Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

It is hard to realize that your puppy is pregnant until it is about 9 weeks pregnant. During this period, the size of the dog's belly will increase markedly. The best way to confirm is to take your puppy to the vet for a checkup. But it would be better if you could spot changes in your dog's appearance and behavior during this period on your own. Dogs often show signs of pregnancy in the early, mid, and late stages of pregnancy.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Notice external changes

1. 

   The color of the nipples changes. One of the earliest signs that your puppy is pregnant is a "visible rosy" sign. This means that the female's breasts will be pink, fuller, and puffy than usual. This sign will become apparent about 2 to 3 weeks after conception.

2. 

   
   
   Watch for any changes in your dog's body. A pregnant dog's appearance will not change much until the second half of pregnancy. Between about 4 to 5 weeks, the bitch's waist will swell while her belly is always full.

3. 

   
   
   Do not rush to increase the ration. You should only increase the diet when your dog is in the final third stage of pregnancy. Some owners tend to increase their dog food rations too early. Too many calories will lead to fat accumulation in the abdomen and make you mistakenly believe that she is in pregnancy. It is also difficult for amateur veterinarians to discern whether an enlarged abdomen is due to fetal displacement or fat deposits.

4. 

   
   
   Continue to watch for changes in your dog's body. During the third stage of pregnancy (about 6 to 9 weeks), your puppy's belly will become rounded and swollen. The mammary glands will become larger and more swollen because they are ready to release milk after birth.

5. 

   Check and feel the puppies' movements in the womb. During the third stage of pregnancy, you may notice a slight movement of the dog's hips. Do not worried! That movement is due to the puppies wiggling in their womb. If you put your palm on your stomach where the stirring is coming, you can feel it.
   • Don't be discouraged if you don't see anything. Puppies lie deep inside their mother's womb and each is covered with amniotic fluid.So it's not difficult to understand if you can't locate any puppies.

Method 2 of 4: Notice behavior changes

1. 

   Do not expect obvious changes. Each dog girl behaves differently during pregnancy. Some looked more gentle and tired. But when the dog is unwell, it has similar symptoms. So this symptom should not be used as a valid indicator of a pregnant bitch. Normally, it will act almost every day until the third stage of pregnancy.
   • During this period, your dog's fat body makes it difficult for your dog to move, and he may just want to sleep more.

2. 

   Change in taste. Near the end of pregnancy, the uterus will get bigger and take up more space. Bulk foods won't be your dog's favorite food anymore. At this point it will tend to like to eat through the speaker, little by little.

3. 

   Find a birthplace. As the day comes, your puppy will start looking for nests. It will take out old blankets or clothes and put them in a neat place. It will do everything to have a cozy and safe place to welcome the little puppies about to be born.
   • Nesting time will range from 2-3 weeks to 2-3 days before birth.

Method 3 of 4: Consult a more professional diagnosis

1. 

   See a veterinarian. If you think your puppy is pregnant, dispel the doubts by taking it to the vet. Your doctor will use a variety of ways to help you check for that.

2. 

   Health check for dogs. The doctor will do a general examination and focus especially on the belly area of ​​the dog. When taking the pulse (by placing your hand on the dog's abdomen), the doctor can feel the uterine area and determine the shape of the puppy inside. But it is not easy because the doctor can also confuse the puppy and the stool in the large intestine and vice versa.
   • The right time to determine your puppy's pregnancy stage is between 28th and 35th days after conception. Before this time, nothing will change dramatically to realize that the dog is pregnant. But after this stage, the puppies in the womb may be mistaken for residual food in the gut.

3. 

   Check your heartbeat. Later in pregnancy (from 6 weeks onwards) the veterinarian will likely hear the fetal heartbeat by placing a stethoscope on the puppy's belly. But this is more difficult than checking the heart rate of a baby in the womb because the puppy's thick coat and animal shape tend to be round, not flat.

4. 

   Blood test. The gold standard to see if your puppy is having morning sickness is asking the vet to check his blood sugar. This process will help detect Relaxin, a hormone secreted by the placenta at the end of pregnancy.
   • This hormone appears only after the 28th day of pregnancy. If the test still shows normal results, it is very likely that you will get a negative result and assume that your dog does not have any morning sickness. But be careful because it is the wrong result and the truth is she is pregnant.
   • If you get a positive result all the time, even before day 28, your puppy is more likely to become pregnant.

5. 

   Supersonic. An ultrasound can help you recognize that your dog is pregnant, even in the early days. Skilled doctors can locate the puppies in the womb through the scanner from day 16 onwards.
   • If your dog is good, an ultrasound will be done without the aid of pain relievers.
   • If your dog has thick fur, the doctor will remove some of the hair from the abdomen so the transducers can reach the dog's skin.

6. 

   X-rays required. With the popularity and popularity of ultrasound, the demand for x-rays seems to be decreasing. The main reason is that this method is only performed later in pregnancy with the aim of determining how many puppies there are in the womb.
   • In fact, this information is very useful because the owner can ensure that all puppies are born safely or in case the dog has passed through but there is still one puppies left. life.

Method 4 of 4: Diagnosis of pre-pregnancy signs

1. 

   Be patient. During the first 2 to 3 weeks (1st stage 3), your puppy may not show any symptoms of pregnancy. Meanwhile, it still exhibits the same appetite as usual.
   • Like humans, dogs also experience morning sickness, but it won't last until day 21 after mating. Instead, it's only about 1 to 2 weeks. On day 21, take a look at your dog's gums. If the mating is over, its gums will turn white, instead of the usual pink. The reason for this is that the fetus is connecting to the uterus and the blood in her body is gathering at that site. So, your puppy's gums will turn white in about 1 to 2 days. Do not worry! If the above persists after 2 days, consult a veterinarian immediately.

2. 

   Notice any mood changes. Some dog owners will suspect that their puppy is pregnant because it looks more gentle than usual. But this is only observational based on emotion rather than being proved by fact. Pregnancy causes hormonal changes and this affects dogs differently.
   • Some puppies may be more gentle than usual, others just cling to their owners all day, while others tend to hide away.

3. 

   Check to see if your dog has other symptoms of the pain. A change in your dog's appearance and temperament may indicate that he is pregnant. But it could also be a sign that the dog is not feeling well. That's why it's important to monitor it regularly for any unusual symptoms, like loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, sneezing, or even white blood.
   • If your dog has bred and skipped meals over the next days or weeks, this is not necessarily a sign of pregnancy. To be sure, get your dog checked by the vet, especially if you notice white blood (not normal like during morning sickness) or vomiting frequently.

Advice

• Make sure to always be gentle when you rub your dog's belly, even if you're not sure if your puppy is pregnant. You wouldn't want to pose any danger to the puppies in the stomach, would you?
• Some dogs will suffer from morning sickness due to an abnormal hormone change. Of course, it is normal to see clear fluid on her body at this stage. Don't forget to consult your doctor if this fluid has an unusual odor.
• Try not to touch the newborn puppies, as the mother will probably reject the puppies if they smell you. Puppies need to smell like their mother and won't do well if the mother is not used to your scent.

Warning

• Always be careful because if the mother has never been petted or petted she will probably bite you. Tell children and strangers to stay away from the dog nest or the puppy area.
• The phenomenon of fake pregnant dogs is also very common. A few weeks after mating, the dog will also show signs of pregnancy, such as larger breasts and increased appetite. But the truth is dogs are normal. It's best to consult your veterinarian for a sure result as to whether your dog is pregnant.