Should a 5-week pregnant Jack Russell show noticeable weight gain?

She technically is just now going into her 2nd trimester, so the puppies are still quite small at this stage. That is likely why she sort of feels heavy for now. I would recommend actually weighing her to get an accurate assessment of her weight gain during this time. Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Take care. : )

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dogs are pregnant for on average 63 days from the breeding date. So if she is currently 7 weeks or 49 days, you have anywhere from 10-14 days. In 9 days starting taking her temperature rectally the same time each day. They usually go in to stage 1 labor with in 24 hours of a temperature drop below 99F. But some don’t follow the rules. Stage 1 labor consists of nesting, pacing and panting. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The only way to confirm pregnancy at 30 days is do have an ultrasound performed to check for placentas and fetal heart beats. Otherwise an X-ray can be done around day 50 to see skeletons. I wish you the best!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! You will notice belly enlargement around 5-6 weeks of pregnancy. The size of the abdomen depends on the size of the litter. At 30 days the puppies are only about 1 in long. https://www.royalcanin.co.uk/discover/dog-pregnancy-week-by-week/ Have a good day!

Hello, I do see that her nipples and mammary glands are more developed in some of her pictures. Pregnancy in canines can range between 55-65 days and development of mammary glands is most noticeable towards the end of pregnancy. Based on what I’m seeing there is a chance she could be pregnant, however you’d be able to confirm this with an X-ray or an ultrasound. I would recommend having her evaluated by your veterinarian when possible to confirm she is pregnant and ensure she is in good health to undergo a pregnancy. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Since it has been at least one month both since the breeding, your veterinarian should be able to confirm pregnancy via bloodwork, palpation or abdominal xrays or ultrasound. It may be a bit early to put a number to the litter yet. You may need to wait another couple weeks before the pups can be clearly discernable on x-ray. Other causes for Lina's lack of weight gain can be diagnosed after an exam. She should be eating a good quality puppy food from now, if she is pregnant, until she weans the litter.

It can be difficult to tell if young mothers are indeed pregnant as small litters can cause minimal stretch, especially up to the final week. An ultrasound exam would be recommended in order to determine if she is indeed pregnant (false pregnancy can also lead to milk production)