If you’re planning on getting a bulldog soon or are waiting for your reserved puppy to be born, you’re probably wondering how long English bulldogs are pregnant for?
An English Bulldog is pregnant for about 2 months or 63 days. English bulldogs, like all dog breeds, have three trimesters of pregnancy, with each one lasting approximately 21 days.
So if you get a message from your breeder that your future bulldog’s mama is pregnant, you’ll only have to wait a few months for the puppy to be born.
Once you have your bulldog puppy home, you may begin to wonder, how long do bulldogs stay puppies. About 12 – 15 months, so enjoy that cute ball of energy while you can!
Signs that an English Bulldog is Pregnant
You won’t necessarily notice signs that your bulldog is pregnant during the first few weeks of pregnancy. If anything, you might see the bulldog putting on a few pounds. But other than that, everything else will appear normal.
By week four, a bulldog might start experiencing morning sickness due to hormonal changes. If you’re taking care of a bulldog going through morning sickness, break up her meals into small amounts and portion them more frequently throughout the day. This will help with nausea and reduce any vomiting.
Also around week four, the puppies inside the pregnant bulldog have detectable heartbeats. The bulldog puppies can be detected through an ultrasound or careful touching of the belly. Only let an experienced veterinarian gently press on your bulldog’s belly during examinations. Excessive pressure on the pregnant bulldog’s belly could lead to pregnancy complications or a miscarriage.
Between six to eight weeks, the pregnant bulldog’s physical appearance will change. The dog’s belly will begin to swell and her nipples will become darker and more pronounced. You might begin to see the little puppies moving around inside her belly.
Veterinarian appointments during this time are very import as bulldogs almost never can perform natural births. The vet will determine the best birthing process which will most likely be a C-section around day 60.
English Bulldog Pregnancy Symptoms by Month
Month 1 – It’s not uncommon for a bulldog to experience the following during their first month of pregnancy:
- An increased appetite (she will be eating for more than herself now!)
- Increased affectionate behavior towards others
- More pronounced or enlarged nipples
- Vaginal discharge around the fourth week of pregnancy. Fluids should be clear
- A slowdown in physical activity
- Morning sickness, including nausea and vomiting
Month 2 – During this period, the bulldog fetal development quickens. Between days 32 and 45 eyelids, toes, claws, coat, and skeleton develop. Symptoms during this time include:
- Significant increase in the bulldog’s appetite
- 20 to 50 percent weight gain
- More frequent urination
- Changes in behavior including shyness, apathy, additional human affection, and looking for a place to nest
- Clear vaginal discharge
- Increased belly size and firming of the abdomen
- Visible little puppies moving inside the belly
- Decreased appetite around day 45
Month 3 – The bulldog will be very near the end of her pregnancy and could experience the following:
- Almost no appetite around days 60 – 62
- Drop-in body temperature 12 to 24 hours before labor
- Continual restless behavior
- Digging, shivering, and panting
Needless to say the last few days before a bulldog gives births are quite uncomfortable. See the video below from Red White and Bulldogs, highlighting the last day of pregnancy for one of their bulldogs.
At the end of the bulldog pregnancy, a C-Section will most likely be required as the birth canal is too narrow for the bulldog puppy’s head to pass through. C-sections will be scheduled in advance by the bulldog breeder.
Conclusion
So if you get the call from your bulldog breeder that the mother of your bulldog is pregnant, be prepared to wait around 63 days before your new puppy is born. After that, you’ll need to wait for another 8 to 12 weeks before you can take your puppy home. This will give you enough time to prepare and get your home ready to welcome a new member of the family!
