dog gestation period

Question
I think my dog is pregnant and is now the fifth week, there is some slightly reddish transparent secretion from the vagina.  Is that normal?

Answer
qc, you said your vet does not have any 'apparatus' to check for pregnancy?! At 5 weeks along, it's a bit late for palpation, which doesn't require any kind of 'apparatus,' but too early for X-rays. An ultrasound could be done to check for fetal heartbeats at this time, but of course, that does require an ultrasound machine. However, your vet can also do a blood test to check for the hormone relaxin, to determine if your dog is pregnant or not.

Personally, if I had a vet that did not know how to check to see if a dog was pregnant, or did not have the machines to do so (like an ultrasound machine, which is used for LOTS of other things besides listening for fetal heartbeats), I would be QUICKLY searching for another vet!