My dog is pregnant and she has been doing really well though she was not supposed to be bred and it was kind of an accident. I have no idea of the date she was bred so I have no idea of the due date. She was bred the first time she was on heat and I am not sure if she will have the instincts to care for her pups. She eats food with the other dogs and I give her extra in the evening. I have built a whelping box and she seems to be getting comfortable in it. Then the next day I noticed she was thinner and I am not sure if she has had her pups or not.

Is she outdoors? You will need to go look for them, if she is noticeably thinner then she has most likely had them.
Are the other dogs where they could get to them?

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Originally Posted by LadySam

Is she outdoors? you will need to go look for them, if she is noticeably thinner then she has most likely had them.
Are the other dogs where they could get to them?

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Yes she is outdoors and we do have other dogs. I am really worried because I don't really know if she is noticeably thinner and I am afraid the other dogs will eat them though I don't know when she was bred so I have no idea of the due date, and my vet is out of town so I don't know how many puppies we have or is she in good shape

I would definitely separate her from the other dogs. I would suggest bringing her in to keep an eye on her, but without knowing if she has had the pups yet you could be potentially be separating her from pups that you can't find.
Surely you can tell if she is much thinner than she was even a day or so ago.
If you are certain that she was pregnant and now unsure if she is still pregnant the best course of action is to have her checked, either by another vet or at an emergency clinic.
I know that emergency care is a bit more expensive, but it may be the only way to a sure answer.
If still pregnant they can do an x-ray and count puppies so you'll know how many to expect.
If nothing, then you either need to keep looking, or face the fact that something has happened to the pups.
Is she in a fenced area that would narrow your search?

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Originally Posted by LadySam

I would definitely separate her from the other dogs. I would suggest bringing her in to keep an eye on her, but without knowing if she has had the pups yet you could be potentially be separating her from pups that you can't find.
Surely you can tell if she is much thinner than she was even a day or so ago.
If you are certain that she was pregnant and now unsure if she is still pregnant the best course of action is to have her checked, either by another vet or at an emergency clinic.
I know that emergency care is a bit more expensive, but it may be the only way to a sure answer.
If still pregnant they can do an x-ray and count puppies so you'll know how many to expect.
If nothing, then you either need to keep looking, or face the fact that something has happened to the pups.
Is she in a fenced area that would narrow your search?

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Well I have checked the calender and looked at her some more and I have thought that she is still along way from round about her due date (if I checked accurately enough) I will call a vet and have her checked over, though if she has her pupps with she instinctively know what to do with them?
We live in a place which has a concreted wall around it though its really big and has loads of bushes around it.
I don't think bringing her in is possibility as my mum is strict on no dogs in the house and we have cats which fight with them a lot, is it really 100% necessary?
I am also afraid the other dogs will eat the puppies, we have another middle aged female dog which has never had her own pupps and might be jealous, would you worry?

I'd worry about wild creatures getting to the pups, the weather being a problem, the other dogs, and wondering if she is properly caring for them. Can you watch her and follow her, or just do a search for them on a grid system (back and forth, back and forth until all ground is searched)?

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

I'd worry about wild creatures getting to the pups, the weather being a problem, the other dogs, and wondering if she is properly caring for them. Can you watch her and follow her, or just do a search for them on a grid system (back and forth, back and forth until all ground is searched)?

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I think the grid system is a really good idea and will try that tomorrow with my brother, the weather here seems OK though at night it can get cold, I have built a whelping box for her but my cousin said that she is 99% likely to reject it, but it would be a good place to move the pups, though its not inside the house but in the dogs house out side

A dog is pregnant for 60 to 65 days, if you suspect that you know when she was bred then you could better pinpoint a time for her to have her pups.
Of course you can only do what your mom will allow, does she know how concerned you are?
How old are you by the way?
I think it is wonderful that you are concerned about her like this.

You could feel around on her stomach. If she is firm feeling, she is still pregnant, if she is soft and squishy, than obviously, she had her puppies.

Mother dogs will hide their pups from the pack. And if you have a close-nit pack, the entire group will take care of the puppies and protect mom and pups.. If this dog is not alpha and had her puppies, she will hide them or else the alpha female will kill them.

Why is this dog not spayed?

We all think that dogs and cats are naturally good mothers. That is just a speculation, and a poor one. If the dog is a puppy herself (2yrs or less), she won't be the best mother... especially if this is a first litter.

There is also a good chance the dog was never pregnant in the first place and went through a drastic false pregnancy. If that is the case, the only way to really keep her healthy would be to spay her.

First litters aren't always big either. She may only be pregnant with two or three pups. Unless of course, the male bred her several times... than the potential to have a large litter is up there.

It shouldn't be that hard to find her nesting area in a backyard. Follow her or watch where she decides to hang out for the day. I'm sure you'll find something there.

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Originally Posted by LadySam

A dog is pregnant for 60 to 65 days, if you suspect that you know when she was bred then you could better pinpoint a time for her to have her pups.
Of course you can only do what your mom will allow, does she know how concerned you are?
How old are you by the way?
I think it is wonderful that you are concerned about her like this.

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Well she thinks nature will just take it course though I am much more worried.
I have just turned 12 and get really worried as one of my dogs just died of tick fever maybe a month ago and I really am concerned for the health of all my animals now.
My mum thinks I am over concerned and that I need to chill but I think I have viewed over 30 articles on dogs on e how, I also think I need to relax. I have called my dad and I have had a long calming talk with him.
That always seems to calm me, having a chat with my dad!
My vet is also popping into town on Monday or Tuesday and by then I am sure I would have thought 101 question to ask her!

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Originally Posted by Lucky098

You could feel around on her stomach. If she is firm feeling, she is still pregnant, if she is soft and squishy, than obviously, she had her puppies.

Mother dogs will hide their pups from the pack. And if you have a close-nit pack, the entire group will take care of the puppies and protect mom and pups.. If this dog is not alpha and had her puppies, she will hide them or else the alpha female will kill them.

Why is this dog not spayed?

We all think that dogs and cats are naturally good mothers. That is just a speculation, and a poor one. If the dog is a puppy herself (2yrs or less), she wont be the best mother... especially if this is a first litter.

There is also a good chance the dog was never pregnant in the first place and went through a drastic false pregnancy. If that is the case, the only way to really keep her healthy would be to spay her.

First litters arent always big either. She may only be pregnant with two or three pups. Unless of course, the male bred her several times... than the potential to have a large litter is up there.

It shouldnt be that hard to find her nesting area in a backyard. Follow her or watch where she decides to hang out for the day. I'm sure you'll find something there.

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Well she is not the alpha and it is her first litter but she is quite hard in her stomach and shows no nesting behavior or trying to get any where else for the day but she does seem quiet sad, I can just see it in her eyes.
Do you think that is something to worry about?

She is not spayed because our vet was away and she went on heat and was bred

And my dogs seem to be pretty laid back on who is boss and stuff, there is no clear alpha female in my eyes. I have a really old grouchy dog and she seems to sort of be the alpha female, no other dog bothers her.

But there is a female dog who has never had puppies and would she try and kill the other dogs puppies because she is jealous?

Well your mom is right that nature will take its course, it usually does.
That's not saying that there still can't be problems. Have a talk with your vet tomorrow and try to relax a little.

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Originally Posted by LadySam

Well your mom is right that nature will take its course, it usually does.
That's not saying that there still can't be problems. Have a talk with your vet tomorrow and try to relax a little.

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Thanks XXD :)

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Originally Posted by LadySam

Is she outdoors? you will need to go look for them, if she is noticeably thinner then she has most likely had them.
Are the other dogs where they could get to them?

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She had them and they are so cute, they are only to and there was some blood discharge after...
Is that OK?

Yes some discharge will be normal for a while, if the discharge has a foul odor, that is not normal and you need to call your vet.
Is she nursing well and cleaning and being a good mom?
It would be a good idea to just go get mom and pups a quick look at the vet to make sure they are healthy and to check for things like cleft palettes and hernias, do you think your mom would agree to that?
Congratulations.

Congrats. Just remember that it's very important that the pups are kept warm. Puppies can't regulate their heat. If it's cold outside, and mom and pups don't have shelter, this will be a death sentence for the pups.

Since she's a young dog you'll have to watch to make sure she's properly caring for her pups. If she's not nursing you may need to bottle feed. It happens quite often with young moms. They sometimes need to be forced to care for their young.

Good luck, and I'm so glad that all is well.

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Originally Posted by LadySam

Yes some discharge will be normal for a while, if the discharge has a foul odor, that is not normal and you need to call your vet.
Is she nursing well and cleaning and being a good mom?
It would be a good idea to just go get mom and pups a quick look at the vet to make sure they are healthy and to check for things like cleft palettes and hernias, do you think your mom would agree to that?
Congratulations.

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Me and my mom thought she might abandon her pups and take very little care of them...
But in fact she is so protective over them she chases anyone she does not trust away from their shelter.
Our vet came yesterday and said the pups were in tip top health!!
My mom has been telling me I must also have instincts because I built her whelping box 2 days before she had her pups and she went straight to the dog house and had her pups there!
What was also great is that she had her pups in the day so we were able to watch out for any problems... but there were none
Thanks for helping me answer this question...
You have been really helpful!! :)

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Originally Posted by Alty

Congrats. Just remember that it's very important that the pups are kept warm. Puppies can't regulate their heat. If it's cold outside, and mom and pups don't have shelter, this will be a death sentence for the pups.

Since she's a young dog you'll have to watch to make sure she's properly caring for her pups. If she's not nursing you may need to bottle feed. It happens quite often with young moms. They sometimes need to be forced to care for their young.

Good luck, and I'm so glad that all is well.

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The pups and there mum are outside in the dog house. But its not very cold here and the mom is with them throughout the night.
We have a wind shield to stop the cold air getting through but we made it in a way that the mom can get out too...
She is producing enough milk and I am sure the pups are in tip top health!! :) thanks for answering my question

Clean bill of health from the vet, that is great news, I'm glad to hear it.
Thanks for the update, we always like to hear how things are going for pets and their people.
So even for a young mom it sounds as has the hang of it.
And I think your instincts helped her a lot, thanks for looking out for her so well.

Now comes the hardest part of asking a question on this site.

We don't get paid here, we do this for free. But, I am going to request that you pay a fee.

What's the fee? Pictures! We want pictures! :)

If you can't figure out how to post them, let me know, I'll post a link that will give you step by step instructions. But please, we really want to see these fur babies. :)