Pregnancy ??? Early Signs?

Seaecho

Thank you for your reply. I know that there is so much that goes into the breeding. I think that is why it has taken me so long to finally attempt what I have been wanting to do for such a long time. Money is not an issue for me. I am not trying to make money here; my husband and I make plenty. Vet fees won't be an issue either. I know what I am getting into, and I hope all goes well if indeed she is pregnant. I know I stand to lose a lot if it doesn't go well and I don't mean money because money is never an issue with me. I know there is a ton of work involved and I look forward to every bit of it. I have already reviewed with my vet that I will bring her and puppies in after delivery. (again if she is pregnant) We discussed the removal of dew claws but stud owner is giving me second thoughts on the removal of those. Every step I take is with caution and the health and welfare of my dog and pups is first and foremost. Defensive of the accusations I am; only because I have put my heart into this and my intentions are true. Money is not an object and my dog is a part of the family and she gets the best of care and she always will and it offends me that one would imply otherwise without even getting the whole story.

 

Hi In your first post you stated that she was 4weeks since her last AI if this is the case it would now make her roughly 5weeks.
Your vet should have been able to palpate her abdomen and feel the spherical swellings only way they can not is if the dam is over weight and i mean very over weight or there is no whelps in there or she has excess fluid in the uterus which can result from a pregnancy gone wrong.

I am sorry i went overboard but i see it so many times people breeding thinking they know everything and that they have done everything to ensure there dam stays healthy soon find that they forgot something.

I do hope all goes well but if your vet could not palpate at 3-4weeks then you need to change your vet.

The reason most people have an sonogram done is because if they are not pregnantthey can be on the look out for signs of pyometra or any other uterine infection.

Hopefully is she is pregnant the vet had the sense to give her antibiotics safe to use in pregnant animals as some antibiotics can terinate the pregnancy or cause serious defects in the unborn whelps..

Good luck and hope all goes well..

Mike

 

I took her to the vet on the 14th of Jan and that was exactly 21 days after the first AI. Too soon to notice anything. She gave me a solution to put into the ears to clean them and another which were drops for the infection. She did not give her a shot because she didn't want to endanger any puppies if there are any. I would rather not change vets as this is the vet we have been using since she was 8 weeks old. I am taking her for a recheck on the 28th which will be 5 weeks since first AI. I did notice some changes in her this evening. Her nipples are pink and hard and her belly seems like she is loosing her waste. I don't want to jump the gun but I suspect something may be cooking. I will see what the vet tells me on Friday.
Thanks for the advice. If the doctor is still unable to offer any definitive conclusions or offer me a sono or blood test perhaps I will look into finding a vet with more options. I like our vet and the dogs like her too but we need access to modern technology...lol.

Thanks
LDG

 

The best thing about sonograms is that the vet will be able to check to make sure all is well and make sure she is not reabsorbing the litter and will show signs if any have been reabsorbed.
It will also show any abnormalities in the developing whelps and if there is more than one as if there is only 1-2 pups she will need a C-Section at the end of her pregnancy as her body will not be able to produce enough relaxin to start the labour and this will exhaust her and put her and the whelps at risk so a sonogram is a great thing to look into.

By week 6-8 when she has had a meal or has had some water when she is lay on her side if you place your hand on the lower part of her abdomen you should be able to feel the whelps moving and kicking this is not always possible especially in large bodied dams or deep bodied dams.

Some dams carry there litter high up in the ribs to protect them mine do it everytime and its only through a sonogram that i can get a number of how many are there but my vet can tell straight away when palpating her abdomen as he knows they hide in the rib cage area.

At 21days she should have been able to feel what is called a string of pearls as thats what the foetuses feel like at that stage...

But saying that even after the last AI if her body had just passed the eggs and they were ready for fertilisation it takes a further 48-72 hours to undergo that change.

Not long to wait now.

Mike

 

I am definetly going to find a vet that offers the sonogram. I think I will make some calls this afternoon. Hopefully I will be successful.
I just don't like the idea of switching her vet now but I need access to the technology so I will look into it.


Thanks

 

Let us know how it turns out, LDG! I agree with Jas in that you sound like you HAVE done your research and are breeding for the right reasons. You just sound like a worried first-time mom to me, who is checking all avenues for more information. As a huge information-grubber myself, I know exactly how that is.

Please try not to judge people by their responses to your first post. As others have said, too many times people have come here who are breeding for all the wrong reasons and endangering their dogs, and I think some people jumped to conclusions. Stick around and let us know how your bitch is doing!

 

I'd like to interject a bit of information here, just for information's sake, on the subject of false or phantom pregnancy, and why it's so difficult to determine pregnancy from outward appearances. And I hope I don't get too technical, because I sometimes tend to do that.

A bitches cycle is unlike most other mammals. In most mammals, the corpus luteum lyses after the completion of the fertile part of the cycle, allowing the animal to cycle again and reproduce. But in canines, the corpus luteum does not lyse, and continues to produce progesterone for about 80 days. Progesterone is the hormone that supports pregnancy. Because the corpus luteum is not lysed, and progesterone is being produced, a bitch's body reacts much like it's pregnant, rather it is or not. False pregnancy is a normal occurance in bitches, and can vary from not being noticable at all to mammary developement, milk production, and nesting behavior. Some bitches will adopt a toy or other object as a substitute baby at about the time she would have whelped. Again, this is normal, although it can be annoying. Medical intervention is not necessary unless the bitch develops an infection of some sort.

 

First of all. I was not attacking you. Just asking general questionas as to you should have known the signs to look for.

Yes I have been breeding for YEARS. No I don't "pump" out litters. I'm VERY reserved and very responsible....

I can tell if my bitch takes with in the firs two weeks....

You'll knotice her abdomen will loose its "normal" appeal. Some dogs will hold the litter high. Like Mike said...
Char held her's low. She was easy to tell.
As far as the mamorary glands go. Thats on an individual dog basis. SOme will begin to harden nipples and swell almost immediately, others wait until later in the pregnancy.

I swear by sonogram. Like Mike said, you can tell abnormaities right off the bat.

 

If a bitch has a severe phantom pregnancy as in produces alot of milk that it makes her uncomftable then a trip to the vets for an injection of Calistop will bring her out of a phantom pregnancy and her body will go back to normal within 1-2weeks i had to do this with one of my girls as she became very ill from having a phantom pregnancy so basically she does not need to get an infection before veterinary intervention is needed...

Pro - oestrus lasts on average 9days. ranges from 2-27days. THis is the stage she first comes into her cycle she is attractive to the ,ales but she will not allow them to mate.

Oestrus, Lasts average of 9days again range from 3-21days..This is the stage she is sexually receptive to the male and will accept the male ovualtion usually starts 2days after the onset of Oestrus.

Met-oestrus last on average 90 days this is in the unmated bitch during this stage she may show signs of phantom pregnancy.

Anoestrus varies the average being 75days this is the period of sexual inactivity, The duration of Anoestrus largely determins how often the bitch will come into season.


Even if you think she may not be pregnant always treat a dam as if she is just to be sure..

Mike

 

Of course if a bitch is uncomfortable due to symptoms of phantom pregnancy, a trip to the vet is advisable. She shouldn't have to suffer. But those instances are fairly uncommon. However, the symptoms will subside on their own without any medical intervention, and without any lasting physical problems.

Infection, be it mammary, vaginal, or uterine, on the other hand, necessitates a trip to the vet ASAP. Some of these will render the bitch sterile, and a uterine infection is life threatening.

 

Signs of pregnancy in dogs

I don't think I will be asking any questions on here. I saw where a lady asked for possible signs of pregnancy in her female, and the replies were rude and obnoxious. You all seem like know it alls. If you can't answer a question without ridicule; don't answer at all.

 

why would you drag up a post that is nearly a year old to comment on? Check through more recent posts to see what is going on :lol:
there is more help going on here than ridicule if you read through more current posts - don't focus, or judge everyone, but this one.
Happens on ALL pet boards when someone gets talking about breeding and asking tons of questions - it leads people to assume the person who bred their pet didn't do homework prior to the breeding. Wouldn't want your child having kids before they knew what was going to happen - why would someone want their pet to have kids before THEY understood what can happen.
Just judge the entire board by one post....