Is she 43 days Pregnant? - Page 1

I don't know if this is posting to the right forum, so if it's not please excuse me. Let me start by explaining. My baby girl is just that, my baby girl. She is 3 years old, spoiled and an unknown breed that I got when she was presumed to be 7 weeks old after being thrown away over a ladies fence that couldn't keep her. Now, I began taking the steps to get her fixed because I was also fostering a male dog whom was unfixed, this was a big problem as I was scared an accident might happen.

To prevent an unwanted pregnancy they were always separated when I was gone and only allowed together if I was there and with them. Well, one unlucky day they were both loose in the living room with me, I got up to get a cup of coffee literally around the corner from them...and that's all it took. They tied.

She's never been spayed as I never planned on mating her and didn't plan on her ever being around any males while in heat (she's an inside dog only allowed outside while on leash) so concern over her getting pregnant was zero. Luckily he has gone on to his forever family and I will not foster again until she's been spayed so I'm sure this will never happen again.

Here's my question, she's showing most of the pregnancy signs (increased nipples with darker coloring, slightly larger in the rib cage but that's hard to tell as she's always been a bit large in that area, more affectionate, sleeps more often, need more potty breaks) but I can't entirely tell she's pregnant by observation, meaning her stomach doesn't look that different. She's never had phantom pregnancies, but what's the likelihood she could be having one now? I can't take her to the vet as they completely freak her out to the point she has to be muzzled, so unless it's an emergency, we don't go and I don't want her to stress out if she is pregnant.

Thank you in advance!

As a side note, she's my first girl dog. I never knew they were in heat for so dang long! I literally thought they bled, when it started and ended that was the cycle...nope. And the information I know about pregnancy in dogs is because I have been reading everything possible since this happened, it scared the poo out of me because I've never been in the same room with mating dogs. Because I know this will be mentioned, I would never consider aborting her liter regardless of the amount of dogs in the world, I don't believe in it whether human or animal. And that's my personal right.

You can almost guarantee that she is pregnant.  She has all of the signs:  Mixed breed, unplanned mating, neither sire nor dam are health tested, clueless owner.  That's a recipe for a successful pregnancy.  It is when you have spent thousands of dollars on health testing, training, trialing and stud fees along with years of research on reproduction, whelping and raising puppies properly that you need to worry.  

I hope you can appreciate my sarcasm... if a person that has been through the heartbreak of not getting a litter of pups that they have worked so hard for and spent so much money on can't laugh at the irony of this situation, they will surely break down and cry.

 

Make a trip to your local animal shelter preferably your animal control and THINK about what is going on and go spay your bitch.  Good luck  Nan

You have to assume she is pregnant and start preparing for puppies. The average pregnancy lasts around 63 days so you have time to get ready for the babies. You didn't say what size the parents are or if any of the breeds mixed in are known to have problems whelping. Your ignorance on having an intact female led to this so please educate yourself on what to do now. Your girls life and the life of her puppies may depend on it.

K9gsd78: I can understand your frustration, if I were a breeder and had spent thousands I think I would share in the heartache. But trust me, breeding was the furthest from my mind which is why she was never health tested, she's a mixed breed of unknown origin. I was told by the woman that found her in her yard she had taken her to the vet, got her shots, dewormed and tested and was told she was a cross between a mastiff and great dane. She looks nothing like it hence, unknown origin. I love her to pieces and never wanted to breed her, I only wanted her. Had I known that simply getting a cup of coffee that day would bring me here, I would have definitely skipped that cup. My hat's off to all the breeders in the world, I couldn't imagine doing this all the time. This was my first and will surely be my last...I'm going back to male dogs lol

Gsd39mr: like I stated, mating is not my thing. I never wanted her to breed but my ignorance on female dogs is what it is (or was since I've gotten accustomed to reading everything and anything relating to female dogs) and I know it's not uncommon to be unfamiliar, no one warns you to read up on the sex of an animal before you get it. I did take tons of precautions since she wasn't fixed and for 3 years I was very successful.

I'm not looking for any shoulders on this forum, because I know spaying and neutering is a big thing but understanding that those of us that make the choice to do neither doesn't make us horrible people. For me at least, it was an honest mistake no different then it would have been for a professional breeder that had an accidental mating. I took steps to prevent it, one day for a split second I blinked but I've corrected again so that it never happens again. Which includes no males in my home under any circumstances.

My point is, I feel horrible enough that my baby girl is in this situation (I literally cried rape when I saw it) and am more then stressed out as is without being brow beaten, especially since I'm doing the best I can in the moment I'm in.

I know that some of you may not mean it as harsh as I'm taking it, but with my emotions high and reading words instead of hearing them I can only assume they are being said with the same height of emotion I feel.

Relax. Nature took over and got her bred, she was a willing participant. So when time comes for the pups to be born, she will know what to do. Provide her with a nesting area close to where you sleep, (next to your bed) and put lots of ink-free news paper in for her to tear. (go to local news paper and ask for "roll ends", sometimes they give away or minimal charge, like ten bucks). Have LOTS of Terry cloth towels which you don't mind tossing after, and start finding homes for them now.

Joanro: thank you!! I'm trying so desperately to be calm but I feel like I'm spinning!

You need to be calm so that she doesn't sense your anxiety. Dogs have been reproducing for a jillion years. Make sure she gets enough exercise so she is fit, not vigorous at this point but get her out and walk her.
Good luck.

Have vanilla ice cream on hand.  Great way to give calcium during welping and helps with contractions.

Around day 55, take temp twice a day.  When you see it drop below 100, puppies will soon be on their way.

To give the puppies the best chance not to wind up in a shelter:

Wait until 8 weeks to leave litter.  This allows them to learn good lessons from mom and litter mates, like bitting hurts.

No matter how they got here, enjoy the puppies.  Expect lots of "eww, really?; "no, stop!"  Learn to laugh at the worst distruction, anything can be replaced (if it cannot, put it up very far away).

Be prepared for heart break, everything in life happens for a reason.

good luck.