How can I tell if my dog is pregnant after multiple breeding attempts?

Unfortunately there's no way to tell for sure at home. I would certainly say that Zaria appears to be either obese or pregnant, and given that she has mammary gland enlargement as well as being overweight I'd bet on pregnancy, especially if she's been around an intact male. But the only way to tell for sure is to take her in to see her vet. Very rarely we can palpate (feel) puppies but the best tool is x-ray - an x-ray taken of her abdomen at this point would likely for sure reveal puppies if she's pregnant.

There are certain physical signs that a dog is pregnant, such as an enlarged belly, enlarged nipples, increased appetite, lethargy, firm abdomen, and nesting behavior among others. The best way to know if Gypsie is pregnant, however, is to have her seen by a vet. The vet can do a blood test, x-rays, and/or ultrasound to confirm if she is pregnant. Veterinary care during a dog's pregnancy is quite important, so she should see a vet as soon as possible. If she is far along enough in her pregnancy, the vet can use x-rays and/or ultrasound to tell you how many puppies she is carrying.

A check up at your local veterinarian could easily confirm the pregnancy. Depending on which stage of the pregnancy she is, different type of diagnostic techniques can be used (mainly radiographs vs ultrasound). The other way would be to wait and see her completing the pregnancy (about 60 days). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It does sound like from your description that Shiloh could be pregnant again. The best way to confirm this is to take her into the vet for an exam. If you have an idea of when she was mated, then the vet can run tests to get a closer approximation of how far along she is in the pregnancy. For example, a blood test looking for the hormone relaxin can be done starting at 22 days gestation. If she is further along in the pregnancy, then x-rays and an ultrasound can be done. Given her age, I would start saving now for the chance she may need a c-section. That's because older dogs can have more difficulties giving birth due to age, and it's best to be prepared for that now both financially and emotionally. I would also recommend getting her spayed after this litter. It's never recommended to breed dogs older than 6-7 years of age, and spaying her would prevent future litters from happening, as well as eliminating the possibility of a pyometra (a life threatening infection of the uterus). I would take Shiloh into the vet tomorrow for an exam :-)

Unfortunately you can't tell if this is a real pregnancy or a false pregnancy without an ultrasound at this stage. At 22 days, the fetal heart beats can be detected on an ultrasound. At 45 days, the fetal skeletons can be seen on an x-ray. Depending on the size of the mother and the amount of puppies, the fetuses may be palpated in the final weeks of pregnancy. Here are a couple links with additional information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/false-pregnancy-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/pregnancy-diagnosis-caring-for-the-pregnant-dog/ I strongly recommend to have your dog spayed. Otherwise she will have up to two litters of puppies a year. Not only is this a lot of strain on her body, but it contributes to pet over population. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is a possibility but dogs can also have fake pregnancies- all the signs of a pregnancy but with no fetuses. I recommend taking her to a vet for an exam. They can take an X-ray 45 days after mating or look sooner with an ultrasound. Good luck and kisses to Luna!

She certainly looks like she may be. If its has been at least 45 days since the day she likely hooked up with a male dog, then you can certainly confirm this with an x-ray from your vet. Here is a website link also with more information on pregnant dog care in case Nova is confirmed to be pregnant. --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951916 Best of luck moving forward with Nova. : ) Take care.