How can I tell if my dog is pregnant?
This is a question that we often get from sitter and owners who work with Rover. Help the community out by answering them in our forum!
5 Answers
First, do you have reason to suspect she might be? Did you either witness a mating or was she running loose at any time when she was in heat?
Early in pregnancy, there aren't many signs. Sometimes, they will throw up once or twice in the first trimester due to morning sickness, but not all dogs do this, and throwing up could also be a symptom of illness or something else, so that's not definitive. A better way to know more predictability early on, is to have a blood test for pregnancy done by your vet. They will test for pregnancy hormones. Just beware, these tests are not always 100% accurate.
During the second trimester, you may notice slight weight gain, but that's not a sure way. Sometimes, especially with a first litter, or a small litter, she might not "look" pregnant until the last week or two, but every dog is different.
Close to the end of pregnancy, her vulva will swell, she will become restless, she may eat less, and she may have a mucus discharge as well. These are all signs that whelping could be soon (a day to a week).
Just like with people, each pregnancy, and each individual, is different.
If you suspect it (such as previously mentioned, the dog got out during a heat or you saw her tie with a male) no reason not to take her to the vet to get checked. Otherwise, the other indicators mentioned can hint at a possible pregnancy.
As many people have mentioned, it is a good idea to visit your veterinarian to know whether or not they will be able to fully know whether she is pregnant or not. I will give you my advice, coming from a veterinary technician who will be attending vet school in the future.
Dogs gestation periods last around 63 days. Generally speaking, veterinarians aren't able to examine your dog and determine if she is pregnant until about 20-30 days into her pregnancy. If you saw the act happen, did both of the dogs tie? If they didn't there is no chance she is pregnant. If they did, here are the 4 things they can do to determine if she is:
- You can look for signs of pregnancy, but they can often be mistaken for her heat cycle. Swelling of her nipples and vulva, changes in behavior, and of course, swelling of the abdomen. These are not things you will notice until you are closer to the end of her pregnancy.
- They can do a specific test to check for hormones, but this must be done at approximately the 23rd day of the pregnancy, so it is very time specific, and if you aren't sure when she was bred, this may not be the right option for you. However, even if you are sure of the date, many times the test can come out with a misleading result as the hormone is difficult to catch. Also, as I will explain here in a bit, dogs can undergo false pregnancies which can cause a test to show positive even if it's not.
- After the first couple of weeks, veterinarians may be able to palpate your dogs abdomen and try to determine if they feel anything that may suspect a pregnancy, such as changes in positioning, and of course puppies in the uterus. This is also very hit or miss, as every dog is different, and even things such as diet or gas can cause changes in their bodies.
- X-rays or ultrasounds are going to be your best option to determine if she is pregnant, although again, this is something that you won't be able to do until your pup is about halfway through her pregnancy. For x-rays, you need to wait until bone mineral has started to form the puppies skeletons, otherwise you may not find anything. Ultrasounds can be done a little earlier, but not by much, and they also can show things that may look like pregnancy, but are not, or may show nothing when your dog is, in fact, pregnant.
- Last but not least, if you truly don't want your dog to be pregnant, and don't want her to ever be pregnant, your simplest and best option is going to be to have your dog spayed. If she were to be pregnant when they go in, they will terminate the pregnancy in a humane manner and continue spaying your dog. This is going ...
The best thing to do is to visit your veterinarian! Some things to consider are: Is your dog allowed to roam around the neighborhood unsupervised? Has she been in contact with any intact males?
Sometimes it is too early for puppies to show up on radiographs if it's early on, but certainly ask your vet about this, or possibly an ultrasound!
Please consult a veterinarian if you suspect your dog is pregnant. They can make sure everything is in good order and she's healthy. The vet can know easily with a test if your dog is expecting.
Comments
Unfortunately, it is not easy for a veterinarian to determine if a dog is pregnant until after a certain time of their pregnancy, and even then it's not certain. There is no pee-stick for pets, unfortunately.