My dog mated, now she's sick, lethargic, and won't eat. Pregnant?

It sounds like Princess is unwell. She could have a GI illness, may have eaten something rotten, a foreign body, or pancreatitis. I see that she is unspayed, and an infection of the uterus called a pyometra occurs in unspayed dogs and causes these symptoms. For now, I recommend monitoring her. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, and then feed her boiled white meat chicken and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. If she keeps that down, you can slowly add back in her normal diet. Monitor her closely for signs of a pyometra, such as more vomiting, her belly becoming swelling, extreme lethargy, and discharge from her vagina. You can also take her temperature to monitor for fever, which would be above 102.5F. If you see any of those signs I mentioned above, take her into a vet immediately. In addition, if the vomiting continues in the absence of food, she vomiting the bland diet, she develops diarrhea, she stops drinking water and start vomiting water, or she becomes very lethargic, take her into your vet right away.

With these symptoms I worry that your dog may have a pyometra instead of being pregnant. Pyometras typically develop around 3-6 weeks after they go into heat and present as bloody discharge, lethargy, abdominal swelling, etc. I would recommend that she is seen by a veterinarian who can perform an ultrasound to make sure she isn't suffering from an infection.

Poor girl! I would offer her a home cooked meal of plain boiled chicken and rice to see if this helps to entice her to eat. If she after a few days of being on vitamins and she still isn't acting right then I would contact your ve to do additional diagnostics. If your vet hasn't already I would ask them to do a fecal to check for intestinal parasites and blood work to make sure everything else looks ok. If she is close to the end of her pregnancy this could all be normal in preparation for labor. A lot of dogs will have a decrease in activity and appetite in the last 3-5 days of pregnancy. The normal gestation period is 62-63 days. I hope this helps!

I am very sorry to hear that Perlita is experiencing these problems, I am sure it is very unsettling for you both. There are a number of potential causes of such clinical signs, including dietary indiscretion, pancreatitis, parasite infestation, infection, and ingestion of a toxin or poison. It is unlikely related to pregnancy if she is still I. Heat. However, some dogs can feel he unwell while in heat. I would believe the most likely cause is something she has eaten that does not agree with her. Because you have only noticed these signs over the course of a few hours I would continue to monitor Perlita at home. Rest Her gastrointestinal tract by holding back food for a few hours. Then you can continue with a bland and easily digested food of the boiled chicken breast and white rice diet and provide plenty of fresh water. I also find that boiled, mashed skinless sweet potato is helpful for diarrhoea if it begins. If Perlita does not improve, has profuse vomiting or diarrhoea, you notice fresh blood, She seems lethargic, in pain or depressed I would advise a trip to the veterinarian. Here are some links to helpful resources for you if she developed diarrhoea as well. https://www.petcoach.co/article/most-common-causes-of-diarrhea-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-can-do-at-home-if-your-pet-has-diarrhea/ I hope that answer was helpful and more importantly that Perlita feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

I don’t think she is depressed. I think she is probably sick. I worry about a uterine infection called a pyometra. It is a pus filled uterus. It doesn’t happen often just after pregnancy, but it can. If this is her problem it is life threatening without surgery. I would encourage you to take her to your local humane society or city shelter as often they will provide low cost or even free spay and neuter. Here is another link with ideas to help you financially. http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ I hope she does not have a pyometra, but if she does it is really improving to get her spayed as soon as possible. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

I'm sorry to hear that Daisy has not been feeling well. The loss of appetite, increased drinking, lethargy, and licking of her vulva following mating (presumably during her heat cycle/ estrus) could be due to a number of causes: a urinary tract infection, pyometra (uterine infection), or pregnancy (although this is less likely to cause some of the signs you've noted). At this point, your best bet is to take Daisy to her vet for an exam, blood work, urinalysis, and possibly abdominal x-rays to try to get to the bottom of this situation so that appropriate treatment can be started. If she has a urinary tract infection, she will need antibiotics, whereas if she has a pyometra, she will need to be spayed immediately because this condition is life-threatening if not addressed urgently. I hope this helps and that all goes well for Daisy!

It sounds like something is effecting her stomach if she refuses to eat then vomit when she does. I would suspect bad inflammation in the orsophagus or stomach, or some sort of mass or ulcer causing irritation in the stomach. The best way to find out is to take her to the vet as she will need an ultrasound or xray to see the stomach.