How to Know If My Dog Is Pregnant?

It might seem easy to know when a female dog is pregnant, since she'll show a significantly enlarged abdomen. The problem is this evidence will show up in the final stages of pregnancy.

If we want to know earlier whether our dog is pregnant, we need to look at other more subtle symptoms. Let's take a detailed look at how to know if our dog is pregnant and what symptoms we should look for.

What Is a Female Dog's Heat Like and How Long Does It Last?

This is the popular name for the part of the female dog's reproductive cycle when she's fertile. It happens roughly twice a year, about every 5-6 months.

Each heat cycle lasts roughly 15 to 18 days, and it's during this period that she's most receptive to males. It also produces spontaneous ovulation. We call it spontaneous because, unlike in cats, ovulation always happens whether or not mating occurs.

If a female in heat has even the slightest opportunity, she'll get pregnant. That's why, if we lose sight of her during this period, she should be treated as if she is until proven otherwise. Even if we think she's securely locked in a property or yard, males attracted by the heat are capable of sneaking in through spots that seem inaccessible.

Visible Symptoms in a Pregnant Female Dog

Your pet's pregnancy is the time between fertilization (which can be from direct mating with another dog or insemination) and labor, whose physiological length ranges between 57 and 70 days.

As soon as a female becomes pregnant, major changes are triggered inside her thanks to the combination of different hormones, but generally, these initial changes aren't visible.

Only an increase in belly and mammary gland size could make us suspicious, but this already happens in the final weeks of pregnancy. Other signs are the following, which will appear at different times:

1. Slight weight gain.
2. Dietary changes: it's not unusual for the female to start eating more or go through phases of lower appetite. If her nutritional needs aren't met, she'll lose weight.
3. Mammary glands: besides enlarging in preparation for future nursing, they can darken, around day 40 of pregnancy. They may secrete fluid. On its own, this isn't a sign of pregnancy.
4. Nest-seeking: digging at the ground or getting into hidden spots like a closet is part of the dog's nesting behavior. When the female is about to give birth, she looks for a quiet spot to shelter, away from predators.
5. Behavioral changes: we may notice some females acting different, more nervous, less active, sensitive, grumpy, others avoid letting male dogs get close, etc.
6. Vomiting: very rarely, the female, in the third or fourth week, due to the effect of hormones, will show mild vomiting.
7. Puppy movements: during the last two weeks of pregnancy, if we gently place our open hand on her belly, we may be able to feel the puppies moving.

If what we want is to know whether our dog is pregnant in the first days after mating, we need to see a vet clinic so they can perform an ultrasound or bloodwork to confirm she's pregnant.

Why Does It Matter to Find Out Early Whether Our Dog Is Pregnant?

Knowing our dog's pregnancy status early would first help us assess whether carrying the pregnancy to term is wanted or not. If the pregnancy is wanted, being able to know the exact due date helps prevent risks and neonatal losses.

In addition, it would let us define nutritional guidelines, as well as the deworming and vaccination schedule (depending on the stage of pregnancy she's at).

The Vet's Role

Before we suspect our dog is pregnant based on symptoms, there are clinical methods that can confirm the pregnancy with no doubt at all. For this, we need to see the vet. Although cytology or bloodwork can be done, the standout tests are ultrasound and X-ray.

From day 18 of pregnancy onward, an abdominal ultrasound can detect the presence of the developing fetuses in the uterus. An X-ray can also be done from day 45 onward. In both cases, besides the diagnosis, we'll be able to know fairly reliably how many puppies the female will have.

The vet can also tell us how to check that our dog is doing well at home, or whether she shows signs of having a miscarriage, such as bleeding, abdominal pain, or fever.