Pet Health And Care >>  Dog Care >>  Dog Pregnancy Test  
 
Dog Pregnancy Test

Dog Pregnancy Test - Information on Tests For Dog Pregnancy, Kits and Cost


To determine whether your dog is pregnant or not is not as easy as it is to determine a human pregnancy.



Finding the pregnancy status of your dog can be very challenging, especially for the first time dog owner or an inexperienced breeder. There are a lot of signs to look for.

Unlike in humans, the fertility rates in dogs are very high. If a female dog is in heat and is mated with a male dog during this period, there are almost sure chances of the dog being pregnant.



After your dog has started the bleeding, you can begin checking for the estrus phase. There is no dog pregnancy test that can be taken at home. However, there are blood tests and urinalysis that can be performed on the dog to check for increasing hormone levels.

Test For Dog Pregnancy


Estrus usually occurs about seven days after the bleeding has started.



There are some early signs of the pregnancy that can make a dog pregnancy test obsolete. However, for the inexperienced breeder, these early signs are a little hard to notice. Most pregnant females will lose their appetite in the first few weeks. The female may appear to have morning sickness along with a slight drop in the level of everyday activities.

The dog may also begin to have some amount of nipple growth, which is discernible in the first few weeks of the pregnancy. About 28 days after the breeding has been done, the doctor may be able to palpate the abdomen of the dog and find out about the pregnancy. However, this dog pregnancy test is not completely accurate. A more accurate test for dog pregnancy is the blood test.

Dog Pregnancy Test Kit and Cost


Unlike humans, who have several home pregnancy test kits, there are not many such products available for dogs. You can consult with your vet and see if they can help you procure a dog pregnancy test kit. However, the dog pregnancy test cost would usually deter pet owners from buying the kits themselves. Getting the dog tested by a vet is safer, easier and usually cheaper as well.

For dog pregnancy test a blood sample is taken and tested for the pregnancy hormones. This, when followed up with an ultrasound, is the most accurate method of confirming a pregnancy. Apart from confirming it, this method can also help you determine the number of pups in the litter. Home test kits that require obtaining blood samples from the dog should not be used by inexperienced breeders. It is best to leave that to the more experienced dog owners or the vet.

 

 

 
  Submitted on November 23, 2011