Is there a blood test to see if a dog is pregnant and how accurate is it?

Question

This dog would be about six weeks along. Would the vet be able to check by just palpatating? If they did an ultrasound, what is the average cost and can it tell how many pups by six weeks? If we tried to palpatate, where do you feel and could you hurt the pups by just gently feeling???

Answer 1

See the vet. You are almost within x-ray range, so you may want to wait. I usually x-ray the week before they are due. I ultrasound at 4 weeks.
At this point the vet will probably be able to feel something, but there is no guarantee.
Leave the palpation to the vet.

Answer 2

palpatating is not an exact science. You would need to have a vet check her blood to be sure if she's pregnant or not. I have never, personally, done this but my friend who breeds shih-tzus has and I don't believe the cost is that high. The only way to really know definitely how many puppies there is would be an ultrasound or an x ray of your dog, which I think is a couple hundred dollars. Like I said, though, I'm not sure about that because I don't breed. I know I don't have the time or the correct knowledge to do it.

Good luck to your puppies, but I really hope if you continue to breed your dog, you'll do more research before her second litter.

Answer 3

I think there is a test, but at six weeks the dog should look like it just had a big meal.... the nipples are getting enlarged, and soon will have milk if you squeeze them.

The vet can tell with ultrasound and touch - but she should already look pregnant.

You can spay/abort up to labor, so make sure you want to handle anywhere from 3 to 15 puppies (in large breeds). You're adding more dogs to the pet overpopulation problem, so it's really kinder to spay/abort so the puppies at the pound will have a chance.