When it comes to how to tell if a dog has had puppies, there is not one thing that you can point at and say, “This is it!”
There are some signs that dogs get when they have puppies and sometimes it will be the only sign they get.
Other times, these signs will come in sets and you may or may not notice them all together.
When it comes down to it though, if one of these signs show up on your dog, chances are she has had puppies.
Always remember to take your dogs to the vet if they show up any of these signs because it could be a sign of other health problems, too.
Table of Contents
Main Points To Look Out For
1. Nipple Changes
The first way to tell if a dog has had puppies is by looking at her nipples.
This usually happens sometime after the puppies have been born. There may be discharge from her nipples and some of it will be blood-stained.
You may also see some lumps on the nipples that are bigger than normal, they are sometimes painful and sometimes not.
2. Developed Stomach
Another thing that you may notice in your dog when she is pregnant and has had puppies is her stomach becomes bigger.
Due to nursing a litter of puppies, a female dog’s stomach will expand and should return back to its normal size once the puppies are weaned.
If her stomach looks much larger than it should, then she could have had a litter of puppies.
3. Stools
One of the most common signs that dogs have puppies is when they have large amounts of poop coming out of them.
Sometimes it is very hard to tell where these piles come from. They may come out in bigger amounts than normal, too, especially if your dog has a large appetite during pregnancy.
The poop itself will sometimes be bloody at first before they turn back to its normal black color.
4. Lactating
One of the best ways to tell if a dog has had puppies is by looking for milk coming out of her nipples.
Dogs will start lactating sometime after they have had their puppies, but it usually takes a couple of weeks before you will notice it.
This is because the dog has to produce milk and fill up her breast first. When you do see milk coming from her, then this is one of the best ways to tell if she has had puppies.
5. Behavioral Changes
One of the main things that you will notice if your dog has had puppies is a change in her behavior.
She may start nipping at you sometimes for no reason and she may be more protective over things, especially when it comes to kids.
You may also see her being less social and more wary with other dogs or people.
6. Vocalization
Another common way to tell if a dog has had puppies is by her vocalization.
Dogs will often emit lower-pitched sounds after giving birth, due to the large number of hormones surging through their system.
7. Physical Changes
Another one of the best ways to tell if a dog has had puppies is to look for physical changes in the dog.
You will be able to see this when you are looking at her physical features and how they have changed.
For example, you might notice that her feet have gotten smaller or she has a lot more fat on her body than normal.
This can happen right before she has puppies and it can also happen a little while after she has had puppies.
8. Drooling
This can happen during the pregnancy and it can also happen after the puppies are born.
Dogs temporarily lose their inhibitions during pregnancy, so they may do things that they wouldn’t normally do.
This can be one of those things and it will show up when you notice excessive drooling on your dog’s body.
9. Increased Appetite
Another thing that you may notice if your dog has had puppies is that she will be eating more often.
This can happen during pregnancy or it can happen right after the puppies are born.
The dog might have a lot of energy when she is pregnant and it will show up when you see an increase in her appetite.
10. Larger Urination and Defecation
After a dog gives birth to puppies, they will eat and drink more and urinate (pee) in larger amounts and more often.
It is also not uncommon for a dog to defecate (poop) approximately 1-2 times in the same time frame. After a while, the dog will return to normal.
Can a vet tell how many litters a dog has had?
One of the key things to remember is that no vet can tell how many litters a dog has had.
If your dog is spayed, then there will be no more puppies; however, you can still know if they have given birth to other pups based on the signs presented.
There are also some known health conditions where dogs show signs of illness after giving birth to puppies for example mastitis (inflammation of the breast in female dogs), pyometra (the growth of pus in uterus in female dogs), and mammary tumors (breast masses in female dogs).
How do you know if my dog still has puppies inside?
If you see any of the signs mentioned above, then it might be a good idea to take your dog in for a check up with your vet.
This will give you an idea of what is happening and help you see whether or not there are puppies inside.
If there are indeed puppies inside, you will want to be extra careful since they could be suffering from hypoxia (lack of oxygen) by now.
Since a puppy is underdeveloped and its nervous system is still growing, more than one can die if it is not taken care of properly.
Why does my dog look like she has had puppies?
There are many reasons as to why a dog may look like it has had pups.
Firstly, some dogs will just start gaining weight. This is usually due to the fact that they are being fed more and because they are not as active.
Secondly, another reason you may have noticed your dog looking pregnant is because of fat deposits.
This can happen when a female dog is not active and lives an indoor lifestyle. It can also happen when she’s older and this can be caused by your diet, skin problems, or other illnesses.
Thirdly, if your dog has had her puppies in the past, you may notice that she looks like she’s just had pups even though she hasn’t.
Usually, the main reasons for this happening are due to skin hanging or fatty deposits that are commonly found around the mammary glands and belly area from previous pregnancies.
What happens when a dog has too many litters?
If a dog has too many pregnancies, this can be dangerous for her and may cause complications such as infections and even death.
There are some things you can do to prevent having this happen to your beloved pet.
Firstly, you should make sure that your dog is spayed before she gets pregnant. This will prevent her from having any more litters and could stop any future complications that might occur during pregnancy.
Secondly, you should make sure that they have enough exercise daily since this is good for their health and helps them stay away from obesity.
They should also get enough sleep in order to decrease their stress levels and prevent them from being more aggressive.
Thirdly, you should make sure that your dog is well-fed with healthy food.
Do not allow your dog to become overweight as overweight dogs can suffer many health problems such as hypertension that can result in heart attacks and seizures.
Fourthly, you should make sure that your dog is not getting too many fat deposits around her mammary glands or belly area since this may be due to her diet not being healthy enough or due to skin problems such as skin infections.
How to help my dog get fit again after giving birth?
There are some things you can do to help your dog get back in shape after she has given birth.
Firstly, you should make sure that she is getting enough exercise daily since this helps decrease the chances of her gaining weight.
She should also be fed more in order to keep her energy levels up.
Finally, you should make sure that she’s getting enough sleep since this will help prevent any stress from occurring and will help her recover faster after giving birth.
Conclusion
So there you have it, these are some of the best ways to tell if your dog has had puppies.
This is important because if you notice these signs, then this could be a sign of other health problems too.
The main thing to remember in order to tell if a dog has had puppies is that she will show increased signs of activity and different behavior.
She may start acting more energetic and you may notice a change in her eating habits, too.
If you see her having heavier, bloody stools or she is nipping at you for no reason then she might be in heat.
There are some other things that will happen with during the pregnancy, but they are less common. So while you are paying close attention to her when she is pregnant, there are many signs that you may see.
We hope this article helped you figure out how to tell if your dog has had puppies or if she is in heat.
Remember, the main thing that you want to do is to pay attention and keep an eye on your dog.
She may be showing some signs and you might be able to tell if she has had puppies. It is important that you can tell when it has happened.
If the dog is still in heat then she will continue to show some of these signs until the hormones have left her body. But once she has had puppies, then most of these signs will disappear or they will become less frequent.
You will also know if she has had puppies if you notice any of the puppies with her in the house. Most of the time, the puppies will stay with their mother until they are a couple of weeks old and then they will leave to go out on their own.
PLEASE NOTE: The above article is not meant to replace advice from YOUR veterinarian. If you feel that your dog is ill, PLEASE consult with a licensed veterinarian. If your dog has recently given birth and you need advice on how to care for her and her new litter of pups.
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