Signs of Canine Pregnancy

My dogs give me signs, shortly after breeding to let me know that they are pregnant. Yours will too. You just need to know how to recognize the signs.

1. Her vulva will stay slightly swollen after their heat ends.

2. Her teats (nipples) will be more pronounced and hard.

3. You will notice a big change in her temperament. She may get quieter, lazy, or more loving.

4. Two weeks after breeding she may experience morning sickness. It can last a week or so. Give her saltine crackers before she gets out of bed and a few throughout the day

By now I know she is pregnant. Your vet has to wait until day 28-32 of her pregnancy, to palpate the abdomen.

To do this lay your dog on her side, slide one palm beneath her and your other palm over her other side, just below her ribs. Gently squeeze your palms together and feel for little golf balls, these are puppies.

5. In the 4th week you may notice thickening of her sides, between her ribs and hip bone.

6. She may start to show any time after 5 weeks. Larger breeds may carry the pups up in her rib cage so it might not be so easy to notice.

7. Most dogs show at 6-7 weeks. You may notice a normal discharge somewhere in the last couple of weeks. The discharge is clear and has the consistency of thick Vaseline and is odorless.
If you notice a discharge that is green, bloody, or fowl smelling SEEK A VET.

8. In the 8th week you can feel the puppies kick and turn around. I just love this part.

9. If you own a stethoscope you can hear heartbeats in the 8th week. It sounds like short, quick tic,tic,tic,tic,tic. You can tell the sex of a pup this way. Males tic faster. Like in Morse code, males are the dot, females are the dash. You can count pups too.

10. It’s safe to get an x-ray in the 8th week, but not just to count pups. Do it only if you suspect she may have a small birth canal which may present a problem.

11. In the 9th week her belly will start to change shape. It appears to lay lower to the ground. This is caused from the pups lining up in the uterine horns. In a human it is called when the belly drops.