We got our precious Chihuahua, Lily, from a local Chihuahua breeder. The breeder was happy that the gestation period and pregnancy process went smoothly. Lily’s mother was already 6 years of age and this was going to be her last set of litter. How long is a Chihuahua pregnant?
Like other canine breeds, Chihuahua breeders can expect their female Chihuahua to be pregnant for about 58 to 68 days. A female Chihuahua takes up to 63 days on average, or 2 months and 3 days, from conceiving to delivery of puppies. As a Chihuahua breeder, you can expect the gestation period and pregnancy in Chihuahuas to be an average of 2 months.
Chihuahua dog pregnancy calendar
Week 1 (Days 0 to 7)
After mating with the male Chihuahua dog, the female Chihuahua will start the conception process. During conception, your Chihuahua’s daily lifestyle usually remains the same. She should continue to eat what she was eating before and walk twice daily.
Since your female Chihuahua just started, you may not see any signs that she is pregnant. You may notice signs like morning sickness, but that’s about it. This is why many Chihuahua breeders won’t even realize that their female Chihuahua is pregnant.
Week 2 (Days 7 to 14)
Your female Chihuahua has passed her 1-week mark and is now in her second week. During this week, your Chihuahua may still look the same and dog breeders may not notice any physical changes in their female Chihuahua. It’s safe to say that her lifestyle, diet, and exercise also remain the same.
However, inside her tummy, things are happening. During this week, the cells in the embryo are starting to develop and will move to her uterus.
Week 3 (Days 14 to 21)
This week is crucial for the female Chihuahua because her fetuses are rapidly developing. The Chihuahua fetuses are still quite small, but the mother Chihuahua will want to start eating more compared to the first two weeks.
Other than the increase in appetite, dog breeders will not see other apparent signs of pregnancy in their female Chihuahua.
Week 4 (Days 21 to 28)
Wow, your female Chihuahua is now pregnant for almost a month! During the 4th week, dog breeders should call the veterinarian and bring the female Chihuahua in for a physical check-up. During the check-up, the vet may feel puppies moving inside the female Chihuahua.
Puppies moving inside her is the first physical sign that your female Chihuahua is pregnant. Other signs that she is pregnant and carrying puppies include:
- Tired and lethargic.
- Vomiting due to an upset stomach. Keep in mind that an upset stomach in dogs is equivalent to morning sickness in pregnant humans.
- Chihuahua’s body will grow large and faster than other dog breeds.
- Firm stomach.
- Nipples will grow and will start to appear.
- Licking herself more frequently than before.
By the end of the 28th day of pregnancy, Chihuahua dog breeders should keep a close eye on their female Chihuahua. This is a critical point in your female Chihuahua pregnancy calendar because they are at risk of miscarriage.
During this week, instead of 2 walks a day, limit to 1 walk a day for about 15 to 20 minutes. In addition to exercise, the female Chihuahua’s diet will also need to change. Dog breeders may need to add more nutrition and protein to their Chihuahua’s diet.
If you’re unsure, speak with your vet and seek advice on any changes or additions you may need to make to your Chihuahua’s food so that she stays healthy for not just herself, but for her puppies.
If your female Chihuahua prefers to be alone, make sure there are no surprise visitors. A female Chihuahua dog may be on guard during these weeks and alert during her pregnancy. Your Chihuahua may bite strangers she doesn’t know or recognize as a defense mechanism.
Week 5 (Days 28 to 35)
The 5th week is an exciting week because the small Chihuahua fetuses are now developing. You will want to bring your female Chihuahua to the vet again this week. During this week’s check-up, your vet will perform an ultrasound scan.
From the ultrasound scan, you can start to see the puppies’ heads, bodies, claws, and paws. Your vet will also inform you of how many puppies will be in this particular litter.
This information will give you an idea of how large the nesting box or whelping should be. You’ll want to prepare and make sure there’s enough old bedding and newspapers during the delivery so the mommy Chihuahua and her puppies are comfortable.
Week 6 (Days 35 to 42)
During the 6th week, dog breeders will definitely notice that their female Chihuahua is pregnant. Her tummy is growing larger by the day.
Her appetite will also increase. Due to this, dog breeders can expect to buy more doggy food and continue to add more nutrition and protein to the female Chihuahua’s diet.
You’ll want to continue to prepare her nesting box or whelping area. Find out where she would like her nesting area to be and where she finds her whelping area to be the most comfortable.
Week 7 (Days 42 to 49)
At this point, your female Chihuahua is now pregnant for almost 50 days! Your female Chihuahua is now innately preparing herself because she knows she will give birth soon.
During this week, the puppies are still developing and growing inside her tummy.
Week 8 (Days 49 to 57)
The female Chihuahua will now start to prepare her nesting box. She may keep herself busy for a few hours building her whelping area so she feels safe and comfortable during her delivery.
During this week, you may notice her tummy moving. Her puppies are still growing and may start to move under her tummy.
Week 9 (Days 57 to 65)
This is the final week! By the end of this week, your female Chihuahua will start to give birth. During this week, make sure the nesting box or whelping area is as comfortable as it can be. Laid out old newspapers or towels around the nesting box. Keep an eye on her as she may give birth any day now!
Between days 60 and 65, your female Chihuahua will go into labor. The delivery of the Chihuahua puppies isn’t easy for the mother Chihuahua. You can expect to vomit and even crying from the mother Chihuahua. We know how hard it is to watch your precious Chihuahua whimper and cry, but it is important that you stay strong for her.
Talk to her in a gentle tone and offer words of encouragement.
Chihuahua pregnancy stages
How long is a chihuahua dog pregnant? As you can see, a Chihuahua is usually pregnant for up to 9 weeks. Every week of the female Chihuahua’s pregnancy counts and the weeks really do go by quickly. This can cause dog owners of female Chihuahuas to go into panic mode, especially if the pregnancy was not planned.
It is totally understandable when owners of female Chihuahuas go into panic mode because it’s a fact that a Chihuahua’s pregnancy can be risky. Also, since Chihuahua is a small breed, the pregnant Chihuahua dog may oftentimes give birth through a cesarean section or C-section.
Do Chihuahuas need to give birth via C-sections?
Not always. It depends. Although the Chihuahua puppies’ bodies are small, their heads are big, which can cause birthing difficulties. This is especially true if your female Chihuahua is expecting one or two puppies. Since there are fewer puppies than expected, there’s more space in the womb for the puppies to grow larger. When this happens, the risk of a complicated pregnancy is greater due to the bigger bodies and heads.
Keep in mind that a female Chihuahua can expect an average litter size of 3 puppies. In some cases, it can be up to 5 to 6 puppies as well.
Sometimes, it’s hard to determine whether your female Chihuahua needs a cesarean section until she is in labor. If you’re nervous or unsure, we highly recommend that you speak with your vet and ask if it’s better to bring your female Chihuahua into the clinic before she enters labor.
How often do Chihuahuas go into heat?
A female Chihuahua will go into heat every 6 months. However, it does vary as each dog is different. Smaller dog breeds or toy dog breeds reach sexual maturity quicker than larger dog breeds.
For instance:
- A small Chihuahua dog can have her first heat cycle when she is just 4 to 7 months old.
- A medium Pit bull dog reaches sexual maturity when she is 1 to 2 years of age.
When a female Chihuahua is in heat or has started her first regular estrous cycle, it means that she has reached puberty and can start getting pregnant.
4 Stages of a Chihuahua reproductive cycle (Canine Estrous Cycle)
As a Chihuahua dog owner or breeder, you’re probably also interested in the stages of your Chihuahua’s reproductive cycle.
There are four stages and they are:
1. Proestrus
Blood discharges and the Chihuahua’s body gets ready during this stage. It takes around 9 days.
2. Oestrus (also known as Estrus)
The estrus stage is also known as the mating stage. It takes around 9 days.
3. Diestrus
This is known as the pregnancy stage and this takes on average 63 days or 2 months and 3 days.
4. Anestrus
This is the final stage or the recovery stage until her next estrous cycle, which is every 6 months.
Final thoughts
A female Chihuahua dog pregnancy calendar can be very fast especially if it’s unexpected. Whether you’re a Chihuahua dog owner or a breeder, it’s important to know what is happening inside your Chihuahua’s tummy every week of her pregnancy.
This can help you schedule vet visits accordingly, buy the right amount of food, know what to expect, and properly prepare her whelping or nesting box. With our busy lives, sometimes we can’t always control when or how our female Chihuahua dog got pregnant (if this pregnancy was not planned), however, we can control her comfort level during her pregnancy.
