How long is a Maltese dog pregnant?

February 26, 2011 3:11 PM

How long is a Maltese dog pregnant?

I was wondering how long a Maltese dog is pregnant, and also, at how many weeks would a veterinarian be able to confirm that the dog is, in fact, pregnant?
Thanks.

posted by lynnie-the-pooh to Pets & Animals (3 answers total)

Is there some reason you're not happy with the answers Google has for this question? Google tells me 9 weeks is standard for a Maltese pregnancy, and 4 weeks for confirmation.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:24 PM on February 26, 2011 [3 favorites]

biscotti sez:

Dog pregnancies last 9 weeks +/- a few days. It doesn't really vary by breed.

How early the vet would be able to tell depends on the skill of the vet, she sez. Maybe as early as four weeks.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 4:01 PM on February 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Canine gestation is approximately 63 days (+/-) regardless of breed.

Confirmation by palpation can be done by a skilled veterinarian from the time the bitch is about 20 to 30 days along. An ultrasound can start detecting fetal heartbeats around the same timeframe. You can also have x-rays taken a week before she is due to whelp to get a fairly accurate head count.

Please get the guidance of a good veterinarian, if you are unsure about the length of gestation of a dog there are likely a lot more things you need to know before actually whelping a litter!
posted by labwench at 4:19 PM on February 26, 2011 [3 favorites]