I have a maiden Rott. bitch that is two weeks along IF she is bred. After 17 days from the first sign of blood, she finally let the stud mate but both times were slip matings. From the beginning of her season it has been just over a month. Her vulva is still swollen, although not like it was when she was in standing heat. About a week ago I thought we had missed her standing heat because she would lay on the floor and lick herself as if she were really enjoying it! I took her back to the stud and neither of them were anxious to do anything so I never took her back. Well, she is still licking herself in the same manner she was. This is something she has never done in past heat cycles. Is this something that could possibly be a sign of pregnancy? Anyone have a dog that did this? Any advice or comments would be great! Thank you!

I would be more inclined to think it might be a sign of infection, if it was later on in the cycle. I have had bitches occasionaly that seemed to not go out of season until quite late, having the season last longer. As it is only 4 weeks since she came in season. Some people say that if the bitch draws out their season that the mating was unsuccessful, and the bitch isn't in whelp, keep us posted with whether sheis out of interest.

From your terminology I assume you are in USA, as her we would say a biutch was mated, and possibly in whelp. Bred for us would mean that a bitch had ben bred from or bred by it's breeder, but I know that in US they refer a bitch having been mated as being bred. :D

Yes, I am from the US! I guess I didn't realize that your terms were different! :) I was thinking infection too. I haven't seen any signs of infection, no discharge, no odor. I will definately take her to the vet if things keep going like they have been, better safe than sorry! Thank you so much for the infomation and I will keep you posted on how things progress! Lisa

At 3 wks I would be looking for a faint blush over abdomen and signs of nipples "pinking up" As for late mating, I had a litter from abitch mated on day 27. The bitches usually know when theyre ready and my own experienced stud dog, has no interest in a bitch until shes ovulating, no matter what the books say. Good Luck!

Not sure if this helps any, but my dog has cleaned herself every time she's been in heat. Which makes it easier on me:) When we did breed her, in her 3rd heat, she and the male where more than ready, then on the 16th day they just played and didn'tseem interested anymore. She's kind of a little clean freak anyway though.:)

If your bitch wasnt in whelp, I would have expected the vulva to have started to go back to normal size by now. Should have sasid this on post yesterday, but I was slightly the worse for half bottle of vodka by that time! Sounds like she may well be in whelp.

Here it is just under two wks. until the expected arrival of puppies! I had given up on my dog and figured that she wasn't pregnant until a friend who had been keeping her while we were on vacation pointed out that she could feel *rolling* when she was laying flat and totally relaxed. This was a couple wks ago and even though when I brought her home I felt the same thing, I still doubted it and blamed it on her having gas. I took her to the vet the other day, she couldn't feel puppies (very common in such a big, thick dog she said) her mammory glands were enlarging and her belly was descending. The vets guess would be she was pregnant! YIPEE!! So, I came home and still doubted the fact she was bred! I have been feeling her belly when she is laying down flat and completely relaxed, the *rolling* is much more prominate and you can see the *rolling* on the outside of her belly! It is the neatest thing to watch! So, even though I should be expecting pups here in the very near future, I still have a hint of doubt!! I keep asking myself, could it be her belly rolling in there? The vet told me that there were no organs that *rolled* like puppies do, but yet I still doubt ever so slightly!! What are your thoughts everyone? Prepare for puppies or still doubt???? The friend that was watching her came by and said the rolling was much stronger then before and my mom also felt it!! So, I know I wasn't making her stomach move with my imagination!! HAHA!!

Definitely prepare for puppies!!!

Once the tummy starts "bubbling like a pan of simmering porridge" there is no doubt about the diagnosis! So get your whelping box ready so that she's used to sleeping in it.

Keep us up to date with events - good luck! :)

I know I am driving myself insane but has anyone had an experience where they have felt rolling and could see her belly roll but no pups?? Boy, that sounds silly when I read it on here! I just don't want it to be her stomach or something, ya know??!!

Oh, one more thing, why is it that I can feel it really well on one side but I can't on the other? Possibly puppies in only the right horn?

Pups in only one horn is certainly a possibility, but they can move around quite a lot - are you feeling them when she's lying on her side or when she's standing up?

What breed is she?

I can feel them when she is laying down, totally flat. She is a Rott. the vet felt her while she was standing and couldn't feel anything. The vet also said organs don't *wave* across the body, they may come up and you can push them down so what I was feeling was most likely pups. I'm suppose to have a blood test ran on Monday which will run about $50 to verify the pregnancy. In one way I would like to have it done so I know for sure, in another, I can't see how this rolling along with all the other signs could be anything but pups! I really don't want to spend the extra money! I will have plenty to spend once the pups are here!

Another thing I noticed tonight, she has little white specks on the end of her teats that I don't remember ever seeing. I know my horses get these on their teats and bag a couple wks. before they foal. Is this also an indication of pregnancy with dogs?

Hi Lisa,
If you can feel them when she's lying flat, and she has 2 weeks to go, you wait a week and see how her belly moves then! Personally I would save my money for the pups. It sounds like a dead cert to me :)

Have you got people in the u.s that do ultrasound scanning because here in the uk we tend to have our bitches scaned at four weeks and it stops all that wondering, then again at 7 weeks and you can tell by the size of the puppies if your bitch is going to be able to self welp

Well, I had the blood test done. I think the vet felt sorry for me because she only charged me 25! The test came back negative!:( I'm still doubting the test a little because of the rolling that I am seeing and feeling! I believe it was on here that I read something about someone got the test done and a few weeks later the dog had pups! I also read on the internet today that in small litters you can have a false negative! So tomorrow I am off to have an x-ray done which I should have done all along. Would have saved me some money and a lot of headaches! I'll keep you posted. Like I said, what would explain the rolling??? Very frustrating!

Hi Lisa,
at 28 days i had my girl scanned at our vet , the vet said she couldnt see anything however wouldnt ruule out pups so booked me in for another 1week later (nice of her!). well we eagerly awaited this one because surely this would show something, scanned and.. nothing :-(
she must have missed,we had a 400 ml round trip to the stud dog which we did twice and mother nature stuck her oar in!
A week later we returned to the vet because she was acting like she was in whelp, this time the vet did it the old fasioned way ant could feel something,she appears in whelp. so dont trust the blood tests/scans etc she may be keeping her secret!
Now were on day 63 from first mating and 62 from second, her last night she couldnt settle and wandered aroud panting, i had a very long night checking her but nothing, today her temp is 99.3 so fingers crossed. there are lots of bumps and wiggling going on in there some so hard it makes her jump, she isnt eating and doesnt want to go much further than a quick wee on the field then home. another long night ahead, but this time i hope were busy!
dogman

Good luck, dogman - let us know what happens. :)

A quiet night.. again. temp is still 99 , she is wandering again but no signs of digging etc. ate a little last night but nothing today. lots of wiggles again.
john

I will keep my fingers crossed for you Dogman!! Yesterday morning I went and had an x-ray done. She would be 51 days. The x-ray showed no pups :( I guess that with two negatives I should really believe that she is NOT in whelp! It still baffles me why two vets said she felt *full* and one said she had mammory gland development. This could mean a possible phantom but again I ask......what in the world is the rolling I am feeling and the waves I can SEE going across her skin??!! I just don't get it! I can't feel this rolling on my spayed female!! Oh well, maybe she just wasn't meant to have pups!

Dont give up yet! Ive had pups missed on an x-ray cos the bitch was carrying them right up under her ribs, and there were only two, so they were tucked away. I was sure she was in whelp when she lay down and relaxed but thought I was just going mad! Ten days later it was panic stations all round when one popped out!
Dont get your hopes up, but keep that whelping bed handy!

What a night ive had!!!Indi satarted having her first at 715pm and her last one 450am the ELEVENTH!! 6 boys and 5 girls all vet checked inc mum and all as fit as a fiddle. Not bad from a girl who the vet says wasnt pregnenat, and eventually when they thought she might be the said it wasnt a very big litter ,just a couple. eee technology..:-) a big smile today.

WOW - well done, hope that mum and babes are still well. It is great to see them isn't, we have a litter just nine days old and they are just beautiful, I can't stop just looking at them. This bitch had a first litter on her third season when she was about 20 months old, we then left her for two clear seasons and began again to try and get her in whelp. We used two different dogs (from the same line as her father) and missed three times in total. She had been health checked - heart, eyes etc and swabbed for possible infections - ALL CLEAR. In desperation because she is now 5 we decided to try a complete outcross and the result after three good matings (two with long ties) was our five beautiful babes.

Once again well done, give your girl a big hug.

Alice

Hi all, we have slime in the back end! What does this mean? How much longer??! The rolling is getting more obvious! What are the odds that two test came back negative? I just know she's in whelp and knew it all along! I'm so excited! I will keep you posted, one and a half weeks to go!

What does this slime look like - if it is black and at all smelly, you need a vet at once, she could have a dead pup or pups and if there are any live ones they need to come out asap. I have a bitch who never really looked as if she was in whelp but behaved as if she was. On day 60 (Cavaliers are almost always early) I was worried and went to the vet, he agreed to scan her and declared just one puppy, refused a section on the grounds that it was still only day 60. We went home and the following morning she produced horrible black slime - back to vet who this time agreed to section her - result one very badly decomposed puppy and one barely alive which died very soon after. She later whelped again, with a section and produced two top quality puppies. Incidentally I do think that the first time the bloodlines hadn't jelled either. Don't mean to be despondant but please have your girl checked.

Alice

If the "slime" is clear and jelly like, then that is normal for a pregnant bitches in the last couple of weeks of pregnancy. If there is colour in it - greeny or browny or red then have a check up. If not dont worry, its normal.

Hi all, no puppies yet, we're at 68 days! I was losing hope and thinking there were no pups but as I was feeling her belly today I looked at her back-end and there was a big string of clear, thickish slime!! YIPPEE!!! Do dogs have that if they are not in whelp?? How much longer do you think she will go? Pups (or gas!) are still rolling in there....About three days ago she rearranged her whelping box, when she would lay down in the living room, she would scratch the floor and then lay down. Now the last couple days she has been just laying in her whelping bed, hasn't dug around in it at all. She still has a very good appetite but she is a PIG and I wouldn't doubt it a bit if she eats right till she has them! I did take her temp. three mornings in a row, it was around 100...that was with a digital thermometor, don't they read low? Guess I'll have to wait till she has them, maybe tonight!! Oh, for a maiden bitch is it normal they don't get milk until they go into labor? She still doesn't have milk yet.

Hi everyone, if I thought that my bitch was in whelp and that she was 68 days in ie 5 days overdue, I would be most certainly contacting your vet to see just what is going on, they can drop milk 1 week before or remain perfectly dry until the first pups start suckling to stimulate milk flow, and yes their temp drops a few hours before giving birth I am sure other people on this board will add their comments as well

Regards
Janines Gsds

If she hits 70 days I will take her in. In small litters, they can go 70 days, especially since they may have actually conceived beyond the actual breeding date. Isn't that correct?

Hi did this dog ever have puppies ?? If not any cause for the "rolling" ? Just interested

Good morning! I decided to take her to the vet yesterday and have her checked. Four days ago she started leaking colostrum! Anyway, had another x-ray done, no pups!!:( She had a false pregnancy, we won't breed her again. As far as the rolling, the liver and spleen can move up and down because of the organs underneath pushing them up. He thought this was very drastic but wasn't concerned about it. Wonder why she has that and my spayed female doesn't? She was trying to make my life misreable for two months! HA! Anyway, congrats to all of you that have had pups lately! I'm thinking about getting a female pup that I can show and possibly breed. I'll keep an eye on this site, thank you all for your concerns and advice!