How do I know if my lactating dog is pregnant? What are the signs?

Hi, if she was pregnant and lactating it should be quite obvious by now because it would be the second half of her pregnancy. Unless she is just expecting 1-2 puppies then her abdomen would not be much different, however it is unusual to have 1-2 puppies only. Lactation could also occur with phantom pregnancy. In order for you to be sure, best to have her checked over, if she has puppies, your vet might be able to check them with the ultrasound and see if they have any major abnormalities. Hope this helps.

Two months following her Heat cycle is the exact time you would see these symptoms as that coincides with the timing she would be close to giving birth if she were pregnant. Normal pregnancy lasts 9 weeks or 63 days. If you are sure she is not pregnant, than she is likely having a false pregnancy and the symptoms can last for a few weeks.

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.

This is a possibility, there is no way to know at the moment, if you start seeing some pregnancy sign in about a month from now (enlarged nipples, weight gain, increase appetite),- take her to the vet in order to do an ultrasound, this will confirm or rule out pregnancy.

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.

It is quite possible she is in pup - males can be fertile for 4-6weeks after castration so if they were not separated, or other males would have had access to her when she was in heat she may well be in pregnant. I recommend you schedule an ultrasound exam with your vet to confirm pregnancy and guide appropriate management. You will need to arrange a separate area for her and pups away from other dogs for at least 6weeks if she is rearing pups

It could be possible that Cheeky is pregnant if she mated with your male dog when she was in heat, but without seeing her in person, there's no way I can say for certain. I would take her into a vet today who can do x-rays to confirm if she is pregnant or not. Best of luck, I hope this helps.