Dobermans pregnancy

Question
I bred my doberman female, and they mated several times. I did not write the date down, as I was moving and thought I would remember it. I was going by start date, instead of end of mating date. I am not sure if my bitch is actually pregnant or if she is going through a false pregnancy. She has all of the symptoms, enlarged teets, swollen belly, looks pregnant. I took her to vet for x-ray, and saw no pups. The vet said it could be a false pregnancy..??? Or I could have taken her in too early to tell. If it is false, would she keep getting larger? or will she start losing weight? She is still gaining in the belly region, but I can't seem to feel any pups. She should be due within 1.5/2.5 weeks, so not sure if I should watch her closely, or what happens if she is not actually pregnant? Does she still pass fluids? Where does all the weight gain dispel to? She seems to get larger daily, so not sure if she is actually going to have pups or not.... please help, uncertain of situation.

Answer

Hi Kimla,

If your vet couldn't see puppies in the x-ray, and the diagnosis was false pregnancy, you should take your dog back to the vet since her condition is persisting. Symptoms of a false pregnancy usually subside without doing anything in approximately 14-21 days. If your dog's condition is going on for a longer period of time she may need hormonal medications.

At this point, an ultrasound would be a definitive diagnostic test to rule out the presence of puppies.

Often, a dog that has false pregnancies is spayed, as the ultimate cure for the condition, because it's possible to reoccur in the future.

Best of luck,

Patti