5 Early Signs That Your Dog Is Pregnant
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Those of us who are dog owners tend to see our dogs as a part of the family. And if your dog happens to be a female and she hasn’t been “fixed”, then you know that there’s a pretty big chance that at some point, she could get pregnant. However, being that your dog cannot tell you when she’s feeling under the weather, in order to know for sure that she’s expecting, it’s a good idea to know what kind of signs to look for; even before taking her to the vet. To make this process easier for you, we’ve enclosed five of them below:
She’s gaining weight. One of the most obvious signs to look for is if your dog is gaining weight, especially if there has been no change in her normal eating and exercise routine. If you pick her up and she feels heavier than usual or you notice that her belly is expanding, it could definitely be due to the fact that she has some puppies are on the way.
She’s moving slower than usual. A lot of us have dogs that are quite active. So much in fact that we usually have to tell them to calm down. If you can relate but you’ve noticed that over the past few weeks, your dog has been moving at a slower pace or sleeping more than usual, this also could be an indication the she’s pregnant.
She has different-looking nipples. Something else that you might notice with your dog is that her nipples look different from what they normally do. If they start to significantly increase in size or if they appear to be a flush-pink color (which is usually because of the blood flow that has moved down to the nipple area), this is another reason to think that she might be carrying some puppies.
She has a change in appetite. If you’ve ever been pregnant before (or your significant other has), one thing that you can probably attest to is the fact that a change in appetite happened. Either you ended up wanting to eat a lot less than usual or a whole lot more. Dogs tend to be creatures of habit and so if yours does not seem to show an interest in the food that you put out or she’s devouring it as soon as you pour it into her dish, her shift in appetite be also be a sign that she’s pregnant.
She has behavioral changes. As a dog is preparing for the birth of her puppies, she tends to become a bit more reclusive and sometimes, even a bit irritable. If you have a dog who is usually pretty friendly but lately, that doesn’t seem to be the case, don’t ignore her behavioral changes. Instead, make an appointment for her to see her veterinarian so that they can use an ultrasound to confirm whether or not she is indeed pregnant. If the results are positive, your vet will then put her on a nutrition regimen and will provide you with the instructions that you need as you prepare for her birth. For more information on how to know if your dog is pregnant, consult with your veterinarian.
