or stock. Remove supplements from her meals and feed another time or wait to reintroduce them in a week. In particular, high doses of folic acid can make bitches nauseous so reduce or split the dose you are using before stopping it completely. Give her some saltine crackers in the AM or when she appears nauseous and feed at other times of the day. Try the following food alternatives:

  • Canned or fresh green tripe
  • Rotisserie chicken
  • Canned dog or cat food
  • FreshPet dog food
  • Another type of dog food–canned, raw, cooked, dehydrated, kibble, etc.
  • Meat baby food
  • Chicken or hamburger and rice
  • Chicken hearts, livers or gizzards, raw or cooked
  • Scrambled eggsWhatever you are eating! ;-)
  • Royal Canin mousse
  • Bacon, ham, liverwurst
  • Dog treats
  • Rice (cooked, white is better than brown)
  • Oatmeal (cooked, NOT instant)
  • Bread, pasta
My bitch has diarrhea.

There are very few over-the-counter and prescription medication appropriate for pregnant bitches so here are the steps you should take:

a. Fast her for 24 hours to rest her gut.
b. Give her one Fortiflora Canine probiotic packet, made by Purina Veterinary Diets, per day for seven days. Fortiflora is very effective on diarrhea, even for dogs on other probiotics.
c. Ensure she keeps drinking by offering her diluted chicken or beef stock or even soup.
d. Give her slippery elm or slippery elm syrup. To make this syrup mix 1 rounded teaspoon of slippery elm powder in 1 cup cold water, bring to boil while stirring, turn down the heat, stir and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, add 1 tablespoon of honey (preferably all natural) and let it cool. Store in a glass container in the refrigerator.
Dosage: For dogs under 25lbs, give 1 to 2 tbsp; 25-50lbs, 2 to 4 tbsp; 50lbs and over ¼ cup to ½ cup. Dose 4 times a day.
e. After fasting, introduce a low-fat, easily digested food such as boiled chicken or beef with white rice. Do not use brown rice.
f. Gradually increase the quantity of food and begin adding in her regular food.

My bitch has a vaginal discharge.

Continued bloody discharge for more than 3-4 days after she comes out of season is cause for concern. It can be a sign of a pyometra, a serious uterine infection. If your bitch continues to discharge:

a. Take her temperature. A healthy dog’s temperature should be between 100.5 and 102.5°. If her temperature is 103° or above, take her to your veterinarian.
b. Monitor her water intake and urination. If she is drinking or peeing more than normal, take her to your veterinarian.
c. If a and b are normal, then wipe her vulva a few times a day to examine the discharge. If it is the color of tomato soup, contains puss, or smells bad, take her to your veterinarian.
d. Other symptoms of pyometra include anorexia, vomiting, and malaise. 

A clear vaginal discharge towards the end of this trimester is not abnormal, especially in pregnant bitches.

My bitch’s vulva and nipples are swollen.

These are normal following a heat cycle so unless the vulva gets hugely swollen, just keep an eye on her. If her vulva is truly huge and/or she has swelling of the lower legs or hocks, take her to your vet.

Resorptions
  • This module’s required reading has info on resorptions but you may also want to watch Resorptions (up to Day 38) and Abortions (after Day 38), Good Dog’s Q&A with Dr Robert Hutchinson (“Hutch”), Timestamp: 45:40 to 51:09
  • Ultrasonographic Diagnosis of Fetal Resorption in Relation to Age, Parity, Body Condition and Breed in Bitches This 2017 paper describes resorption sites on ultrasound as, “absence of a heartbeat, lack of fetal movement, reduced volume and increased echogenicity of fetal fluid, and accumulation of gas within the fetal stomach…” The study had some interesting findings–there are breed difference in resorption rates; the more litters a bitch has, the fewer the resorptions; younger bitches had more resorptions. That said, this isn’t a particularly large sample size and they didn’t study a wide array of breeds.

My bitch needs medical treatment—medication, surgery, a vaccination, etc.

First-trimester embryos are very sensitive to chemicals, stress, etc. Pregnant bitches are as well and can easily resorb the litter under great stress. If your bitch needs medical treatment during the first trimester:

a. First determine if the treatment can wait at least until you know for sure if she is pregnant. If it can safely wait and it will not cause more complications later, then do so. If it cannot, focus on treating your bitch with as little damage to the pups as you can.
b. For medications, check out Safe Medications for Pregnant Bitches.
c. Although we do not recommend vaccines during pregnancy, many dogs and puppies have survived vaccination with killed or modified-live vaccines. Give them if your bitch is unprotected and has been exposed but do all you can to avoid them. The only exception is the canine herpes virus vaccine, available in Europe, which is intended to be given during pregnancy.
d. If your bitch must have surgery while pregnant, speak to your vet about the possible complications to the puppies.

My bitch was exposed to kennel cough while pregnant.

Kennel cough is very contagious and present at shows and other places that dogs congregate. Treat her cough with Slippery Elm syrup. If you can, avoid any other treatment. If the Slippery Elm isn’t working, ask your vet if it’s safe to give her Robitussin DM (active ingredient: guaifenesin), the over-the-counter cough medicine often used to treat kennel cough. Robitussin is safe for women to take during pregnancy so we expect that it is also safe for dogs.

However if your bitch is exposed to either herpes, canine influenza, or another more serious respiratory virus, the situation may be much more serious. Consult with your veterinarian immediately to determine the best treatment for your bitch and her puppies.

Your Litter A to Z Table of Contents

Section 1: Pre-Breeding

Section 2: Pregnancy & Whelping

Section 3: Litter Management: Month 1

Section 4: Litter Management: Month 2

Past Coaching Call Recordings