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YahooUnderstand the signs and symptoms of pet pregnancy.
Dogs do experience heat cycles twice per year, which are confused with pregnancy symptoms. Normally, you can tell when your dog becomes pregnant by the way she acts. Here are the signs of pregnancy:
- She reduces activity during early stages and tires easily.
- Her behavior changes, including an increase in displays of territorial aggression.
- She wants space away from people including members of the family.
- Her appetite decreases - this will only occur in the beginning stages of the pregnancy.
- She experiences a noticeable increase in appetite as the pregnancy progresses.
- Her nipples grow larger (one of the more obvious indicators).
If you observe some or all of these indicators, there will be no more doubt of why her belly is large!
Prepare your home to accommodate your pregnant pooch.
- When your pooch starts nesting (trying to dig and prepare a place to have her litter), you can be sure that the pups are on the way!
- To save your furniture (if you decide to bring her inside for delivery), you may want to help your dog prepare a place to have the litter.
- Grab a few old blankets that you do not use and place them on top of padding. Your dog will seek out things that she needs or wants when she has her pups.
How to be sure way to tell if your dog is pregnant: Ultrasound.
The only way to determine if your pooch is pregnant (if you cannot tell by the signs alone) is to take her to the veterinarian. The best way to detect whether or not your pooch is carrying a litter is by using an ultrasound. It can be used to detect pregnancy earlier than other methods by picking up on additional heartbeats.
*Ultrasounds cannot tell you how many pups are in the litter.
How to tell how many puppies are in the litter: X-rays.
Although many veterinarians can simply feel the abdomen and determine whether or not there are pups, if you want to find out how many puppies there will be, then your vet can perform an x-ray.
*X-rays can only be used in the later stages of pregnancy.
Understand what else may be causing your pet's behavior changes, if not pregnancy.
A loss in appetite can be a sign of:
- Separation anxiety
- Depression
- Fear
- Loneliness
- Sadness
- Poor food quality
- Injury
- Age
- Exhaustion
- Need for exercise
- Sickness
- Lack of attention
Decreased activity levels can indicate:
- Health problems
- Lack of exercise
- Confinement to indoors
- Injury
- Sickness
- Poor diet
- Yearning for attention
- Fear
- Laziness
- Weight
If you do not desire any little puppies or if your pooch has pregnancy troubles, then it is a good idea to get her spayed. Pet overpopulation is a problem across the United States. An uncountable number of pets go homeless or are placed in animal shelters each year. Take responsibility, and decide what is best for your dog and your grand-dogs!
Keeping your pet indoors is a way to monitor and control pregnancy. However, if your pet is not spayed and spends most of her time outdoors, then you may not be aware of her heat cycles. Before you know it, your pet is not eating much and just lying around. A loss in appetite and a decrease in activity levels are just two early signs of a pregnant pooch. Further into the pregnancy, her appetite will increase and her abdomen and nipples will swell. Soon, your pet will be digging out a place to have her pups. To confirm that your dog is pregnant, you should take her to a veterinarian. You will have a few grand-dogs in no time!