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...tell if a dog is pregnant

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Answer by Tanisha
Submitted on 2/16/2004
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She will get bigger around 4-5 weeks if she is a small dog or 5-8 weeks along if she is a bigger breed dog. She will get lazier and lay around more. She may get sick and vomit or experience a temperament change. Around 6 weeks they tend to lose their appetite for awhile. They want smaller meals and urinate more due to the growing uterus squishing everything else. They dig and scratch as if making a nest for their pups. Around the last week their nipples fill up with milk. If your female went into heat and didn't get bred she might still show all these signs without being pregnant. To rule out this "false pregnancy" for cheap you can get a dog pregnancy test at the vet for $20-$30. If you don't have the money for that you just have to wait and see if she has pups 58-66 days prior to mating. You need to be with your dog as she has pups and call the vet if something goes wrong. If you don't it could result in death. Labor includes pain and often the dog looks like she needs help when she really doesn't and people end up trying to help and messing everything up so you need to know what to expect. To find out what to expect on the birth of pups go to: http://www.hilltopanimalhospital.com/reproduction.htm Good luck!

Answer by devinben3
Submitted on 2/6/2005
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HI everyone, the question about the pitbull w/the rotty..yes they can breed, but it is not reccommened since they're not purebred. there is a lot of testing to do before you welp a litter. also about signs of dog pregnancy, here are a few i know, teats will swell, back area stay swollen after heat instead of going back down, dog will change temperment, maybe more loving, sleepy, anything different. at 22 days you can gently feel (called palpation) in the uterous for lumps...size varies..on a 40 lb dog at 22 days lumps will be size of pea, and 28 english walnut, and get to the size of a golf ball at near 34 days, then you can't tell after that because they become soft, and it will be obvious since she'll be fat..now sometimes they can have a false pregnancy. care of the female is just feeding a high quality food such as ( Black Gold Ultimate puppy food, Nutro High Energy, anything that is high of protein and fat...at least 20% fat, and 20% protein..if you can't afford high quality foods, feed your female her regular food and add a half can(for 40 lb dog) undiluted evaporated milk. also ground up egg shells provides good calcium. tablespoom corn oil,or bacon drippings. cottage cheese. anything of that sort will help with the health of mom and pups. just make sure she gets plenty of it...another big thing is lots and lots of water. exercise is needed, but not too stressful..a regular walk or two a day w/a little bit of jogging. playing fetch or tug o war..just not a lot of jumping around. i hope this helps, if you have any other questions about dogs pregnancy or welping or a dogs heat, email me at devinben3@yahoo.com and i will help you out..i'm a breeder.

Answer by Tina
Submitted on 9/17/2005
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Sixteen days ago my mom found a dog on the side of the road who had been hit by a car. We have only had her in our care for the past 2 weeks. Now I'm not sure but I would think she would have miscarried her litter because of the accident if she in fact were pregnant, but over the days I have noticed some signs that other people have posted. She pees a lot, and she can get moody. She also seems lazy and her genital area and nipples look pronounced. A lot of these symptoms I know could be just effects of the trauma of the accident, and the assumed cracked pelvis observed by 3 vets. It would mean a lot if you could tell me your thoughts. The last thing that I want is for her to be pregnant AND have a pelvic injury.