My dog lost her plug at 6 weeks. Is she pregnant? What should I do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is a possibility but dogs can also have fake pregnancies- all the signs of a pregnancy but with no fetuses. I recommend taking her to a vet for an exam. They can take an X-ray 45 days after mating or look sooner with an ultrasound. Good luck and kisses to Luna!

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Normal pregnancy length in dogs is 60-63 days. If she mated right before adoption then she could be pregnant. Puppy heart beats can be detected on ultrasound at 28 days gestation and we can see their skeletons on X-rays around 50 days. She could be pregnant or she could be suffering from a false pregnancy which occurs after they have a heat cycle from a hormonal imbalance. This imbalance causes the body to think it is pregnant when it actually isn't. The dog can develop mammary glands, produce milk, nest, carry stuffed animals around like babies, act anxious. It resolves with in 2-3 months. I would make an appointment with your Vet to see if you can confirm or deny pregnancy. I wish you the best!

Great question and congrats on Sasha's pregnancy! I would have her seen by vet in another 15 days for an x-rays. That will tell you how many puppies she is carrying so when she is whelping, you can count them and it will help you identify if there is a problem much sooner. I would also speak with your vet about complications to look out for during labor, and I would start setting aside some money just in case she needs an emergency c-section. It's best to be prepared financially so you aren't in a terrible situation if she does need one. You can feed her a puppy formulated food, but that needs to be stopped 10-14 days before she is due. At that point, put her back on an adult dog food. Once she has whelped her puppies, put her back on the puppy formulated food. She will need the extra calories, calcium, and protein a puppy food provides to support nursing her puppies. Make sure she is up to date on her flea treatment and deworming treatments. Revolution spot on is safe to give to pregnant dogs. If she is due for vaccines, discuss with your vet if they feel it's safe to give her a killed vaccine. I hope this helps and her pregnancy and whelping goes well!

Hello, It's possible that Belea is pregnant, but I also worry that she could have an infected uterus (pyometra) that could also cause her to have a decreased appetite. Pyometra is a surgical emergency and requires very different care than a normal pregnancy. I'd recommend taking her to her veterinarian. They can confirm a pregnancy or uterine problem with imaging. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

There is always a possibility of any female dog who is not spayed for pregnancy. I recommend to have your pup examined by the veterinarian. She looks small and so it would be recommended to take a radiograph to see if puppies are present or not. Small breed dogs are more prone to problems giving birth so it is important to know how many puppies to expect. She likely is not caught up on vaccines or anything either if you have not had her examined yet so you need to discuss the preventive care that she needs to keep her and the puppies healthy if she is pregnant. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It is quite possible she is in pup - males can be fertile for 4-6weeks after castration so if they were not separated, or other males would have had access to her when she was in heat she may well be in pregnant. I recommend you schedule an ultrasound exam with your vet to confirm pregnancy and guide appropriate management. You will need to arrange a separate area for her and pups away from other dogs for at least 6weeks if she is rearing pups

She may be very near whelping. You should make sure she has a whelping box where she can nest. Here is a good Petcoach article on whelping: https://www.petcoach.co/article/whelping-giving-birth-in-dogs/ Observe her, but do not hover....