Is my Dog Pregnant?

[dicklett]

Hi, i have a 2 year old bitch, and the past week or so shes been acting weird. Saturday and Sunday last week she was sick on both mornings but i put this down to eating grass as it had bits of grass in it. However shes been really subdued since. She was in heat (not the magazine) about 2 weeks ago and she has since had a trip to my parents who has a male dog and im thinking theyve been enjoying each others company a bit too much? However now shes not eating her food, she noramlly scoffs it down but she leaves it and cmes back to it later making it last all day, shes hiding a lot too. Shes been digging in the garden and sleeping in the pit shes made, she hides under the couch rather than sleeping on it like she normally does, she even squeezes into a gap next to the unit and sleeps in there. Shes licking her bits a lot too?? yuk! Someone said to see if her nipples have grown, and im not sure if they have or not as its not something i pay much attention to. Ive rang the vets and they said leave it a week or so, ive heard of phantom pregnancies too do they do these kind of things when they have a phantom pregnancy ? Cany anyone offer any advice ? She dosnt seem to be in pain and shes not whining or anything and shes not been sick since either, but i dont want to go the vets just to say oh its a phantom pregnancy ?? anyone had the same thing ?

[lankeela]

If she was only on heat two weeks ago it is unlikely she would know herself if she was pregnant, let alone you or the vet.

Signs such as enlarged nipples, broadening waistline etc. don't usually start to show until at least three or four weeks in. Neither would a phantom pregnancy usually be noticed so early, usually at the same time as she would have her babies if she were pregnant.

Word of advice - if you have a female dog on heat, do not let her play with a male dog who is entire.

I suggest taking her to the vet, just to check she has not got an infection.

[lankeela]

By the way, bitches don't suffer from morning sickness in thats what you were thinking.

[dicklett]

Thanks for your advice, shes seems to have perked up now i think i was looking for things that werent really there. But i will continue to keep my eye on her she is booked in for the vets anyway next week just for a check up to make sure she is ok, and i think we may look at getting her bits fixed aswell altho i was quite excited at the fact of having baby Ruby's running round the place.

[lankeela]

Get her spayed, if you think its 'yuk' to see her licking her bits, then you really don't want to see her giving birth and eating the afterbirths, all the discharge and then chewing the umbilical cords. Plus all the cleaning up of puppy rear ends and messy faces and eating their poos until they are weaned.