Pregnant dog?

Question
Well I just think she is pregnant.. I've read stuff only and some say she could be bloated?Last week I noticed she threw up once a day for two days. Her nipples are slightly larger and hard. Her stomach has gotten a little bigger and feels firm. Her mood has changed, she lays down more and when my kitten tries to cuddle up to her she gets mad and goes to hide. Is she pregnant? Or do I need to call our vet..

Answer

Hi Jane,

I can't say if your dog is pregnant or not, it would be best to have her examined by a vet, both to rule out bloat, or to confirm the pregnancy.

"Bloat" is a life-threatening emergency, your dog would be acting quite ill if it were this. Bloat can occur in any dog at any age, but typically occurs in middle-aged to older dogs, though large-breed dogs with deep chests are predisposed to developing the condition. The classic signs of bloat are restlessness and pacing, salivation, retching, unproductive attempts to vomit, and enlargement of the abdomen. The dog may whine or groan when you press on his belly. Some early symptoms of bloat are: the dog appears to be lethargic, obviously uncomfortable, walks in a stiff-legged fashion, hangs it's head. Lateer symptoms include pale gums and tongue, delayed capillary refill time, rapid heart rate, weak pulse, rapid and labored breathing, weakness, and collapse. Given how serious a condition Bloat is, if you think your dog has bloat, you should not put off having her examined by your veterinarian!


Very early in a pregnancy, a dog may eat very little for several days, though you should encourage her to eat, as missing too many meals can leave her weak. As with pregnant women, dogs often experience a form of "morning sickness" in which they have bouts of vomiting. A pregnant dog may vomit on a regular basis during the first 3 weeks of pregnancy.
Another sign of pregnancy in a dog is excessive sleeping and resting. This symptom is seen both early and late with a marked increase right before she gives birth. Your dog's belly will enlarge during pregnancy with a marked increase in the last weeks before giving birth. The nipples will be visibly swollen after week 2 of pregnancy and will have a pinkish color. Her nipples may also be tender to the touch. Enlargement of the abdomen is a sign of pregnancy. The size of her abdomen will depend on how many puppies she's carrying. Her abdomen will get larger by each week of pregnancy. A vet exam is a good idea if you think your dog is pregnant, just to ensure the health of your dog and her babies.

If your dog is pregnant, and you don't want the litter, now would be the time to have her spayed and terminate the pregnancy. If she is indeed pregnant, and you'll be keeping this litter start reading up on what you will be experiencing in the not too distant future. This includes your dog's increased nutritional needs during her pregnancy until she's done nursing (when her pups are weaned at 5 weeks old). Here's some info to get you started:

http://cvm.msu.edu/hospital/services/nutrition-support-service-1/client-educatio

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_care_of_the_pregnant_dog.html

Once the puppies have been weaned, it would be a really good idea to have your dog spayed, so neither your or she would have to go through this again.  


Female dogs can also experience a hormonal condition called a "false pregnancy", which has all the signs of being pregnant, and can even include nipples that drip milk, yet the dog is not pregnant. Your vet would have to rule this out. It usually goes away on it's own in a few weeks, but if it doesn't medication would be needed to stop the false pregnancy. You can read about false pregnancies here:

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_canine_false_pregnancy.html


I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti