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Dog Pregnancy Symptoms.Pregnant dogs go through a certain stage. Surely, there would some signs that would tell you. The first, and the most common sign, would be changes in your pet's appetite. It is quite natural for a pregnant dog not to touch its food during the first few days of pregnancy. Like humans, dogs undergo morning sickness too. Don't worry though. Most dogs make up for their lost meals a few weeks into the pregnancy. If after the dog heat period your dog still refuses to eat, there are high chances that it had mated.
Pregnant dogs are lazy too. Lethargy is quite a common thing for some dog breeds when they are pregnant. A dog that is active before but had suddenly lowered its desire to run and play around is likely to be pregnant. This symptom would normally follow the mating period, when the dog continues to be lazy when it should be back to its old self. Pregnant dogs tend to experience exhaustion as a direct result of hormonal changes. These changes are caused by embryo production.
There would be a lot of physical changes in your dog too. Your dog's nipple will begin to grow. Most of the changes that humans go through during pregnancy can be observed in dogs. Pregnant dogs would have plumper nipples in preparation for milk production.
There would be changes in the dog's behavior too. Pregnant dogs can be on the extremes - they can either be very affectionate or want to be left alone. It is possible for your dog's attitude to change for worse. All these are caused by pregnancy so be very patient. This is just a phase that your pet goes through. Try to know and understand what it is that makes your pet feel that way.
A few weeks in the pregnancy, your pet would have a flair for eating. This is when it gains back everything it has lost during the first few days. However, the extra weight will be seen in the abdominal area. Try to feel the belly of your pet. You should feel small bumps in there. This means that the puppies are starting to form. A dog's abdomen is normally soft. But when it is pregnant, it will be firmer.
The increase in your pet's abdomen would be more noticeable a little later on. After several weeks, you'd feel movements in the belly. The experience is going to be similar to babies forming and moving inside a mother's womb. The puppies are moving as they prepare to get out of the womb.
At a certain point, there would be milk discharges in the female dog. A few days prior to the delivery, milk would start to come out of your dog's nipple. This is a sign that the dog would soon give birth. Your pet would become very restless. It would now pick a spot where it would give birth and stay there often. You should make your dog comfortable by giving it warm blankets or some newspapers. This will help keep the pups warm after coming out.
During pregnancy, the dog would also go through some drops in its temperature too. The body heat of pregnant dogs may reach up to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. This is also the indication that it is going to deliver its puppies real soon. |
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