As soon as dogs reach the fertility period, they are ready to become moms. During this period, dogs need your help to guide them through the mating stage. Serious brawls with male dogs are likely to erupt as they compete for your female dog’s heart. Your dog will probably be confused too with all the attention she’s getting, but it’s likely that signs to show that your dog is pregnant will soon follow.
Dog’s pregnancy can be a little tricky; their pregnancy lasts for 61 days to 65 days. During this period, in some cases, you won’t be able to spot signs of the pregnancy until it is her due. Since dogs don’t have pregnancy test kit, you have to pay heed to your dog’s pregnancy by paying attention to the signs to show that your dog is pregnant.
Dogs may get a bit nauseous during the early phases of the pregnancy. You should observe or monitor her closely for any symptoms of illness like loss of appetite, coughing, sneezing or vaginal discharge. It is normal if you see them vomit a little, but if you think they throw up a bit too much, then it’s best to see a vet to check your dog’s condition.
Abrupt Change in Appetite
Another sign to show that your dog is pregnant is when in the first few weeks of your dog’s gestation, you would notice that she might be eating less than she normally does, but don’t worry it would go back in the latter phases. Usually, around twenty-one days after which their appetite will return, they will eat twice their normal amount of food to support the puppies. And if she does lose the appetite, try not to force her to eat, this may stress her even more, instead, you can lure her with her favorite foods. But, if she still won’t touch her food after two or three days, it is high time to call a vet because dogs don’t normally go for two days without food.
Abrupt change in appetite
A month into the pregnancy, you will see little blots of mucus discharge. Don’t get panic when you see these vaginal discharges, instead keep calm as your dog needs this kind of energy surrounding her. Pregnant dogs experience increased of vaginal discharge approximately four weeks into their pregnancy. If she experiences major bleeding in the middle part of her pregnancy, you can call a veterinarian for help.
Dog’s nipples are normally small, and the breast area is really flat, but once gestation is progressing, you would notice that their breast starts growing, slightly swollen, and a more prominent rosy nipple will develop. This is due to the development of milk glans in preparation for the eventual milk nursing for the future pups. This usually starts to show three to four weeks into the pregnancy. A month into the pregnancy, you will see little blots of mucus discharge. Don’t get panic when you see these vaginal discharges, instead keep calm as your dog needs this kind of energy surrounding her. Pregnant dogs experience increased of vaginal discharge approximately four weeks into their pregnancy. If she experiences major bleeding in the middle part of her pregnancy, you can call a veterinarian for help.
Their breast starts growing, slightly swollen, and a more prominent rosy nipple will develop
You might also observe the sudden changes in her behavior other dog’s become quieter and detached, even grumpier while others become extremely affectionate and clingier. This is one of the signs to show that your dog is pregnant. This is all due to the changes in their body that they do not understand yet. Be very gentle. This change usually happens a few days or a week after the successful mating.
It is normal for a female dog to become less active during this time. The dogs will just spend a good deal of their resting time but not fully asleep. You can notice this sign during early and final stages of the conception period. You may also notice that your dog may seem depressed and spends more time resting.
The dogs will just spend a good deal of their resting time
Feeling the puppies
An abdominal palpation is an approach where you can carefully massage the tummy of your dog to feel the puppies growing in her uterus. It is the most effective way for detecting pregnancy in the fifth week after mating. If you have a lot of experience in detecting the palpation, as early as three weeks after mating, you might able to detect it. There are factors that you should consider before detecting your dog’s abdominal palpation like if she is overweight, if she is nervous during the examination and tenses her stomach muscles or if she has only one or two puppies in her tummy and they are tucked right up inside her abdomen.
Expecting little paws is an exciting time at home, but this can also be pretty stressful for you and your dog too. We hope these signs to show that your dog is pregnant would help you prepare for your dog’s “heat” season.