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My dog has big belly, large nipples. Is it pregnancy or false?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Female | unspayed | 7 years and 6 months old | 5 lbs

She’s been like this (look at picture) for more than 3 weeks. Her belly is kinda big, her nipples are large. Is this false pregnancy, or something different than pregnancy in general? Or does she look pregnant?

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 26th, 2019

She appears pregnant from the photos but there is no way for me to diagnose pregnancy via the internet. Dogs are pregnant for 62-65 days so if it’s been that long without her delivering I suggest you get her to a vet for an exam. I doubt this is false pregnancy. Here are some articles for you to read about the subject:

( https://mobile.petcoach.co/amp/article/false-pregnancy-in-dogs )

( https://mobile.petcoach.co/amp/article/pregnancy-diagnosis-caring-for-the-pregnant-dog )

3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Published on December 8th, 2017
It is sure suspicious for pregnancy. However, dogs can also go through a false pregnancy and can even produce milk. Canine pregnancy is between 63-65 days reliably. Can you think back to the night she may have escaped? Has she gained weight? I would start to prepare yourself for the possibility of puppies. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Christie Long, DVM
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Published on December 20th, 2016
She may be having a false pregnancy, or even more serious, a uterine infection. I would recommend a vet visit immediately to establish exaction what is wrong. Also, if she is pregnant, by this point she should have some mammary gland enlargement. Your vet should be able to palpate her abdomen to tell for sure if she is pregnant, or if this is a false pregnancy or infection.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Published on August 26th, 2018
Yes, it is possible for a female dog to get pregnant on her first heat cycle, however I do not recommend it since she may not be done growing yet and she may not be mature enough to take care of puppies in a couple months. Not all male dogs will be able to impregnate a female before they reach maturity.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 25th, 2017
The only way you are going to know for sure if she is pregnant is to take her to your vet for an exam and either an x-ray or ultrasound. The only other option is to wait until 63-65 days after breeding to see if she starts whelping. The liquid coming from the vulva is not unusual so it is not diagnostic for pregnancy.

For future reference it is not recommended to breed dogs before 18 months of age and with large breed dogs it is recommended to wait until 2 years of age. So, if she is not pregnant I would consider waiting to breed her until she is older. There will be less chance of complications.

Hope this helps. Best wishes.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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