If you have a female Maltese Bichon and you are not very clear about the number of pups she can have, keep reading this article. If you are excited that your dog is a mother, it is convenient that you inform yourself a little about everything related to pregnancy. The pregnancy of a bitch is a subject that raises a lot of concern and even anxiety, but with good information, you will be prepared to face everything and your dog as well, guaranteeing the well-being of your pet at all times. At OneHowTo.com we explain in detail how many puppies can a Maltese have.
Steps to follow:
1
To begin with, it is important that you take into account certain aspects for the future gestation of your Maltese. In the case of males, it is recommended to wait until one year of age, or even a little longer, to reach full maturity. With females, you have to be much more cautious since they are the ones who will bring creatures into the world. Females usually present the first heat from 6 months of age, but they do not reach maturity until one and a half years. It is recommended that they start breed from the first heat, that is, from the year and a half or 2 years of age.
2
The heat of the female Maltese It lasts between 2 and 3 weeks and is divided into several phases. The first phase is called the proestrus, which is the time when bleeding begins and the vulva becomes inflamed. The next phase is ovulation, which is the optimal period for the female to mount. At this time, the bleeding disappears and, in general, females can begin to gestate after this period. Ovulation can last from a few days to almost 2 weeks. And one piece of information that you should consider is that the most fertile days usually go from 9 to 14 days after the start of bleeding.
In any case, it is relevant to know exactly the ovulation of your bitch, more than anything in case the mount has been programmed. It is always better to go to the vet and estimate the appropriate dates with a smear.
3
In addition to the information about heat and the optimal period to gestate, there are some factors that you have to consider and that will determine the number of puppies that your Maltese can gestate. The normal thing is that this breed have a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 8 offspring, although this may vary depending on certain aspects. One of the first factors is size, the Maltese is a small breed and this is one of the basic conditions. Another aspect that determines the number of puppies it can have is age, normally, from the fourth period of heat, the female’s fertility is maximized.
4
It also influences its pregnancy if your dog is healthy and perfectly fed. An important factor that can determine the number of offspring you will have is the moment of crossing. Females usually have a couple of days of fertility, so it is convenient to do it at that time to increase the possibility of having a larger litter. The number of puppies that your pet has will depend on the mature eggs that are released at the time of crossing, and it is also important that the male has a good fertility rate.
5
From the first day of riding, the gestation of a Maltese, due to its small size, lasts between 58 and 59 days. From the fifth week, you will begin to see the first symptoms of pregnancy, you will notice an increase in the abdominal flanks and the breasts. And in the last phase of gestation, just by touching you will be able to feel the movement of the puppies, you will know that the day of delivery of your Maltese has arrived because it will begin to eat nothing and its body temperature will drop. You will notice that it gasps with difficulty when breathing and will begin to prepare its nest because the arrival of the little ones is imminent.
6
Once you have given birth, it is very important that the living space of your pet is respected and her cubs. Dogs are beings that are guided by their smell and you should not give your dog a bath immediately after giving birth, if you do, you will eliminate her smell and her pups may feel confused. If you wish, you can take the dog out of the nest for a few seconds and pass a damp towel all over her body, then you must dry her and return her with her babies.
For the first 12 hours after delivery, your dog may not eat, and this is normal. It is enough that you leave clean and fresh water nearby and after those hours, leave food next to the nest so that it begins to feed.
In the following article we show you good advice on How to care for a Maltese.
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