How to Tell My Dog Is Pregnant

When you're trying to determine if your dog is pregnant, reliable information is difficult to come by. This guide explains how to determine pregnancy in your canine.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Veterinarian
• Money to cover the costs of tests

How To Tell If Your Dog Is Pregnant

1. Take your dog to the veterinarian. The earliest method of pregnancy detection is ultrasound. Since this procedure doesn't require anything more than holding your dog still, it usually goes quite smoothly. Fetal heartbeats can be detected at around the twenty fifth day after conception. An ultra sound will not detect how many puppies a dog is having, only whether or not she is pregnant.

2. Perform a blood test. Your vet can test your dog for a hormone called relaxin. Relaxin is released into the bloodstream only when a dog is pregnant. This test is usually performed mid gestation.

3. Let your vet feel your dog's stomach. Most experienced veterinarians can tell if a dog is pregnant by simply feeling the dog’s abdomen. This can be done roughly twenty to thirty days after conception.

4. Take x-rays. Fetal skeletons will appear on x-ray at around forty five days of pregnancy. This test will conclusively determine the number of puppies you can expect your dog to birth.

Tips & Warnings

• During the second month of pregnancy switch your dog over to a good quality puppy food. This will provide her with the extra calories that she needs during pregnancy.