A few ways to help you know if she's pregnant.....

Detection of pregnancy in the bitch can at times be frustrating and at other times quite simple.  In some cases a non pregnant bitch experiences the same levels of progesterone as the one that is pregnant.  There are times when you think your bitch may be pregnant, when in fact she’s just going thru these hormone changes and really isn’t pregnant.  These are known as, “false” or “ghost” pregnancies.  Knowing as early as possible helps in management (feeding, etc), but if you’re like me, you are so anxious to know if your expecting that you want to know as soon as you can.  There are actually only two positive signs of pregnancy, along with many secondary or supportive signs. 

Positive Signs of Pregnancy
          The positive signs of pregnancy are palpation of the abdomen, and the movement of fetuses, which can usually be detected during the final ten to fourteen days before whelping.  Your vet has to wait until day 26-35 of pregnancy to palpate the abdomen. If you want to try this yourself, lay your dog on her side.  Slide one palm beneath her and your other palm over her other side, just below her ribs.  Gently squeeze your palms together and feel for small, hard, golfball like balls, these are the puppies.  With practice, you will be able to count the puppies.   X-rays are also a reliable and safe way to determine pregnancy.  These are usually done the 8th week post breeding.  X-rays are not only helpful in determining how many pups to expect, but will also show if the birth canal is large enough to pass all the puppies.  The secondary positive sign of pregnancy, fetal movement, can be detected during the last ten to fourteen days of pregnancy.  When your bitch is resting, you can rest your hand on her belly and patiently wait for movement.  Close to whelping you can actually see the puppies moving around in the belly.  Detection of puppy heartbeats with a stethoscope may be possible as early as six weeks but requires patience and some skill.  I usually wait until six weeks post-breeding to check for heartbeats.  Sometimes it’s difficult to hear the little heartbeats, but when you hear them, they sound like a soft, fast ticking…like, tic, tic, tic, tick, tic.  Some breeders can tell the sex of the puppies by how fast the little hearts beat.  They say Males tic faster than the females.  I once detected twins, (two puppies in the same placenta), by the heartbeats.
Secondary Signs of Pregnancy
      These are some secondary signs used to determine pregnancy.  Although they are only secondary, I have found them to be very reliable.  The following signs are in order from what signs you will usually see first. 
(1) Her vulva will stay slightly swollen after their heat ends.  Typically the vulva in a pregnant bitch will remain larger, more relaxed, and more elastic than one that isn’t pregnant
(2) Her teats/nipples will be more pronounced and hard
(3) You will notice a big change in her temperament. She may become a bit quieter, lazy or more loving
(4) Two weeks after breeding they may experience morning sickness. This can last a week or so.  It helps to give her saltine crackers in the morning and a few throughout the day
(5) The bitch may experience some changes in appetite.  She may not eat as much as she use to, or have an increase in appetite
(6) In the fourth or fifth week it would be normal to see or feel some fullness in her abdomen.  In long-haired bitches you will see the hairs that cover the flank fold stick slightly outward instead of downward.  After six weeks, enlargement of the abdomen is steady and progressive and of course will vary with the size of the litter.  The most growth seems to occur between six to eight weeks post-breeding
(7) A clear discharge of mucus will almost always be seen with pregnancy, and seems to be quite a reliable sign.  Discharge is first noticed about four to five weeks after breeding.  This discharge has the consistency of thick Vaseline and is odorless.
If you notice a discharge that is green or bloody and fowl smelling seek a vet
(8) During late pregnancy, the typical bitch will need to urinate more frequently than normal

 

PREPARATIONS FOR WHELPING

Puppy gestation is 63 days.  Although this doesn’t seem like very much time, if this was a planned pregnancy, you should have plenty of time to prepare for the big event. 

The Whelping Box
Some breeders like to wait until the bitch is about 6 weeks pregnant to introduce the whelping box.  I prefer to introduce the box once I’m positive she’s pregnant.  The whelping or nesting box is used as a safe, clean area for the mother to whelp her puppies.  There are many different styles of whelping boxes to choose from.  Large and giant breeds generally need a whelping box with rails to prevent the mother from accidentally smothering her puppies.  I breed smaller dogs, (Maltese), so I’ve found the best whelping box for smaller dogs is an airline travel crate, with the top removed and the bottom is the whelping box.  Children’s plastic swimming pools make great whelping boxes.   

Place old baby blankets or clean towels inside the whelping box for the mom to nest.  Do not use blankets containing foam which the bitch may tear.  These little foam fragments are very dangerous if swallowed.  You can allow the mother to whelp on the blankets and towels if you like, however there is a change puppies may get lost or tangled.  There are absorbent whelping pads you can purchase that work great in the whelping box.    

As I said earlier, I introduce the whelping area once I’ve confirmed pregnancy, and just leave the whelping box available for her when she’s ready to start nesting.  I believe introducing the whelping box as soon as possible helps eliminate the possibility of puppies born on your bed, sofa or carpet.  Although, if your bitch refuses to use the whelping box you’ve provided, you can confine her to a room where no other comfortable area is available.  Bathrooms or laundry rooms with hard floors work well. 
 

Whelping Supplies

Keep all the suggested whelping supplies in a handy, organized place. I store my whelping items in a large tackle box. With the top that folds up, it helps me stay organized. Make sure you have LOTS and LOTS of clean towels ready for the big day/ You'll be surprised how many of them you will use.

Whelping Forms

Have all your whelping and breeding forms copied and ready. It's a good idea to keep the forms and documents on a clipboard during whelping. This helps keep them all nice and organized.

Have all Veterinarian and emergency numbers handy.