Verifying That a Dog Is Pregnant

You may have no clue that your pooch is pregnant at first. But a canine’s gestation period lasts for just around 62 days, so you'll find out soon enough. Some signals could tip you off at home; have your vet verify the pregnancy.

As early as 20 days after conception, your furry friend could start to have some expansion in her abdominal area. Somewhere around 25 to 30 days, you’ll notice her teats sticking out more than normal and pinker. After 30 days, she’ll start leaking a bit of thick mucus from her hind end. These subtle cues let you know something is going on in her belly.

Twenty-eight to 30 days after conception, your dog can have a blood test to fully verify the pregnancy. The blood test, which measures the hormone relaxin, isn’t always accurate. Sometimes a very small litter of one or two puppies can trigger a false negative, Animal Planet reports. By the time she’s 45 days along, your vet can do an X-ray to get pictures of her growing brood. Then you’ll know for sure it’s happening.