Is My Dog Pregnant?

Are you wondering if your dog is pregnant? There are some canine pregnancy signs and symptoms to help you find out. The first thing you should question is if she has been on 'heat.' Dogs reach sexual maturity as early as 6 months or as late as 16 months, depending on the breed and the individual dog. While this means that they are able to get pregnant, professionals advise that a dog should be no less than 18 to 24 months old before being pregnant and giving birth.

There are two stages of heat that can be monitored (with varying degrees of success) by outward signs. The first, pro-estrus, is when the dog's ovaries are preparing to release eggs. Her vulva (the external part of her sex organs) might be swollen and you may notice blood or a bloody discharge. During this time, the males will want to mate with her, but she will not tolerate them. She also may lick herself more than usual. This lasts around 9 days, plus or minus 3.

Next comes the phase where she is fertile. This phase lasts between 2 and 20 days. Her vulva will be swollen but softer than before and her discharge will change to a lighter color. The biggest difference you might notice is that she will now want to mate with males. This phase is over when she no longer allows a male to mount her. This could mean that she is pregnant or it could mean that this portion of her cycle has passed. Most dogs cycle twice every year.

The surest way to know if your dog is pregnant is to visit the vet. At 20-30 days post conception, an experienced vet will be able to feel the dog's abdomen and know if she is pregnant. 25 days after breeding, the vet will be able to detect fetuses with an ultrasound, and 45 days after breeding, the number of pups can be determined by an X-ray. A dog's pregnancy lasts, on average, 63 days. There is lots of room for variation in this, with some birthing as early as 54 days or as late as 74 days.

Symptoms your dog may exhibit if she's pregnant include:

A change in affection. Some pregnant dogs will become very clingy and loving, even possessive; others might change from 'normal' to anti-social. Where they may have been friendly before, they could become wary of strangers or even familiar non-family members.

A change in appetite. Newly pregnant dogs may lose their appetite for a while. Later on, at around 3 weeks, they may vomit or go off their feed for a few days up to one week. At around 5 weeks, their appetite will increase rapidly. By the time a dog is ready to deliver, she will be require twice as much food as normal.
Even when newly pregnant, she may try to 'nest' or adopt a toy, a house cat, or a shoe.

Lastly, some dogs, like some people, find pregnancy exhausting and will sleep or rest more than normal.

Some dogs will have a 'false' pregnancy, even if they haven't mated. The symptoms are the same up until birth, with a possible exception being that their abdomen doesn't get as round. Only a vet can tell for sure. About 10% of dogs with false pregnancy will need hormone treatment to resolve the situation.

If you think your dog has mated and you don't want her to have puppies, there is a 'morning after' shot available. Contact your veterinarian for information. If you think your dog is pregnant, you don't want her to have puppies, and you'd like to have her spayed, it is possible to neuter her even during pregnancy. If you'd like to have your dog neutered but your finances low, contact your local ASPCA, your vet, or look at spayusa.org (800-248-SPAY) or friendsofanimals.org (800-321-PETS). These organizations can sometimes be useful to find a lower cost neutering program. In the case of unplanned pregnancy, please understand that every day, there are 70,000 dogs and cats born in the US. 4 out of 5 of these end up on the street or in a shelter. 55% of those who end up in a shelter are euthanized. (source: sniksnak.com.)