Blue Heelers, also called Australian Cattle Dogs, are robust, medium-sized herding dogs that originated in Australia.
Their dense double coats consist of thick undercoats and short weather-proof overcoats.
These dogs are gregarious and social, making them excellent pets. If you plan to breed one, it’s best to learn about this breed’s pregnancy.
How long is a Blue Heeler pregnant? Let’s dive into this article to learn about your pet’s gestation and caring tips!
How To Tell If Your Blue Heeler Is Pregnant?
If you keep blue heelers for the first time, it may be challenging to determine whether they are pregnant or not.
Luckily, experts have developed various quick pregnancy tests to make your task easier.
Remember that all these tests for your canines require clear milestones. Thus, it’s better to tell your veterinarian the exact time of breeding.
Below are the most popular testing methods veterinarians often apply to determine a pregnant Blue Heeler. Let’s take a look!
Ultrasound
This testing method is the most accurate to determine if your dogs are pregnant early in their pregnancy.
According to veterinarians, you should get this test between days 25 – 35 in the pregnancy process.
Ultrasound identifies pregnancy and analyzes whether the babies in the womb are healthy by detecting fetal heartbeats.
Ultrasounds are helpful to diagnose the reason for uterine distension, such as pyometra, and to establish the fetus’ gestational age.
Hormone Tests
Because relaxin is only produced by placental tissue during gestation, it’s a relatively reliable diagnostic test.
However, you must ensure the gestation of your pregnant dogs is at least 30 days to get an accurate result.
X-ray
If you want to determine the number of puppies, this testing method is the best.
It’s best to perform X-rays late in pregnancy because the fetal spine and skull aren’t apparent until days 42 – 45.
On day 55, veterinarians can accurately count how many expected Blue Heeler puppies are and anticipate the date of birth.
Palpation
The most affordable and convenient method of determining pregnancy is via palpation.
The membranes surrounding each developing fetus expand to produce fluid-filled cysts.
Veterinarians can feel these sacs between days 21 – 35 of pregnancy.
Testing methods
How Long Are Blue Heelers Pregnant?
Like other dogs, Blue Heelers typically gestate for around 62 to 64 days after conception, but this estimate might vary by a few days.
Although it seems like a simple answer, it can be challenging to pinpoint conception.
The lifespan of sperm and eggs within the female can last up to a few days and approximately 48 hours, respectively.
It means that the mating action of your Blue Heelers isn’t an accurate calculation of gestation.
For this reason, you will find it challenging to determine the pregnancy length if you don’t consult with your veterinarian.
How many puppies can a Blue Heeler have? A healthy bitch can give about five puppies in one litter.
Caring For Your Pregnant Australian Cattle Dog
Once you’ve determined your Blue Heelers are pregnant, it’s best to care for them during pregnancy.
Nutrition
You must ensure your pregnant Blue Heelers get proper nutrition. It’s best to give them good-quality food.
If these bitches achieve healthy weights, there is no need to change their diet in the first ⅔ of their pregnancy until directed by a veterinarian.
A sudden increase in food amount during this period may be harmful to your dogs.
When their weight increases during the last weeks, experts advise providing them with more food gradually until they consume 35% to 50% more than usual.
Large meals may cause discomfort, so increase consumption gradually and give your pets modest, regular meals.
If you don’t know what to feed your pregnant dogs, let’s refer to this video:
Exercise
To improve embryo implantation, veterinarians recommend limiting strenuous training in the first two pregnancy weeks.
After this stage, you can let your pets do regular exercise. However, in the last trimester, don’t allow them to do overly strenuous activities.
For instance, your pregnant Blue Heelers can take short and frequent walks as they need the energy to harbor the puppies and deliver them essential nutrition.
Visit A Veterinarian
Before breeding your dogs, it’s best to consult with your veterinarian for prenatal checkups.
It would be best if you asked these experts about plans in an emergency. Also, regularly visiting the vet can keep your dogs healthy throughout gestation.
Care guides
What To Prepare When Your Blue Heeler Stays Pregnant?
Your pets’ nipples and breasts will noticeably grow when the end of their pregnancy gets closer.
The development and enlargement of the milk-producing glands may even cause you to notice some milk.
In some cases, you may even feel the puppies’ movement around in the mother’s belly.
At this point, you should get your dogs and yourself ready for whelping and puppy delivery.
You can prepare a whelping box to create a safe, comfortable, warm, and draft-free location for pregnant dogs to have their puppies.
It’s advisable to set up a whelping box which is easy for mother dogs to get out and in, but it should be hard for the puppies.
Moreover, give your pets time to get accustomed to this box. Otherwise, they may refuse this new housing and find other places to give birth.
Having a companion around is an excellent suggestion to keep the pups warm and help if necessary.
Lastly, consult your veterinarian for care guides and plans in emergent cases.
Preparations for your pets
Final Thoughts
How long is a Blue Heeler pregnant? This process may take place around 62 to 64 days.
If unsure whether your pets are in gestation, you can visit a veterinarian for pregnancy tests such as ultrasounds or palpation.
Most importantly, you give your pregnant dogs proper care and always talk with experts for advice.
If you have further questions, please comment below. We will answer all later. Thanks for reading!
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