Hi my girl was matted nearly 3 weeks ago what are the earlest signs of pregnancy ? She is booked in for a scan in 2 weeks thanks

I have always checked my bitches on day 21 for first signs.  The nipples take on a totally different hue.

I always notice a change in behaviour first, long before there are physical signs. They may be more bad tempered with other dogs or more clingy with you etc.

Thanks she is certainly more loving and clingy , when do you notice the girl getting bigger to look at?

Usually about 6 weeks before you see any change in shape.

It depends on the breed, I'd say. With my Ridgebacks, you can generally see a slight thickening around the waistline from around 4 weeks if it's a normal size litter.

With my Bassets, a thickening of the flanks was usually apparent from around the 4th - 5th week.   Some of mine would be quieter from the off, taking more care of themselves when around the others, while others would be as nuts as ever until their increased girth stopped all that.   I usually also noticed the vulva hadn't gone back to the pre-mating look.    By 7 weeks, puppies can normally be seen moving around.

I didn't ever do scans, preferring to assume, from a good couple (or just one) of matings to a proven male, that I had a pregnancy, making arrangements for the whelping regardless.   I realise others do this, but with mine, going to the vet was usually stressful which I didn't want to put my pregnant bitches through (to say nothing of a car trip).  Also sick dogs visit vets!   That could be avoided by having somebody come to the home to scan (I'm told).   But I truly never saw the point.   What would be, would be.   If my bitches went over by more than a couple of days, I had them into my vet for an examination, maybe an x-ray if it was felt necessary, and a shot to get things moving.

Vets make money from doing things like scanning after all!   And add to that, a scan only confirms, or not, a pregnancy at the time of the scan.  Not that the bitch will carry to term.   Scanning is a different matter if the bitch was caught and there's a need to know, to make decisions.   If I'd scanned, and was told no, there would still be a lingering 'what if it's incorrect', to the end of the pregnancy  LOL.

Vets make money from doing things like scanning after all!

Yes all of £23 I last paid. Really broke the bank. (The private scanner I twice used charged £30 so more expensive and a longer journey.) I'm taking 5 pups to have rear dewclaws removed on Monday, that will be free of charge. My vet is so much after making money out of breeders. :)

The scanner i found will come to my house for £30 which i thought was a good price :)

>a thickening of the flanks was usually apparent from around the 4th - 5th week.   Some of mine would be quieter from the off, taking more care of themselves when around the others

This is what I notice.  My girl is just over 5 weeks, showing some thickening in her waistline, we have been pretty certain she's in whelp from behaviour from when she came back from mating, which is not her normal post season behaviour, but as she has never had a full blown phantom or missed before I wonder whether they will act pregnant just because they were mated whether empty or not?

I won't expect her to look obviously (to me) pregnant until 6 weeks+, and to outsiders later than that.

I know that some people (well in USA, not here) who will even show a bitch until 6 weeks in whelp.

Mine was £20 the same as the private scanner who is a bit further away.
When I took her for her after birth check they charged nothing this time.

I wonder whether they will act pregnant just because they were mated whether empty or not?

I have had a lot of ties with neutered dogs over the years, never had a phantom as a result and also never had any behaviour changes. But I can usually tell within a week, once even within 24 hours, if a bitch mated to a fertile dog on purpose had taken or not, due to how she changed her behaviour.

if you are scanning you need to go at 4 weeks or 28 days,  at five weeks it is harder to tell

> we have been pretty certain she's in whelp from behaviour from when she came back from mating,

I don't want to say you are wrong because I obviously don't know your bitch but Is it really likely that  a behaviour change straight after mating is due to pregnancy?  For a start fertilisation of the eggs may not even take place for a day or two after the mating and implantation is sometime after this. I know from when I have been pregnant I have not had any idea until I was late.

I have a bitch here that is a week post season and if I went on her behaviour then I could think she was pregnant but I know she has been kept separate from the boys so there is no chance. Could it be more a case of having mated a bitch we take more notice of everything about her so pick up on perfectly normal changes in behaviour that occur after every season, The difference being we don't study them as closely when we are not hoping for a pregnancy?

>Is it really likely that  a behaviour change straight after mating is due to pregnancy?

Years ago I had a breeder drive down from up north to leave her bitch with me for a week, to be mated to one of my boys.  She came to collect her bitch and phoned me 2 days later to let me know that her bitch had definitely taken.

This was not a lady who had bred dozens of litters, so I asked how she knew.  She said that her bitch was a totally changed dog.  She had always been sick in the car, one of the reasons that I suggested she bring her bitch a little bit early, to settle down before mating.  Evidently she had been sick coming down here.  But not going back home (quite a long journey.)

Although she had always been a cuddle lover, she was now exceptionally clingy.  She lived in a multi dog household, so was used to 'sharing' mum.  She was pregnant.  :-)

Well my girls who is normally the bossy one and most likely to be involved in any argy bargy is being ever so careful keeping out of any disagreements and looking after herself, quite the reverse of her normal behaviour after a season, but exactly her behaviour after being mated for her two litters, though in both cases she was away from home until about two weeks post mating.

Could be we are willing our bitches to be pregnant, but never ignore the effect of HORMONES.    And yes, I have had bitches who were definitely quieter right from the first few days after being mated.   Others, as I said, not so - they still belt around until their size prevents all this - or I stop all that!!!

Vets make money from doing things like scanning after all!


Well if you add up all the £23s people here alone seem to be paying their vets ...... !!    And for some people £23 - £30 does matter, especially when it's basically not needed.. ?

we are on day 34 now and from a couple of days after mating she was much more loving with me and clingy. on week 3 she started with a slight mucus discharge and her nipples were more pinkish.... her nipples are now larger and her sides are thicker, last night we done an ultrasound and confirmed a pregnancy

And for some people £23 - £30 does matter, especially when it's basically not needed.. ?

NOBODY who cannot afford £23 to £30 should ever mate a bitch as then there is no way they can afford out of hours emergency vet treatment like a c-section. And without knowing that there is more than ONE big pup in there, that is very well what they may end up with.

NOBODY who cannot afford £23 to £30 should ever mate a bitch as then there is no way they can afford out of hours emergency vet treatment like a c-section

Oh come on ...  smile.  Look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves - surely?   I don't care to contribute UNNECESSARILY to my vet's next new car.

i think im driving myself mad looking at her for any sign we are on day 20 since mating .

I have a very slight Springer Spaniel bitch and I could certainly tell she was pregnant before I took her for her scan.

I feel for you, the waiting to know for sure is excruciating!

another sign i noticed is..... when the vulva is swollen during the heat?? it doesnt go completely back to normal afterwards, my pooches is still a little swollen.

thanks she is still a little swollen so fingers crossed

My girl's only 14 days post-mating so I'm watching like a hawk for the first signs. Her vulva's pale again but still larger than usual, so I'm hoping.

And me with mine almost 6 weeks (tomorrow) from mating am having serious doubts, despite all the usual early signs and major change in behaviour, there is no noticeable abdominal enlargement as yet, so either no pups or very small litter, will wait and see another week to 7 weeks to see if there is any sign of a belly ;(

barbra do u not scan your girls?

I find that the nipples nearest the head end, ie nearest armpits ...show a balding effect like little haloes around them.

So BEFORE you mate your bitch have a real good look at NON pregnant nipples....then you will see changes quite early if they are.

Not these days, as they either are, or aren't and normally within a few days of the scan I am pretty sure if they are, less so if they aren't LOL

wow, that is a good price! My vet charges £50.

Well I was sure my bitch was up to five weeks, and then she failed to get any fatter and in fact over the last week has got slimmer.

Took her for a scan (6 1/2 weeks) and it clearly showed that she had absorbed (empty sacks).

Oh Barbara I really feel for you.  You do everything right and this happens.

oh no :( sorry to hear that

Sorry to hear that, such a shame.