Pregnancy in dogs: answers to all questions!

Contents:

• Signs of Pregnancy in Dogs
• How to determine the pregnancy of dogs at home
• Dog pregnancy by day and week
• gestational age in dogs
• Dog Pregnancy Calendar
• dog ultrasound during pregnancy
• Discharge in a dog during pregnancy
• Termination of pregnancy in dogs
• False pregnancy in a dog
• Toxicosis in a dog during pregnancy
• Milk from a dog without pregnancy

Pregnancy in a dog is the period during which a fertilized egg develops into a puppy, from conception to birth.

Photo: flickr.com

Signs of Pregnancy in Dogs

Many owners ask the question, what are the signs of pregnancy in a dog.

There are no signs of pregnancy in the dog in the early stages. At this time, it is impossible to tell if the bitch will have puppies, neither by touch nor by appearance.

The first signs of pregnancy in a dog after mating do not concern the physical condition, but the behavior. The dog may become more calm, affectionate, sometimes showing signs of ill health.

Signs of pregnancy in a dog most often appear 21 to 22 days after mating. At this time, if you know where to look, you can feel small lumps on both sides of the abdomen. These lumps are palpable up to the 35th day, and later they become soft, so that they can be felt with difficulty. But by this time, the signs of pregnancy include an enlarged belly.

By the 4th to 5th week, signs of pregnancy in a dog include thickening from the sides, the torso is rounded. But sometimes these signs of pregnancy in a dog are only visible at the 7th week.

During the 5th week, an increase in the nipples is added to the signs of pregnancy in the dog, and at the 6th week, if the bitch lies on its side, the puppies are palpable in the uterine horns. A sign of pregnancy in a dog at the 7th week is a significant increase in the mammary glands. In the last week, a sagging belly is added to the signs of pregnancy.

One of the surest signs of pregnancy in a dog is puppies moving.

How to determine the pregnancy of dogs at home

You can determine the pregnancy of dogs at home by the following symptoms:

1. Appetite changes (in the middle of pregnancy, the dog usually loses its appetite).
2. Discharge from the vulva (4th week of the dog’s pregnancy).
3. Decreased activity level of the dog.
4. Enlargement of the dog’s belly.
5. Enlargement of the dog’s nipples.

How else can you determine if a dog is pregnant? There are additional ways:

1. Pregnancy test. However, please note that a human pregnancy test will not help determine if a dog is pregnant.
2. Veterinarian examination. As a rule, if the dog is pregnant for more than 25 days, the heartbeat of the puppies can already be heard through the stethoscope.
3. Ultrasound and x-ray.
4. The relaxin test is a hormone whose levels in the blood of a dog during pregnancy are very high.

Dog pregnancy by day and week

The detailed course of a dog’s pregnancy by day and week can be seen in the following table.

How to determine the pregnancy of dogs at home

You can determine the pregnancy of dogs at home by the following symptoms:

1. Appetite changes (in the middle of pregnancy, the dog usually loses its appetite).
2. Discharge from the vulva (4th week of the dog’s pregnancy).
3. Decreased activity level of the dog.
4. Enlargement of the dog’s belly.
5. Enlargement of the dog’s nipples.

How else can you determine if a dog is pregnant? There are additional ways:

1. Pregnancy test. However, please note that a human pregnancy test will not help determine if a dog is pregnant.
2. Veterinarian examination. As a rule, if the dog is pregnant for more than 25 days, the heartbeat of the puppies can already be heard through the stethoscope.
3. Ultrasound and x-ray.
4. The relaxin test is a hormone whose levels in the blood of a dog during pregnancy are very high.

Dog pregnancy by day and week

The detailed course of a dog’s pregnancy by day and week can be seen in the following table.

gestational age in dogs

Many owners are concerned about the gestational age of dogs.

Normally, the gestation period for puppies in dogs is 63 days (the average gestation period for small breed dogs is 60 days). However, if the dog’s gestation period is 53 to 71 days, the puppies are born viable.

If the puppies are not born after 71 days, the dog probably got pregnant later than you think.

Dog Pregnancy Calendar

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the detailed dog pregnancy calendar in order to determine the approximate date of birth, focusing on the day of mating.

dog ultrasound during pregnancy

Often an ultrasound of a dog is done during pregnancy. Ultrasound is the best method for diagnosing pregnancy in a dog.

An ultrasound of a dog during pregnancy can be performed from the 15th day after mating, however, the optimal time for an ultrasound of a dog during pregnancy is 24-28 days. It is at this time that the heartbeat of future puppies can be detected.

An ultrasound of a dog during pregnancy makes it possible to assess the condition of the fetus by observing their movements, heartbeat, etc. You can determine the size of the puppies, the approximate age. And on day 28, an ultrasound is 99,3% accurate in determining if a dog is pregnant.

But it is difficult to accurately determine the number of future puppies using ultrasound.

Discharge in a dog during pregnancy

After mating, the estrus in the dog should stop, however, there are times when there are discharges in the dog during pregnancy.

If the discharge from a dog during pregnancy is not too abundant, light pink or clear, this is normal.

Also on the 21st day of pregnancy, after urination, dogs have clear watery discharge – this is also normal. A clot of mucus can hang on a loop or glue the dog’s hair under the tail. If the bitch is left unwashed, the discharge may form a brown or caramelized crust. Sometimes black or greenish clots come out with mucus – these are embryos that died at the beginning of development.

If the discharge from a dog during pregnancy (3-4 weeks) is bloody, bright red, this is a reason to immediately contact a veterinarian. There may be several reasons for such discharge, but it is necessary to do an ultrasound to rule out uterine rupture.

If the discharge from a dog during pregnancy (at any time) is dark green, with a sharp putrid odor, this may indicate the death of the fetus or detachment of the placenta. Don’t wait – take your bitch to the vet as soon as possible. Otherwise, you risk losing not only all the puppies, but also the dog!

1 – 2 days before the birth, the dog has discharge of a light brown, greenish or whitish hue – this is also normal and signals the approach of childbirth

Termination of pregnancy in dogs

Sometimes an unplanned mating happens, and the owner turns to the veterinarian with the question of whether it is possible to terminate the dog’s pregnancy.

So, is it possible to terminate a pregnancy in a dog and how to terminate a pregnancy in a dog?

Termination of pregnancy in a dog in the early stages is possible with the use of hormonal drugs that prevent the implantation of fertilized eggs in the walls of the uterus. Such termination of pregnancy in a dog occurs within 7 days after the use of the drug.

After the termination of pregnancy in a dog, it is necessary to return to the veterinarian to confirm the abortion using an ultrasound.

Another option for terminating a pregnancy in a dog is a surgical operation that involves the removal of the uterus with fetuses.

False pregnancy in a dog

Many owners confuse a false pregnancy with a failed one. What is a false pregnancy in a dog? A false pregnancy is a physiological condition of a dog that, when not mated, shows all the symptoms of pregnancy.

The symptoms of a false pregnancy in dogs resemble those of a real pregnancy. The dog prepares a nest, experiences what looks like labor pains, can handle toys as if they were puppies.

Many owners are wondering: if a dog has a false pregnancy, what should I do? First of all, you should contact the veterinarian – you may need to give the dog sedatives that will help the animal return to normal.

Sometimes a false pregnancy in a dog indicates the presence of an inflammatory process in the uterus, and this already requires serious treatment.

Sometimes it happens that about a month after mating the bitch, the puppies “resolve”, although the signs of pregnancy in the dog do not disappear. This phenomenon is called a “missed” pregnancy, and should not be confused with a false pregnancy. False pregnancy in a dog is a condition when signs of pregnancy and childbirth appear in a dog that has not been mated.

Toxicosis in a dog during pregnancy

Toxicosis in a dog during pregnancy can manifest itself in a mild form during the 3rd to 4th week if the bitch is pregnant for the first time. Toxicosis in a dog during pregnancy lasts 2 to 3 weeks and does not pose a danger to either the dog or the puppies. Signs of toxicosis in a dog during pregnancy: poor appetite, selectivity in food, vomiting white foam in the morning.

Milk from a dog without pregnancy

Milk in a dog without pregnancy can appear 2 months after estrus. The appearance of milk in a dog without pregnancy is a sign of a false pregnancy.