Some dogs’ owners could find difficulties in recognizing their dogs’ pregnancy until they notice the dogs’ increased bellies. Dogs’ pregnancy could take almost nine weeks, but do you know how to find out if your dog is pregnant in the early weeks?! Pregnant dogs develop clear signs at early period of pregnancy; these signs could be behavioral or physical changes. To know if your dog is pregnant or not, you can easily take it to a vet who will give you the answer after making a blood test and ultrasound, but if you want to know early by yourself, here in this topic we will show you how.
Signs of dogs’ pregnancy could be divided into physical and behavioral changes.
The behavioral changes
- Changes in the mood
you could notice some changes in your dog’s mood; like a sudden preference to stay alone or inactive. These behavioral changes could mean that your dog is pregnant.
- Sudden decrease of activity
Dogs could show their pregnancy as most of pregnant women. They feel tired and exhausted which decrease their daily activity. Pregnant dogs also show their pregnancy through feelings of discomfort or nervousness. - Changes in eating habits
At the early days of your dog’s pregnancy, you could notice some changes in her appetite due to the hormonal changes. The appetite of some dogs increase; in this case you will find your dog eats meals quickly and ask for more. It is better to allow your dog to eat well and provide her with the puppy food which contains more nutrients. Other times the appetite decreases during pregnancy ; you may find your dog refuses to eat. In this case you should not force her. It is a normal sign of pregnancy, so do not worry about your dog’s health; but if this continues for three days in a row, you should take her to a vet.
- Preparing its nest to give birth
You could find your dog scratching the floor to make it more comfortable. All breed dogs tend to do this as a preparation to the delivery by choosing the ideal place to make its puppies safe.
Physical changes
- Body changes
During the second half of pregnancy, the dog’s body changes. The dog’s waist begin to thicken and the belly get increased during 4 or 5 weeks of pregnancy.
- The growth of nipples
When your dog gets pregnant, you will find that its small nipples begin to grow clearly. This development of nipples is an indicator of the production of milk, then you will notice the growth of the whole breast.
- The change in nipples color
Beside the nipples development, they also will slightly change in color during the period of pregnancy. The dog’s nipples are normally light pink, but this color changes to become more pink because of the blood flow into this place.
- The bigger belly
If you notice that your dog’s belly grown bigger, you should softly check it to see if it is a swell or normal growth due to pregnancy. By checking your dog’s stomach, you could make sure if she is pregnant or not. In case there is pregnancy, you could even feel the puppies through your touch.
When you make sure that your dog is pregnant, you have to follow some indications to keep her safe during pregnancy period.
- Visit a vet to examine her.
- Check your dog’s heartbeats.
- She probably needs an ultrasound and a blood test.
- Get a regular examination for your dog to make sure she is in a good health.