How to tell if your dog is pregnant
Posted on 25 July 2008 by admin
“Is my dog pregnant?” is a very common question we get. While there are signs and symptoms that can suggest that a dog is pregnant, we should point out that the only way to be positive is to see your vet.
Many dogs will never visually show during a pregnancy, and the ones that do will only show a few days before giving birth. Instead you should look to the behavior of your dog:
- Changes in appetite – some dogs will eat more, while others will ignore their food altogether.
- Prominent nipples
- Increased sleeping / lethargy
- A clear discharge from the vagina
- A firm abdomen
- “Nesting” behaviors – digging and scratching at bedding, floors, etc.
When your dog is close to giving birth, you will see a decrease in appetite and a increase in nesting, restlessness, and panting.
There are some new products on the market that will help you find out if your dog is pregnant, but they are still out of reach for the home user. One such project is ReproCHEK, which will determine pregnancy within 15 minutes, but is expensive ($500) and requires the pet owner to draw blood from their pet.
So even in this day and age of technology, intenet knowledge and wonder drugs… the best sure-fire way to find out if your dog is preggers, is to see your vet.
Popularity: 94% [?]
Tags | dog, heat, panting, pregnancy, pregnant, puppies, ReproCHEK, restlessness
January 7th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Hi, my name is Erica, I’am 13 years and I LOVE my dog I would do anything for her! She right now..I think is pregnant! I hope so! She has had 2 batchs of pups already in her life time, the first time she had them she had 8 beautiful puppies,and the second batch she had 8 pups but 2 unforntly didn’t make it. On New Years day was her birthday she turned 6 years old! I worry very much, because as she is growing older I am afrid all the puppys won’t live, although she is very healthy. I was wondering if her being 6 years old if that wont affcet much?
Different things I Have Noticed:
. She has been eatting alot more then most times
. Sleeping more that usaul
One thing I can’t tell is if her nipples are getting bigger because on the 1 and 2 batch on puppies and nursed on them they will never go back to normal size agian. Except I think….I think I seen some milk in them but I’am not 100%
I would be very happy if you could get back to me as soon as posible if not I understand because you are probly busy.
Thanks Much Erica.E
January 12th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Erica, sorry for the delay. The older your dog gets, the higher risk potential for birth defects. Primarily due to the age of her eggs (essentially, a female has every egg she’ll ever produce when she’s born).
That said, A healthy six year old should be fine to have puppies.
I strongly suggest that you take her into the vet to confirm the pregnancy and to ensure that she does not have other health issues