The pregnancies in bitches they can be difficult to detect. A responsible owner must know the signs and symptoms of pregnancy to ensure proper health care. The most accurate way to reveal if your dog is pregnant is to go to the vet since a simple blood test and an ultrasound will give you the answer.
If your dog is not spayed and you suspect that she may be pregnant, there are some signs and symptoms you can look out for in order to know whether or not your dog is expecting a litter. If you want to know the details that answer your question about how to know if my dog is pregnant, keep reading this oneHOWTO article in which we are going to reveal all the symptoms so that you can know the answer.
How to know if my dog is pregnant – physical changes
All mammals when they are in gestation period undergo various changes at different levels in their body, female dogs are no exception. Therefore, if you ask yourself and want to know the answer to how to know if my dog is pregnant You should pay attention to both some physical symptoms and other possible changes that your dog may experience from the first days.
These are some of the Physical changes that will help you know if your furry is waiting for a litter:
Breasts swell
One of the most visible physical changes that bitches have when they are pregnant is that their breasts begin to show swollen. If you detect that they are larger than normal, it may be that your dog has been pregnant for a few weeks, since the body of the animal begins to prepare for later breastfeeding the pups with mother’s milk.
Nipples change
Your pet’s nipples will also warn you if she is pregnant, as the nipples enlarge and darken. This is also because the hormones are preparing your dog’s body for lactation. In some cases, it is even possible to begin to detect that a serum begins to come out of the bitch’s breasts, although this liquid is not yet the mother’s milk that the puppies will drink, it is another sign of pregnancy.
The gut is bigger
If you think that your furry may be expecting puppies, an unmistakable symptom is that around the month of pregnancy you begin to notice that the belly is enlarged or swollen. If you notice that the size of your dog’s belly is larger than a few weeks ago, it looks somewhat bulky and even that this distention of the gut begins to decrease, it is quite likely that she will have puppies in a few more weeks. When the swollen belly is already quite evident, you can very carefully palpate and notice the puppies.
Vaginal discharge
There are also changes in vaginal discharge, as it increases and can even change color and consistency, but never bloody as when they are in heat or in the estrous phase.
Besides these symptoms to know if your dog is pregnant We must know how long the heat of a bitch lasts in order to be more sure at what moment of the cycle it is and be attentive to whether it has been able to cross a dog or not.
Discover what animal are you in this TEST
How to know if my dog is pregnant – behavior
In addition to the physical changes that pregnant dogs undergo, there are also a series of changes in behavior that can alert us to a possible pregnancy. To continue clearing the doubt about how to know if my dog is pregnant, we recommend that you pay attention to any of these possible behavior changes of your furry which will indicate if your dog is gestating:
The desire to eat changes
One of the symptoms that you should observe if you wonder how to know if your dog is pregnant in the first days is a decrease in appetite. If you notice that in the last few days she has hardly any appetite and eats very little amounts, it could be that she is pregnant.
This only happens at the beginning of pregnancy because due to hormonal changes your furry will not be hungry, but as the days go by, the appetite will increase and it will constantly ask for food. To feed your pregnant dog correctly, you must offer enough quality food to ensure that the puppies develop well, in addition, it is recommended that you offer puppy food as it is more nutritious.
Energy decreases
If it is usually a very active, playful and restless dog and, now, you detect that it is more stopped, tired and static, it may be that it is pregnant, as this is because the process leaves them more exhausted than usual.
Preparing the nest for calving
Look for signs of nests, as they are your dog’s way of preparing for the birth and aftercare of the pups. To make them you can scratch the floor, the wall or cushions and blankets to try to create a comfortable and soft place. The gestation process in bitches lasts a little over two months after mounting and, when the moment of giving birth approaches, it is when the bitch begins to look for the ideal place to have her puppies.
Other changes in behavior
When the pregnancy is somewhat more advanced and there is little left for delivery, the dog will not want to go for a walk and we will even hear that she makes some noises such as moans or sobs due to discomfort and nervousness. In addition, their attitude towards family members can become more surly due to the instinct of survival and protection of their puppies arises.
How to know if my dog is pregnant or psychological
Something very important and about which you may have doubts is the psychological pregnancy. If you wonder how to know if my dog is pregnant or psychologicalYou should know that this doubt is normal since in the event that it is psychological there will be pregnancy symptoms that will manifest themselves, however there are others that will not. The only 100% sure way on how to know if my dog has a psychological pregnancy is to go to the vet to have her checked. In addition to physically checking her, he will probably do a series of tests that amount to what we can call “pregnancy test for dogs“.
If so, it is vital to start treatment as soon as possible to prevent the problem from worsening and to prevent other serious health problems such as mastitis from developing.
Other things to consider when pregnant with a bitch
Now that you know the answer to how to know if my dog is pregnant, you should pay attention to other things of great importance related to your furry’s pregnancy:
- If you suspect that your dog is pregnant due to any of these symptoms, take her to the vet immediately so that she can do all the tests that are necessary to confirm the pregnancy and begin to do an exhaustive follow-up of her pregnancy to make sure that everything goes well.
- Likewise, it is important that you know well how long the pregnancy of a bitch lasts, since it is always around 2 months, sometimes a few days more, but only your veterinarian towards the end of the pregnancy will be able to tell you if it is a pregnancy that will it last just long or if otherwise it seems that it can be lengthened and what should be done in each case.
- You should also know how you can pay the best attention to your furry while it is waiting for its puppies, for this reason, we recommend reading this other oneHOWTO article in which you will find how to take care of a pregnant dog in full detail.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to know if my dog is pregnant, we recommend that you enter our category of Pets.
Advice
- Seek veterinary attention as soon as possible. Your vet can give you the best tips for feeding and caring for your pregnant dog.
- If your dog appears to be sick and you are not sure if she is pregnant, take her to the vet as soon as possible. Apathy and lack of hunger can mean other problems and not just a pregnancy.