When Can a Vet Confirm Dog Pregnancy?
A vet can confirm a dog pregnancy by performing blood tests and ultrasounds. This is an essential step to take, as it guarantees your pup has had a healthy pregnancy and is developing normally.
Pregnancy in dogs is usually a swift affair, taking only about 9 weeks from when a female dog’s first period to confirm that she’s expecting. Signs of pregnancy include weight gain, morning sickness, behavior changes, swelling and darkening of mammary glands among others.
Your dog’s uterus begins to form during the early stages of gestation, and this growing embryo is known as an “embryo.” Around day 35, however, the pup officially becomes a “foetus,” and organ development begins. Your vet can measure relaxin levels during this time by administering a blood test which detects hormone production by the placenta.
If the level of relaxin in your dog’s bloodstream is low, this could indicate she is not pregnant. On the other hand, if it’s normal, then she is likely to be carrying a pup.
Testing the level of relaxin in a blood sample is an easy and accurate procedure that can be completed quickly by your vet. This simple test will reveal whether her levels of relaxin are healthy for her stage of pregnancy.
Another way for a vet to confirm pregnancy in a dog is by palpating the abdomen. At this point, your veterinarian can feel any fluid-filled sacs (or balls) surrounding the foetus; however, this test should only be done by an experienced veterinarian.
In addition to confirming that your dog is pregnant, this test can also indicate the number of puppies she will deliver and help your veterinarian identify any health conditions she may have that could be passed onto her offspring.
Your veterinarian can also check if your dog has pregnancy toxaemia, a rare but serious condition that occurs in late pregnancy. This condition causes lack of energy and an accumulation of toxins in the bloodstream and is more common among older dogs or those that are underweight or carrying large litters.
Once you observe signs of pregnancy in a dog, it’s wise to have your veterinarian conduct a blood test as soon as possible. Doing this helps them detect any issues before they become too serious and require costly emergency veterinary treatment.
Your dog should stay isolated for three weeks prior to and three weeks after giving birth in order to prevent her from contracting herpes, a potentially lethal virus which can spread to her puppies.
Before your dog becomes pregnant, make sure she’s up-to-date on vaccinations and parasite prevention to ensure these aren’t passed on to her puppies. A fecal exam also helps your veterinarian detect if your pup has any intestinal parasites which could be detrimental for both mother and pups.
