If your dog has mated with a dog and neither has been neutered or spayed, then it is very likely that she is pregnant. However, not all matings end in pregnancy, especially if this occurred at a time when the bitch was not ovulating. So, if there was still a relationship between the two, how can you determine if your dog is pregnant? This tutorial helps you understand when your dog is in heat or expecting puppies.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Determine When the Dog is in Heat
Step 1. Determine if your female dog is spayed
If she has been at home with you since she was a puppy, you obviously know if she has been spayed (i.e. if her uterus has been removed) or not. However, if you adopted it in adulthood from a kennel or recovery center, you may not be aware of it. A "whole" bitch (not spayed) goes into heat twice a year, so if she has lived with you for over nine months and has never been in heat, it is likely that she has undergone the operation.
- Although the period of heat, or estrus, is different in each specimen, the average is about 18 days. Female dogs usually experience their first heat between 6 and 24 months of age.
- Read the next steps to recognize the signs of inspiration.
Step 2. Check for vaginal abnormalities
When the female is in heat, you can observe changes in her vaginal area.
- The vulva widens and swells: This swelling of the outer area of the vagina often lasts about four weeks, beginning just before the onset of heat until shortly after the end of this period.
- Vaginal discharge: in the first seven or ten days of estrus, the bitch may have blood loss. At this stage it is useful to put a white towel in its kennel to check for the presence of blood. If she is particularly meticulous, she may spend a lot of time washing her vulva, so you may not notice the leak. This discharge becomes clearer after the first 7 days of estrus (when she is ovulating and there is a greater chance of getting pregnant) and then recurs in the last 7-10 days of heat.
Step 3. Take note of the behavioral changes
When the bitch is in heat, she goes through an important hormonal phase which generally involves a change in her behavior. All this also depends on the personality of the animal; if, in general, she is calm in temperament, she might become agitated and short-tempered, just as if she tends to love being indoors, she might suddenly have the desire to run away and get away.
Aside from these changes, the dog should still be fine. If she lacks energy, has no appetite, vomits, or drinks a lot, you should see a vet for advice. If other problems occur with the uterus, such as pyometra (the formation of pus in the uterus) in some cases the symptoms could be similar to heat and could compromise the life of the animal, if not treated
Part 2 of 4: Evaluating a Possible Pregnancy
Step 1. Keep in mind that this is only possible if you are mated with a dog
Obviously it takes the participation of a male dog for the female to become pregnant. Try to remember if she has been with a male, if she ran away from home, and if she may have met one to mate with.
Step 2. Determine if the male is neutered
In this case he can mate with a female, but he cannot produce the spermatozoa necessary to fertilize her, while, on the contrary, if he is whole, he is able to get her pregnant. If you have the opportunity, contact the owners of the dog for this confirmation.
The exception is when the dog was neutered in the last period - less than 4 weeks before mating. In this case, there is a theoretical risk that sperm has remained in the vas deferens and that it may come out during mating. This is a minimal risk, but it should not be completely ruled out
Step 3. Make a note of the date she mated
This aspect can give you substantial information about the possibility that she is pregnant; for example, if the event happened three months ago, he can't wait for puppies. This is because the average gestation period (duration of pregnancy) is 62 - 65 days (with an interval between 57-72 days); so, if she got pregnant, she would have given birth after 90 days.
Step 4. Calculate the time your dog went into heat
This can help your vet determine the most suitable tests for you to undergo to detect a possible pregnancy. The methods for diagnosing pregnancy range from observing the hormonal changes, the physical ones, to identifying the embryos in the womb. The most reliable test for a definitive answer varies according to the number of days that have passed since mating.
If the bitch has had sexual intercourse and has not yet finished the estrus phase, it is still too early to know if she is pregnant
Part 3 of 4: Look for the Early Signs of Pregnancy
Step 1. Observe if the dog exhibits lethargy and other behavioral changes
Many owners notice that their bitch changes character during pregnancy: she seems more sleepy, more lethargic and starts making burrows. However, keep in mind that these are also signs associated with pseudo-pregnancy - or false pregnancy - when the dog behaves as if she is pregnant even if, in reality, she is not. Some females with false pregnancy also begin to produce milk, so the enlarged mammary glands are not certain proof of pregnancy.
Step 2. Pay attention to whether her nipples are growing
One of the most reliable signs of pregnancy is when a female dog's nipples swell and turn pink. You should notice that they get larger and often develop a pink hue.
- The pregnant bitch does not produce milk until the end of gestation (or, sometimes, only after the birth of the puppies).
- However, be aware that you need to undergo tests to make sure she is pregnant. Prominent pink nipples that show up about four weeks after mating are a pretty clear sign of pregnancy, but they are never a certainty.
Step 3. Check if the abdomen widens
Just as it happens in women, an enlarged belly of the dog is also a pretty obvious sign, but it must be interpreted with caution. In a healthy and fit female, the body does not show any noticeable changes until the 50-55 days of pregnancy, when the uterus is large enough to occupy a large part of the abdomen.
Know that the expectant mother does not need to consume excess calories until she enters the last third of her pregnancy (after about 40 days). This means that if you feed her more early in her suspicious pregnancy, you risk making her gain weight, but most likely it will only be fat and not necessarily puppies
Step 4. Learn to recognize features that mimic pregnancy
If the bitch is in trouble during pregnancy, she must be helped. However, as already mentioned, there is also the possibility that she is not pregnant, but she may experience similar symptoms, such as false pregnancy and pyometra. Although a false pregnancy (usually caused by a hormonal imbalance after the heat period) is not life-threatening, pyometra certainly is. The latter is a true pathology that consists of a severe purulent infection of the uterus that causes blood poisoning and organ failure and, if not treated, death.
The symptoms of pyometra may seem those of pregnancy, the abdomen swells and the dog is deprived of energy. However, it may also experience loss of appetite and increased thirst. If you notice that your four-legged friend exhibits these symptoms, call your vet right away
Part 4 of 4: Have Her Examined for Pregnancy at the Veterinarian's Office
Step 1. Give her abdominal palpation to look for initial signs
During this exam, the vet touches the dog's belly to check for puppies. In order for the exam to provide certain data, at least 3 weeks must have passed since mating. In the initial phase, the doctor is more likely to feel the uterus enlarged and enlarged rather than the puppies (which are still like small drops of jelly).
- The best time for abdominal palpation is from the 28th day. This is because puppies during this period of pregnancy are large enough to form a "bump" in the womb, just like beads strung along a necklace.
- By day 35, each puppy is surrounded by an individual fluid-filled membrane, and the vet should perceive the fetuses as something like a smooth string of sausages.
Step 2. Be aware that abdominal palpation can be difficult to determine if you are pregnant
At 28 days, each puppy has a maximum diameter of 25 mm, which makes it difficult to distinguish the embryos in the uterus from the food in the intestine or from the feces. Furthermore, if the dog is tense and contracting the abdominal walls, it may be impossible to feel anything useful, it would be a bit like trying to see through a window that has been painted. Likewise, a single puppy can easily be mistaken for another organ, such as the bladder, kidney, or even stool in the intestine.
Don't get too frustrated with the vet if he recommends that you have your dog tested for pregnancy, as abdominal palpation can actually be very inconclusive
Step 3. Get her for a blood test after the 28th day
This allows you to check whether the levels of the pregnancy hormone, progesterone, are high. To be reliable, the analysis must be performed when 4 weeks have passed. Before this time you may get false positive results, because the high levels could be caused by the delayed decay of the hormone present during ovulation. However, after a month, the high progesterone levels confirm the pregnancy.
Step 4. Undergo an ultrasound, if you want to have an early diagnosis
This examination is able to confirm pregnancy with certainty, because, thanks to the experience of a specialized operator, even small changes in the womb can be detected as early as the 18th day. Another advantage is that the technician is able to have a fairly accurate idea of how many puppies there are in the uterus, which is important to know when it is time to give birth.
- The fetal-placental units may be visible from the 18th day, and fetal heartbeats can already be seen from the 28th.
- Know that ultrasound is a non-invasive procedure that is done when the expectant mother is conscious. The ultrasound instrument sends a beam of high frequency sound waves towards the bitch's uterus which creates "echoes" which, in turn, are converted into images. This is a safe procedure. It is necessary to cut the hair on the animal's abdomen a little so that the probe can adhere well to the skin.
Step 5. Understand why x-ray is not recommended
X-rays have largely been replaced by ultrasound examinations to detect pregnancy in dogs. Since x-rays must be done when the fetal skeleton is calcified, which happens after the 49th day, the diagnosis is made relatively late. As for safety, although the risk of irradiating puppies in the womb is hardly dangerous, it is likely that the dog must be sedated, because the current regulations for the safety of X-ray machine operators provide that they cannot be in the room while activating the tools. Since many females, especially when they are in an advanced state of pregnancy, cannot feel comfortable lying down, there is a risk that they may get up and move during the exam, so the only solution is to sedate them..
