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Non-Vet pregnancy test?


Lewis Moon

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Our sweet new foster Rose is scheduled for her spay next week. I'm a little worried in that, she has somewhat swolen nipples/mammaries and vulva. I was married to a vet for 12 years so I know that a spay while the dog is pregnant or in heat can present real difficulties, if it's not down right dangerous.

Is there a (somewhat) reliable way to tell if a dog is in the early stages of heat or pregnancy?

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I think the vet will be able to tell before they do the surgery. It could also be a sign of her coming out of a recent heat, which if the case I'd want to wait a month of so longer so there are no ill affects (or is that effects) from leftover hormones from being in season still in her system.

Dew came out of heat about a month ago. I promised myself I was going to have her spayed before she came in again. So she's going sometime around the 22nd of this month. Just to be sure she's not stuck in post season crabass or something.

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I think the vet will be able to tell before they do the surgery. It could also be a sign of her coming out of a recent heat, which if the case I'd want to wait a month of so longer so there are no ill affects (or is that effects) from leftover hormones from being in season still in her system.

Dew came out of heat about a month ago. I promised myself I was going to have her spayed before she came in again. So she's going sometime around the 22nd of this month. Just to be sure she's not stuck in post season crabass or something.

 

 

The Ex was a hella good vet. Graduated 5th in her class from CSU and even she was surprised a couple of times.

I just wish I could chase Rosie around with a "dipstick". "Two blue lines means...."

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Nope they now label it pregnant or not pregnant on the home tests. I guess red x's and blue lines were to hard to figure out!

Seriously, I failed 3 tests with my last kid or at least they said not preg. It took a blood test to be sure. HA...really didn't need that third kid, but guess it was to be and so glad it was!

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The vet can do a vaginal smear to look at the cells and determine where she is in her cycle, possible palpate to see if there is any swelling or enlargement indicating heat or early pregnancy. An ultrasound is always an option, but not a cheep one. Of course in 62 days you would know for sure if she is bred:-)

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The vaginal smear is quite inaccurate and is only good for approximating where a bitch is in her heat cycle. It is not a tool for determining pregnancy.

 

Palpation only works for a very narrow window of time when the fetuses are large enough to feel but don't have a lot of fluid around them. Depending on the bitch this is around days 27 to 33. The fetuses feel like ping pong balls lined up in the abdomen. If the bitch is larger or overweight you won't be able to find them. I like to make sure they have an empty stomach and bladder prior to attempting palpation to keep those structures out of the way. Someone who doesn't know what they are doing could easily mistake the bladder for a fetus.

 

I've spayed many dogs, pregnant and in heat. The health status of the bitch is a much better predictor of how they will handle surgery than their reproductive status. Bitches that come from shelters that feed cheap, low quality food bleed a whole lot more than those that come from private homes and foster situations (better food, less stressful).

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