Ask The Doc: Pseudopregnant?

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I have a great female white lab that I have bred with my Black retired search and Rescue Lab. She appears to be pregnant but according to the days I counted she due about 4 days ago and she does not appear to be close. She has gained wait and she seems to be carrying milk. This is her first breeding, any suggestions???

Dr. DeMichael: You should have counted approximately 63 days from the time of the last mating to estimate the expected due date. Many of our dogs don't carry that long but may deliver 58 days or so after ovulation.

Several possibilities exist to explain her condition:

i) Your dog may be pseudopregnant (a false pregnancy). These females may show all the signs including nesting and digging while looking for a secure private place to have her pups. If this is the case, it may last a couple more weeks before the hormonal effects diminish.

ii) She may be pregnant but have a very small litter size. We actually had a litter of one a couple of years ago. We were sure she wasn't pregnant until she started showing all the definitive signs of labor. She had one pup (whose name was and still is " UNO") and he has grown to be a wonderful companion for a family in Virginia.

iii) She may be pregnant, but didn't ovulate until very late in her cycle and managed to conceive even up to a week after the last mating. It can happen.

iv) She may have a dead pup in the birth canal which is not capable of contributing to the delivery process. If she develops a vaginal discharge or exhibits signs of abdominal contractions without anything productive I would recommend you take her to your veterinarian.