My dog has an unplanned pregnancy – what should I do?

Our question this week was:

Our question this week was: I have a 10-month-old female pug. Unfortunately she got pregnant by our male pug. I am fairly certain this is her second heat and she is a healthy dog (she’s only ever been fed Science diet and up to date on her shots) and a good size. I first saw them “hook-up” on November 4th but her belly is already sort of large, tight and her nipples are perking up also. Is it too early for this? Is it possible she got pregnant before I realized she was in heat, there for further along than what I realize? Should I take her to the vet? Thank you!

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You wrote that your male pug bred your female pug approximately 10 days ago. You also said that you think she may be showing signs of pregnancy. Normal gestation in a dog is 63 to 65 days. I think it is too early to be showing signs of pregnancy for a breeding that occurred 10 days ago.

The first question – IF she is pregnant – do you want the puppies? If not – I’d recommend that you take her to your vet and have her spayed as soon as possible. If you decide to keep the puppies I recommend you have her examined by your veterinarian and have them eventually ultrasound her to determine for sure if she is pregnant or not.

A couple articles that might be helpful to you are Pregnancy in Dogs and Normal Labor and Delivery in the Dog.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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