My dog was in heat. Is she pregnant? Her nipples and vulva are swollen.

It could be that Lanzo is still in heat, as it would be too early for signs of pregnancy if she just had her first heat. Vulva and nipple swelling are also signs of heat, and it does take time for them to go down after a dog ends her heat. I would have her seen by a vet in three weeks for a blood test called relaxin. This is a hormone produced when a dog is pregnant. While it isn't advisable for a dog to get pregnant on her first heat, it does happen and as long as you work with your vet during her pregnancy, she can be ok.

Not necessarily. A vulva can stay enlarged and swollen for weeks after coming out of heat. Keep a close eye on her. You can have your vet check with an ultrasound at 30 days of pregnancy and with X-rays st 45 days to confirm pregnancy. I hope this helps.

It is not unusual for the vulva to remain swollen for a period of time after the "heat" cycle is over. In dogs, there are [4 stages of estrus](https://www.petcoach.co/article/anatomy-and-function-of-the-reproductive-system-in-dogs). The combination of proestrus and estrus, which is often referred to as "heat" by breeders, lasts approximately 21 days. "Heat" is followed by diestrus and anestrus. During proestrus, the vulva swells and has a bloody discharge. During estrus, the vulva softens and becomes pliable in preparation for mating. It can take several weeks following estrus for the vulva to shrink back down in size, but it will never go back to the size it was before the first heat cycle. The same is true of the mammary glands, which enlarge slightly in preparation for [pregnancy](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/pregnancy/).

tAs long as she didn't get bred or is going through a false pregnancy, most dogs will shrink down within 2-3 weeks or so months from the heat cycle. It should be noted they will never shrink back to the size they were prior to here heat cycle. Since her teats and vulva are still swollen, I recommend to have her examined to find out if something is wrong or if she is pregnant. I do recommend to spay Oakley unless she is planned to be a breeding dog. There are many health and behavioral benefits to the procedure. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Female dogs bleed in pre-estrus, which is the two or three weeks before the actual estrus or heat during which they can conceive. This will then actually last about two to three weeks and her vulva and nipples will remain swollen due to the increase in hormones. So, actually she is now in heat and can conceive, so you need to guard her, if you do not want puppies.

You'll need to wait about 1 more week before you will be able to check for pregnancy. Your veterinarian can do this via blood test, palpation or abdominal x-ray or ultrasound. The enlarged teats may be an early indication. A small amount of mucus-like or pink tinged discharge during pregnancy is normal.

Yes, it certainly is possible that Ruby is pregnant. The only way to know for sure is to have her seen by a vet. I would wait at least three weeks, then take her into a vet. At this point, the vet can do a blood test looking for the hormone relaxin which will be present if she is pregnant.