Pregnancy in dogs lasts only about two months, while most dogs give birth between 58 and 66 days. It is relative short gestation, so dogs can easily skip some of the early signs of pregnancy. Always pay attention to your dog’s habits and physical characteristics, so you can find out if your dog is pregnant and provide it proper care and feeding during this difficult period.
Appetite
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Dogs usually lose their appetite in the middle of gestation. Not all dogs experience a decrease in appetite, but this happens as usually about 3 weeks.
Vulvar secretions
Pregnant dogs are often exposed to increased excretion from vulva in the fourth week of pregnancy. If a pregnant dog experiencing copious discharge in the early or middle part pregnancy, then it must be shown to the veterinarian.
Activity level
All pregnant dogs become less active during pregnancy. At any time during your pregnancy, you can notice that the dog began to relax more – you may even She seems to be depressed.
Stomach
Along with the growth of puppies inside the dog, her belly will gradually increase. In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, an increase the abdomen is one of the most obvious signs that the dog is waiting for puppies. On your fortieth day of pregnancy, your dog may weigh 20-50% more than before.
Nipples
Your dog’s nipples will also become enlarged during pregnancy. They begin to increase, as a rule, on the third and fourth week of pregnancy.
Pregnancy test
You can buy your dog’s home pregnancy test. Him should be obtained with the help of a veterinarian – pregnancy tests at humans are not accurate for dogs.
Visit to the veterinarian
If you suspect your dog is pregnant, show her to the vet. Your vet will be able to tell you if the dog is pregnant, after a physical examination. After 25 days of pregnancy, veterinarian can hear puppies heartbeat through a stethoscope.
Ultrasound scan
The vet can also use ultrasound scans, to detect pregnancy. Ultrasound can detect the presence of growing puppies after a four-week period pregnancy.
X-ray
An x-ray is used to create an image inside your dogs. Within 49 days or 7 weeks of pregnancy, in the pictures, as a rule, puppy skeletons are already visible.
Relaxin Analysis
Relaxin is a hormone that has a high blood level in dogs during pregnancy. Between 20 and 25 days the veterinarian may check elevated relaxin levels and put on the basis of this diagnosis of pregnancy.
