Q&A for How to Detect Pregnancy in Your Female Dog

She might be having a phantom pregnancy. This is a hormonal event that happens to some female dogs, where their body incorrectly believes them to be pregnant. The body then undergoes changes associated with pregnancy, such as enlarged mammary glands and even milk production.

If a female dog is neutered while she's having a false pregnancy, this can mean that she will produce milk permanently. The vet can either give a hormone injection, which will dry up the milk for 4-6 months (when another dose will need to be given), or there is a liquid medicine, which helps to dry up milk. Also, try not to let the dog mother cuddle toys, as this reinforces the milk production.

Typically, a female dog ovulates sometime around day 9-14 of her estrus cycle. This is also when the bloody discharge appears to dry up, but then it returns for the final third of the heat. If it was during this middle part of the season when she mated, then pregnancy is likely. If, however, it was when she was coming to the end of her season (day 21 plus), then ovulation is less likely but not impossible, so the risk of pregnancy decreases.

No. Tying up is Mother Nature's way of increasing the chances of pregnancy, but even if the act of mating is very brief, the female can still get pregnant.

In advanced pregnancy, each puppy is floating inside a bag of fluid, so it can be difficult to feel individual puppies, especially if the mother has several pups in her womb. This is one of the reasons vets prefer an ultrasound scan or x-ray to confirm how many puppies are present. Look for rippling of her flanks as an indication that there are puppies squirming around in her womb.

What you are describing could either be due to pregnancy or to a phantom pregnancy. The average gestation period in the dog is 63-65 days, so take a look in your diary as to when she was last in heat as a guide to whether pregnancy is likely. Also, are you aware of her being mated or having escaped? If she was under lock and key, then false pregnancy is a possibility.

Male dogs can impregnate a female once they reach sexual maturity. The age at which this happens ranges from 6-18 months, depending on the breed. Smaller breeds mature faster that larger breeds. However, some dogs do reach maturity as young as 5 months, so if he tied with a female, then pregnancy cannot be ruled out.

Not necessarily. Each dog's body reacts differently to pregnancy. Taken in isolation, it's not possible to use teat size to confirm or rule out pregnancy. Some female dogs don't develop a swollen belly until the final third of their pregnancy, so body shape is not always helpful. At 35 days, a blood test will give a definitive answer.

When a female dog is in heat, her vaginal area will usually be swollen. If she gets pregnant, this will go back to normal within about a day. Then, 2-3 days later, her nipples will start to become pink. She'll also usually start to act lethargic and clingy, and she'll be very hungry.