How to Determine Whether Your Dog is Pregnant

Since a dog cannot tell you it's expecting, if you have reason to believe your dog might be pregnant, you need to become very observant. Your dog will exhibit signs and symptoms of pregnancy that will help you determine whether you have an expectant dog in your family. Some signs, such as an uptick in her appetite, are more visible and obvious, while others will require more observation, more frequent urination, for example. Let's look at some signs of canine pregnancy.

If you have been trying to breed your dog, you will be more aware of when to start looking for signs of a pregnant dog. On the other hand, if you have not been trying to breed your dog, you won't know to be looking for signs she might be pregnant, never mind knowing when to look for them. However, female dogs menstruate just like their human counterparts; in dogs this is called estrus. If you know your dog well, you can try to determine whether she's pregnant by reviewing her estrus cycle and whether she has missed one.

Estrus, commonly referred to as "going into heat", is the only time your dog can become pregnant; it typically lasts 1-3 weeks regardless of the size or breed of dog. Most dogs go into heat and are able to get pregnant between the ages of 4 and 18 months. Some dogs will go into heat every 4 months while others go into heat once per year. Some dogs bleed a little or while others bleed a lot; regardless, there will always be some blood present when a dog is in heat. If you remember the last time your dog was in heat, this will give you a good time line to date the pregnancy.

If you think your dog may be pregnant, there are some signs that you can look for; the first, most obvious sign is your dog missing an estrus cycle. The next sign to watch for would be an increase in sleeping. Dogs do sleep a lot but a pregnant dog will sleep more and perhaps need a little more attention. If you notice lethargy in your dog, you may want to look for other signs of pregnancy.

Another indication that your dog might be expecting is an increase in her appetite. Is your dog eating more than usual or begging for more food? If it seems like your dog is always hungry of late, this is not normal and is another sign that your dog is indeed pregnant.

Is your dog going outside more than they previously did? More frequent urination is another sign that you've got a pregnant dog on your hands. Pregnant dogs will urinate more frequently as the growing puppies put more pressure on their bladder.

As your dog progresses further into her pregnancy, you will begin to notice other signs or symptoms. One of the more obvious signs would a growing belly. This may be easier to recognize in a smaller dog breed at an earlier date. However, most dogs will have a bigger belly closer to the end of their pregnancy.

Another sign or symptom that is common towards the end of a dog's pregnancy is more prominent nipples. When your dog is pregnant the nipples will begin to enlarge and become pinkish as she will need them to feed her puppies and enlarged nipples are easier for the puppies to find.

If your dog is showing one or more of these signs, it is likely because they are pregnant. Make an appointment with your vet for your dog. A vet is trained to recognize canine pregnancies and can usually diagnose at about 4 weeks gestation. Your vet can then help you with a care plan and advise you on the best way to help your dog through the rest of her pregnancy.

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