Having a pregnant chihuahua

Question
Dear Renee, I'm having a Chihuahua and she's pregnant. I want to know how long is her pregnancy and how many puppies she might have.
P/S: What do I have to do when she will be doing her thing?
Thanks, Annie

Answer
Hi Annie and thanks for your question.

First off, I'd like to ask if you have any idea what kind of dog got your Chihuahua pregnant?

Gestation period in dogs is approximately 63 days (give or take a few days either way). Chihuahua's typically don't have more than 4 puppies, but if I'm not mistaken, 2 - 3 is average. There's no way for me to tell how many, but a vet can by doing xrays or an ultrasound. I would REALLY recommend you take her to the vet to get checked out anyway, because Chi's are prone to having difficulties with delivery (and pregnancy for that matter). Sometimes they require a C-section to deliver the pups and you will want to have the vet on board so when the time comes, you can get her quickly into surgery if need be. If you don't have a vet and it's her time, then it's going to be ALOT more expensive to use a vet that is not familiar with her (and you).


As far as "doing her thing" you need to be very aware of how she is progressing. If she starts into labor and it's been more than 4 - 6 hours and she hasn't delivered a puppy yet, then she needs to go to the VET ASAP. Here again, you should talk to you vet about all this and find out what s/he recommends for YOUR dog and her situation. If by chance, she was impregnated by a bigger dog, it's very possible that the vet will recommend a scheduled C-section to eliminate the possiblity of her dying during delivery (which is common with toy breeds).

I can't stress enough that she be examined by her vet. It could save her life in the long run.