Could my 12 year old female be pregnant?

Our question this week was:

My 12-year-old female was accidentally mated 63 days ago. I cannot tell by looking if she is pregnant. (She has had 4 other litters). She has brownish milk when I squeeze her breasts and she has not eaten today. I am VERY worried about her and was wondering how long a dog can be pregnant? Also, is it possible for pups to die while still inside?

Leslie Maynard

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. Your email indicated that your 12-year-old dog was mated 63 days ago and is having discharge from her breasts and has not eaten. Your question is…could she be pregnant and is it possible for the puppies to die inside of her?

The answers are yes and yes. She is older but it is possible that she is pregnant. Since she is not acting normal, I'd recommend that you take her to your veterinarian for evaluation. They will probably examine her and may want to do an x-ray of her abdomen to determine if there are puppies.

She may also have a condition called "Pseudocyeisis" or False Pregnancy, Mastitis or pyometra.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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