Let’s continue to talk about pregnancy in dogs today.
Your veterinarian might be able to palpate for vesicles from as early as day 21 of pregnancy, but this will depend on the body confirmation of the bitch and whether she allows for deep and thorough palpation. Hard faecal material or other diseases such as pyometra/mucometra can be mistaken as pregnancy during abdominal palpation. Radiographs of the abdomen to detect fetal bone at the last trimester of pregnancy is close to 100% accurate in pregnancy diagnosis. But ultrasound is the modality of choice in assessing the vitality of the fetus and is a helpful tool in early pregnancy diagnosis. Hence your veterinarian will likely use multiple tools to help you diagnose your bitch’s pregnancy and the fetal state.
5 Tips for taking care of your pregnant bitch:
1. A pregnant bitch should be fed a complete and balanced commercial diet that is labelled for all life stages or for gestation and lactation.
2. Supplementation of any kind is usually not needed if your diet is carefully selected as suggested. Over supplementation can result in abortion, eclampsia and abnormal fetal growth.
3. Herbal medicine and supplements inappropriately sourced might contain heavy metals that are harmful to both the bitch and the fetus.
4. Raw meat based diet is also strongly advised against in case of food poisoning and parasitism.
5. If the bitch is on medication, consult your veterinarian for the safety of use during pregnancy.
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