Is my Penny pregnant?

Question
QUESTION: Hi, my husband and I just bought a Jack Russell from a couple who found her and could not find her owners. Well at this time we can not take her to the vet and see if she is pregnant but when we first saw her we noticed that she was on the heavy side but thought nothing of it, well now her nipples are getting long and fat and also real pink. She's not acting like a normal Jack Russell, she just eats and sleeps all day. The man we bought her from said that she looked not much older then a year and she is definitely not neutered. So could my penny be pregnant?

ANSWER: Hi Melissa,
I can't believe someone would charge you for a dog they FOUND.. and then to find out she may be pregnant!
You can gently squeeze one of the nipples to see if any milk comes out and you will know for sure that she is. (The word "neutered" is used for males, and "spayed" for females). So, she is definitely not spayed.
I don't know why you can't take her to the vet to be looked at, but if it's because of money I hate to tell you but you are in for some MAJOR expense if she is in fact pregnant. She needs an ultrasound or an xray ($200)to see how many pups she's having. Keep your fingers crossed that she won't need a c-section ($2000). You'll need to get whelping supplies to insure a safe birthing experience. Penny and puppies will need to be checked at the vet after they are born - hopefully all pups will be healthy.($100) The puppies tails need to be docked at three days old at the veterinarian ($20 each tail). You need to get Penny an excellent high quality puppy food to eat while she is nursing those puppies, and the puppies will all need their first set of vaccinations when they are 7 weeks old ($50 each pup).
Having puppies is an enormous commitment and expense and takes a lot of dedication and time. The man who "sold" you this lost dog was no fool and wanted to get rid of her. I feel terrible that you are facing this enormous responsibility and expense that you didn't plan for. It can also be a very rewarding experience but I guess you'll have to be the one to decide what to do. If all she is doing is eating and sleeping, she may be FAR ALONG and ready to have those puppies. You HAVE to get prepared, you don't want to be surprised and unprepared in the middle of the night. Get books and research the internet on how to deliver puppies, it's not easy and lots can go wrong. I am not trying to depress you!! I am trying to let you know how it really is!! Start saving. You're gonna need it. I hope everything goes OK with Penny, puppies and yourselves. Very very best of luck. Go get ready!!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: HI, thank you for your repose so quickly. I have squeezed her nipples and nothing is coming out, she's not very round if she is ready to have pup's. I understand the expense of her having puppy's and we will do our best to get informed and prepared if she is pregnant. We were definitely not expecting this.

Answer
Hi Melissa,
Maybe she's not even pregnant??! Or maybe she is very early in her pregnancy (in which case no milk could be expelled yet). If she is pregnant you have to feed her puppy food during the last two weeks of pregnancy which helps her calcium levels as well as the puppies.
I wish you could go to the vet for confirmation, it would make your job so much easier. She's a lucky dog to have you, and I wish you all the very best. Please write ANYTIME, I would love to help you through this if she is pregnant. Take care Melissa