CT NOW?

Experienced and professional animal trainer provide their insights in answering this question :
A. It may be too early too see puppies on radiographs if either bitch is pregnant. Typical gestation is 60-63 days in dogs. If you want to know, you can schedule an ultrasound examination with your veterinarian.

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Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced pet care professionals :

Pregnancy in dogs, also called the gestation period, normally ranges from 57-65 days, with an average of 63 days. With a planned breeding, you should record the exact date of mating. If there are two matings, note the dates and expect birth to occur between 63 and 65 days later.
How many times should a dog mate to get pregnant? Although a dog can get pregnant from one mating, most stud dog owners will recommend the dogs mate two (or even three times), usually 24 – 48 hours apart each time, but this may depend on whether a tie or a slip mating has been achieved.
Yes! Female dogs can be mated by more than one dog during their fertile period meaning a mixture of sperm is present and waiting to fertilise her eggs when she ovulates. The technical term for this is superfecundation.
For most females, the best time for breeding is between the tenth and fourteenth day of estrus. However, some females ovulate as early as the third or fourth day or as late as the eighteenth day. It is normal to arrange for two matings (also called stud services) for your dog, often 24 to 48 hours apart.
YES! If ejaculation has occurred, your female dog can become pregnant in spite of the male not remaining locked to her.
With one or two time points, the calculation can be very accurate. Without them, even ultrasound and x-rays can have difficulty in narrowing down the due date to less than 3 days.
– A dog pregnancy can vary between 56 – 70 days. Typically, puppies should arrive about 63 days (just over 2 months) after conception.
Most dogs, given the opportunity, will end up mating when the female is in heat. A whopping 40% of female dogs will fall pregnant after just one mating session! That incredibly high number means you are at considerable risk of having a litter of unwanted puppies if you are not careful.
Make sure that she does not have the opportunity to mate with any other dogs. Remember that oestrus will continue for several more days and she could theoretically become pregnant from another dog during this period. After a planned mating it is a good idea to allow her to rest quietly for a few hours.
Dogs release their eggs over a period of a few days in the middle of their heat cycle so it is possible for the same male to breed her more than once…it is also possible for other males to breed her during that time.
Male dogs have homosexual sex under a variety of circumstances. They mount each other in dominance displays, and that mounting can involve anal penetration.
For the happiest dogs and the safest household, opposite sex dogs almost always do best together. Many same-sex combinations of dogs will fight, sometimes to the death. Those who work out a dominance order may not fare much better.
Dogs scream when mating for many reasons, including stress, anxiety, pain, and being bred too early. Always supervise your dogs as they mate to prevent injuries and stress.
After a female dog has mated, you can expect changes in behavior like becoming clingy or irritable with other dogs. She may be lethargic and show signs of morning sickness. Physically, she may gain weight and have larger, discolored nipples.
Not only are they not fertile, but their reproductive organs won`t open for penetration unless they are in heat so they can`t even engage in intercourse. If you discover that your female dog has engaged in intercourse, chances are that her heat symptoms were minimal or silent, so you did not realize she was in heat.
Can a Dog Get Pregnant When Not in Heat? A common question is, “Can a dog get pregnant when not in heat?” The answer is no, a dog cannot get pregnant when she is not in heat, however, many pet parents may not recognize the full heat cycle of their dog and will only look for the noticeable sign of dog period bleeding.
A set of hormone injections 24hrs apart that prevent pregnancy/induce an abortion. These typically are expensive, often as much as a spay. They can be used up to day 45 post mating.
The hormonal changes during pregnancy may cause subtle changes to the person`s scent that are detectable only to their canine companion. It`s likely that the dog senses some change in the owner`s smell, but cannot identify such a specific reason as pregnancy.
“About three weeks after she has become pregnant, a female dog may start to show some mild stomach upset, a drop in her appetite and sometimes even vomiting,” she says. “This is similar to human morning sickness and occurs because of hormonal swings.”
The more common signs of pseudo-pregnancy include mammary gland enlargement with or without the production of milk, lethargy, periodic vomiting, and fluid retention. Dogs with false pregnancy often have a decreased appetite but seldom appears to lose weight, likely due to the amount of excess fluid retained.
Week Seven

You will notice your dog`s breast tissue is swollen, her nipples are prominent and dark, and you may notice colostrum, a cloudy fluid known as “first milk” leaking from her nipples. She may start to shed the hair from her belly. You may also be able to see and feel the fetuses move beneath her skin.

The results of these two experiments clearly show that young puppies recognize their own mother and littermates, and it also shows that this recognition is based upon scent cues.
Your dog will recover as soon as her hormones level out, which takes 4 to 6 weeks in most dogs. Regular visits with your veterinarian will keep your dog healthy and happy.
The most common reason for a dog refusing to stand to be mated is that she is not yet ready. The female has gone past the time when she would allow the male to mount. It is a good idea to allow the male access to the female dog every few days after she has been in heat for about 4 days.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Q. BELLA MY SHIHTZU WAS MATED LAST OCTOBER 22,23,24,25,2014
WHILE IRISH, ANOTHER SHIHTZU WAS MATED ON OCTOBER 28, 29, 30, 2014, WHAT CAN I EXPECT NOW?
ANSWER : A. It may be too early too see puppies on radiographs if either bitch is pregnant. Typical gestation is 60-63 days in dogs. If you want to know, you can schedule an ultrasound examination with your veterinarian.

Read Full Q/A … : express by Holly Morris – issuu

Q. What are the chances that my 13 mo female Shih Tzu will get pregnant after mating three times last month? I believe it did not lock.
ANSWER : A. Any mating attempt on a dog in heat can potentially lead to pregnancy. Usually the male will “lock” with the female during copulation, however ejaculation can still sometimes occur before this event.

Typical pregnancy length in a dog is 60-63 days, so if your female was mated at the end of October, she may be about 1/4 of the way through a pregnancy. Bringing her to your local vet or theriogenologist (animal reproduction veterinarian) can determine if she is actually pregnant. Samples of the vaginal lining, ultrasound and sometimes X-ray (if your dog is far enough advanced in her pregnancy) can all be used to determine the state of pregnancy and your dog’s health.

Read Full Q/A … : Signs Your Dog Is Pregnant

Q. How do I determine how much my overweight pet should weigh?
ANSWER : A. There are many tools to determine overweight and obesity levels in pets. A new tool, morphometric measurements and body fat index, are available to accurately determine a pet’s ideal weight; this will allow an accurate determination of the amount of food a pet should receive to achieve weight loss. Feeding the correct amount will lead to greater weight loss success.

There are many weight loss food options to help pets reach their ideal weight. Your veterinarian can help make a ideal weight recommendation. Here are some tips to help your dog lose weight in a healthy and safe way:

1. Diet: Providing a healthy and well balanced diet is essential to your pet’s overall health. Finding the right food for your dog can be a challenging process. For those overweight animals many commercial dog companies offer weight loss diets, but it is important to evaluate food labels for adequate nutritional content.

You want to ensure you are not missing other essential vitamin or mineral content. Volume of food is also important and the amount of food that works for one breed of dog may not be the same for another breed of dog. Portion control as opposed to free-choice feeding can help your dog to drop a few unnecessary pounds.

There are also prescription weight loss foods designed by veterinary nutritionists, such as Hill’s r/d (http://bit.ly/1AoENSd). Some pet owners find that home cooking is the best option for helping to provide a well-balanced and realistic diet plan. There are websites such as balanceit.com that offers recipes to fit your dog’s specific needs. Consulting with your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist to find the appropriate diet is a great way to help your dog be as healthy as possible.

2. Exercise: Another great tactic for weight loss for your dog is exercise. Whether this is through running, walking or playing with a favorite toy all of these are wonderful types of exercise to help keep your dog at a lean and healthy weight.

For those pet owners with busy schedules utilizing professional dog walking services or playtime through dog daycare services is another option. It has been shown that those pet owners that exercise regularly with their pets generally live a healthier lifestyle.

3. Physical therapy: As animals age pet owners offer encounter their favorite canine having more difficulty walking and have a dwindling desire to play with toys. Physical therapy, specifically hydrotherapy is a wonderful way to help older and arthritic animals gain more mobility and lose weight. Hydrotherapy has been proven to have several therapeutic effects on the body including, muscle strengthening, relief of swelling, decreased joint pain, less stiffness in limbs, improved circulation, weight loss, and increased tissue healing to name a few. For more information on the benefits of hydrotherapy:
http://bit.ly/1w1qqoy

4. Veterinary visit and blood work: Weight gain can also be related to underlying health concerns such as hypothyroidism or other endocrine disorders. Scheduling a veterinary evaluation and routine blood work can be another important component in increasing the longevity of your dog’s life. Conditions such as hypothyroidism that predispose dogs to gain weight can be treated with a daily medication to improve hormonal balance. If feel that your dog is unnecessarily overweight there can be an underlying health condition that needs to be addressed.

5. Healthy treats: Pet owners love the chance to reward their favorite canine companion with treats and most dogs jump at the chance to consume these delicious products. The problem is many treats, which can include commercial dog treats or table scrapes can add many unnecessary calories to your dog’s daily intake. Reading labels and making note of the calories in these treats is an important component of understanding your dog’s overall health. Treats should not exceed more than 10 percent of your pet’s daily calories. There are healthier treats that can be offered to your pet to keep calories lower yet provide a fuller sensation. A pet owner can add steamed or pureed vegetables, such as carrots, green beans or sweet potato to add more fiber and thus a fuller feeling for your dog.

Read Full Q/A … : How Do I Determine if My Dog is Overweight? – Pet Health Care

Q. Our cat of six years has on two separate occasions has defecated on the living room rug and recently pee’d on the skirt of the Christmas tree.
ANSWER : A. Inappropriate elimination in cats is often a behavioral problem rather than a medical problem, so the first step is to have him seen by your vet to eliminate any kind of illness or condition as a cause for his eliminating outside the box.

If medical issues are ruled out, take a look at other reasons. Has there been a lot of unusual activity? Has you cat been left at home or boarded? Is the litterbox in a busy area? Has anything happened recently in this area to make him reluctant to use it again? Is there another cat, pet or person that is preventing him from getting to the box? Have you changed it from a hooded to an open box, or vice versa? Is it big enough? Have you changed the type or brand of litter? Is there something attractive about the spot he uses? Cats dislike disturbances to their routine and may act out to express their dissatisfaction.

The general rule is one litter box per cat in the household, plus one. That way each cat can have a place of their own to go in case the box is occupied or another cat has claimed it as territory. They should be scooped daily, if not more often and changed completely weekly, washed with soap and water only. You can offer one kind of litter in one box and another kind in another to see if there is a preference. I don’t recommend the crystals, it makes a hissing sound when wet that startles some cats and make them reluctant to use it again. The litter boxes should be located in a quiet, low-traffic area so that the cat can use them in peace. Make sure any other pets or people aren’t giving them a hard time around or in the litter box. It may take some investigation and experimentation to find your cat’s preference and accommodate him so that everyone is satisfied with the situation. And, when cleaning up pet accidents, don’t use any cleaner containing ammonia. This leaves behind a scent similar to urine.

Read Full Q/A … : Cat Questions – Our Happy Cat.com

Q. My cat will not stop going to the toilet on my carpet, bed, washing pile etc.. Also uses its litter box occasionally? I don’t understand why this is?
ANSWER : A. Inappropriate elimination in cats is often a behavioral problem rather than a medical problem, so the first step is to have him seen by your vet to eliminate any kind of illness or condition as a cause for his eliminating outside the box.
If medical issues are ruled out, take a look at other reasons. Has there been a lot of unusual activity? Has you cat been left at home or boarded? Is the litterbox in a busy area? Has anything happened recently in this area to make him reluctant to use it again? Is there another cat, pet or person that is preventing him from getting to the box? Have you changed it from a hooded to an open box, or vice versa? Is it big enough? Have you changed the type or brand of litter? Is there something attractive about the spot he uses? Cats dislike disturbances to their routine and may act out to express their dissatisfaction.
The general rule is one litter box per cat in the household, plus one. That way each cat can have a place of their own to go in case the box is occupied or another cat has claimed it as territory. They should be scooped daily, if not more often and changed completely weekly, washed with soap and water only. You can offer one kind of litter in one box and another kind in another to see if there is a preference. I don’t recommend the crystals, it makes a hissing sound when wet that startles some cats and make them reluctant to use it again. The litter boxes should be located in a quiet, low-traffic area so that the cat can use them in peace. Make sure any other pets or people aren’t giving them a hard time around or in the litter box. It may take some investigation and experimentation to find your cat’s preference and accommodate him so that everyone is satisfied with the situation. And, when cleaning up pet accidents, don’t use any cleaner containing ammonia. This leaves behind a scent similar to urine.

Read Full Q/A … : What to Do When Your Cat Poops Outside the Box – Dr. Sophia Yin

Q. My cat started to pee outside the litter box. What should I do?
ANSWER : A. Inappropriate bathroom use in cats is often a behavioral problem rather than a medical problem, so the first step is to have him seen by your vet to eliminate any kind of illness or condition as a cause for his defecating outside the box.

Once medical issues are ruled out, it’s time to take a look at other explanations. Has there been a lot of activity that wasn’t normal? Were you away and your cat was left at home or boarded? Is the litterbox located in a busy area? Has anything happened recently in this area to make him reluctant to use it again? Is there another cat, pet, or person that is preventing him from getting to the box? Have you changed it from a hooded to an open box, or vice versa? Have you changed the brand of litter or kind? Or is there something about the spot he has chosen to use that is attracting him in some way? Cats dislike disturbances to their routine and may act out as a way of expressing their dissatisfaction.

The general rule of thumb is one litter box per cat in the household, plus one. That way each cat can have a place of their own to go in case the box is occupied or another cat has claimed it as territory. They should be scooped at least daily, if not more often and changed completely on a weekly basis, and washed with soap and water.

You can also offer one kind of litter in one box and another kind in another to see if there is a preference. I don’t recommend the crystal kind, since it makes a hissing sound when wet that can startle some cats and make them reluctant to use it again.

The litter boxes should be located in a quiet, low-traffic area so that the cat can use them in peace. Make sure other pets or people aren’t giving them a hard time around or in the litterbox. It may take some investigation and experimentation to find your cat’s preference and accommodate him so that everyone is satisfied with the situation.

Read Full Q/A … : Why Is My Cat Peeing Outside Her Litter Box? – Petfinder

Q. I have a cat that defecates in the litter box but always urinates outside the box. It is very annoying.
ANSWER : A. Inappropriate elimination in cats is often a behavioral problem rather than a medical problem, so the first step is to have him seen by your vet to eliminate any kind of illness or condition as a cause for his eliminating outside the box.

If medical issues are ruled out, take a look at other reasons. Has there been a lot of unusual activity? Has you cat been left at home or boarded? Is the litterbox in a busy area? Has anything happened recently in this area to make him reluctant to use it again? Is there another cat, pet or person that is preventing him from getting to the box? Have you changed it from a hooded to an open box, or vice versa? Is it big enough? Have you changed the type or brand of litter? Is there something attractive about the spot he uses? Cats dislike disturbances to their routine and may act out to express their dissatisfaction.

The general rule is one litter box per cat in the household, plus one. That way each cat can have a place of their own to go in case the box is occupied or another cat has claimed it as territory. They should be scooped daily, if not more often and changed completely weekly, washed with soap and water only. You can offer one kind of litter in one box and another kind in another to see if there is a preference. I don’t recommend the crystals, it makes a hissing sound when wet that startles some cats and make them reluctant to use it again. The litter boxes should be located in a quiet, low-traffic area so that the cat can use them in peace. Make sure any other pets or people aren’t giving them a hard time around or in the litter box. It may take some investigation and experimentation to find your cat’s preference and accommodate him so that everyone is satisfied with the situation. And, when cleaning up pet accidents, don’t use any cleaner containing ammonia. This leaves behind a scent similar to urine.

Read Full Q/A … : Why Is My Cat Peeing Outside Her Litter Box? – Petfinder

Q. Cat gave birth to 5 babies last one was 4hrs ago she’s still heavy breathing no temp not sure if the last placenta came out, feels like 1 still there.
ANSWER : A. Cats can have long breaks between kittens even 24 h lasting. But in these breakes cat should behave normal, she can also eat, drink, take care of babies. If your cat is restless, pants and has cramps without expulsion of kitten for longer than 30 min you should contact a vet as an emergency.

Read Full Q/A … : Cat birth – when to wait and when to worry

joliana smith

My name is Sarah Smith and I am a dog owner, lover, and trainer. I have been working with dogs for over 10 years and have a passion for helping them learn and grow. I am a certified dog trainer and specialize in positive reinforcement methods. I believe that all dogs can learn and that the best way to train them is to build a strong relationship based on trust and respect.