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Is my dog pregnant? Eating, bloated, vomiting, and nipple discharge.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Beagle | Female | unspayed | 30 lbs

My 5-6 year old beagle may be pregnant again. She's eating more. She vomited a lot yesterday at about 10-11 am and she eats a lot more than she normally does. She's bloated and what didn't happen (that i was aware of) was that she has some clear fluid coming from her nipples when you squeeze them. Some nipples have more come out than others if they come out at all. In her last pregnancy she was only carrying two puppies. Any information you could offer me on this matter would be fantastic!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 7th, 2016

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 :-)
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    It does sound like it's possible that Shiloh could be pregnant, based on some of the signs you are describing. An enlarged belly along with increased appetite and some fluid leaking from her nipples could certainly be caused by pregnancy. The vomiting is a bit more concerning that something else may be going on - dogs don't really get "morning sickness" the same way that people do, and it's actually quite unusual to see nausea and vomiting in pregnant dogs. There are some other issues that could also cause abdominal enlargement and increased appetite in a dog this age, such as Cushing's disease or diabetes, so it's important to find out for sure what's going on.

    The best way to tell if she is pregnant, or if she has some other illness causing her symptoms, would be to take her to your vet for an exam. He/she can do x-rays or an ultrasound to check for puppies, and may also recommend blood work or other testing to help make a diagnosis depending on what is found.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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