How Can You Tell If a Dog Is Pregnant?

Is she or isn't she pregnant? This may be a question you find yourself asking about your unspayed, female dog. While there are no at-home pregnancy tests for dogs like there are for humans, there are few easy ways to tell if your pooch is in the family way.

  1. Signs and Symptoms

    • If you suspect your pup is pregnant, she may show some physical signs early on. While taking her to the veterinarian's office for an examination is the most definitive way to know, there are some signs and symptoms you can identify yourself. These include swollen nipples; a red, inflamed vulva; vaginal discharge and loss of appetite. However, these can also be signs of severe illnesses, such as pyometra, which is an infection in the uterus. Therefore, if your pet is exhibiting these symptoms, it is important to have a doctor examine her to know if she is pregnant.

    Visiting The Veterinarian

    • Veterinarians can usually determine a pregnancy about three weeks after conception takes place. Sometimes, the doctor can detect a pregnancy just by feeling the dog's stomach. Typically, the dog needs to be at least 20 days pregnant for this to occur. The doctor will usually feel firm lumps in the stomach, which are the placental sites.

      Just like with humans, ultrasounds can be used on dogs to determine if they are pregnant. This is a preferred method because it is non-invasive and very reliable. Fetal heartbeats can be heard around the 25th day.

      Another way in which to know if your dog is pregnant is by taking radiographs, or x-rays. However, this test cannot be done until later in the pregnancy because fetal skeletons are not visible until around the 45th day of gestation. But, this is a good way to detect how many puppies your dog is carrying.

    Labor

    • If you still can't detect if your dog is pregnant, start paying close attention to her about 62 days after she may have conceived. This is about the time dogs usually go into labor. During the first stage of labor, her cervix will dilate and she will start having uterine contractions. This you probably won't notice, but you may see her pant, shiver, vomit, refuse to eat or want to be alone. If you start to see your pet exhibit these behaviors, you may want to grab a few clean towels, a box and prepare to take care of a few puppies.