Springer Spaniel Gestation Period

The pregnancy period for an English Springer Spaniel is typically around 60 days from the day of mating, but this can vary. Sometimes, it can be as much as two weeks longer!

It is important to properly look after your English Springer Spaniel during her gestation period, and there are many ways you can do this.

Dietary requirements during pregnancy

Consider changing your English Springer Spaniel’s food when she is pregnant to one which is more nutritious and has a higher number of calories. During pregnancy, your dog is not just feeding herself; she has her litter to feed too and their development in the womb is largely helped by a good quality food.

In the last few weeks of pregnancy, you should increase her food intake by around one third as she approaches the final stages. You do not need to worry about overfeeding, because your English Springer Spaniel will only eat the food she needs.

It can be difficult to judge how much food to feed during pregnancy, but it is generally recommended to increase food by half within the first few weeks and then by another third during the last two weeks.

Behaviour During Pregnancy

You will likely find that your English Springer Spaniel will be urinating more frequently. This is normal; the expansion of her uterus will put more pressure on her bladder and leave less room for it to fill up.

It is nothing to worry about. All you need to do here is ensure that there is plenty of water to replace the water lost in frequent urination and ensure that your dog has plenty of opportunity to go outside for toilet breaks, several times per day.

How Many Puppies Will My Springer Spaniel Have?

It’s not possible to predict how many puppies your dog will give birth to; some dogs give birth to a little of one or two whereas other dogs can give birth to as many as ten!

The average English Springer Spaniel litter is around five to six puppies, though this number can vary; there is a correlation between breed size and litter size. Your vet can help you out here by performing an ultrasound, but we recommend just waiting… it’s only two months or so!

Summary

You should take your dog to see the vet quite regularly during pregnancy and at least four weeks since the mating occurred. An initial check with the vet will determine whether your dog is, in fact, pregnant and then from there you can plan regular check-ups and a proper care plan.

In terms of grooming, you do not need to do much aside from ensuring she is trimmed around her undercarriage to make birthing and feeding a lot easier.

A canine pregnancy is usually a very quick and simple process which goes ahead without any problems. As long as you take proper care and attention of your dog throughout the gestation period, you will have a litter of happy and healthy puppies in no time, along with a happy and healthy mother.

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