Could my lab be pregnant?

Question
We moved into a new house in Dec. It has a fence and my labs are mostly inside dogs. Two male dogs were found in my fence at two different times. I just shooed them out of the fence and didn't think nothing of it. My male lab is fixed but was very aggressive with these dogs. She started to bleed 3 weeks ago. She is constantly getting out of the fence and running wild in the country. We keep her inside while we are at work and now she has had a few peepee accidents while we were gone. She has NEVER had an accident before. She hasn't been eating much and whines(not normal for her). We were going to try and have here breed but were saving her until then. How can I tell if she was raped last night? She got out of the rope get-up my husband made for her and I had to go out and find her this morning. She is still bleeding. Shouldn't pregnant dogs stop bleeding?

Answer
Hi Priscilla.  The heat cycle in most dogs runs for approximately 21 days as follows:

Days 1 - 7:  The vaginal area swells noticeably and within a couple of days bleeding begins.  During this stage the female usually will not allow the male to mate with her, and she will actually growl and possible bite him if he tries.  During this phase of the heat cycle, ovulation has not taken place yet, so even if your male is able to mount her, she will not become pregnant.

Days 7 - 14:  It is during this stage, the female is in what is called Estrus, and ovulation is taking place.  The female will now allow the male to mate with her.  She will normally stand still and move her tail out of the way.  The external genitalia is very swollen and in most cases points upward, making it easier for male penetration.  In most cases the bleeding has stopped and is replaced with a pinkish discharge. "Pee-pee" accidents can be a symptom of the Estrus cycle along with wining and less appetite.

I'm not surprised that your female has become an escape artist.   Due to the increased hormone levels female dogs that are in Estrus will search out male dogs, and will actually try to mate with other dogs (females included) during this time.  It can be a challenge to control dogs (females and males) when a female is in heat.

Only time will tell if your female conceived a litter while out of her rope last night.  One way is to take her to see your vet.  During the exam, you can request that a simple blood sample be taken. A blood test will provide your Veterinarian with the hormone called "Relaxin" levels, which is a  reliable indicator of pregnancy. Relaxin can be detected in blood samples soon after the eggs are fertilized and implanted in the uterine horns -  which occurs in most dogs 22-27 days after mating.

Good luck, and please do not hesitate to contact me if  you still have questions, or if you have questions in the future,


Sincerely,
Penny DiLoreto
www.puppies-dot-com.com