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Can hormones help my pregnant dog carry her puppies to full term?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Australian Shepherd | Female | unspayed | 12 years and 8 months old | 15 lbs

Is there a way to increase a females hormone level to carry a litter to term?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on May 26th, 2017

Yes, progesterone can be supplemented if needed in pregnant female dogs. However, this should only be done in close cooperation with your veterinarian, and only if progesterone testing shows that supplementation is needed - giving it when it isn't necessary can cause birth defects in the puppies, and may also throw off the timing of whelping if you're unsure of her exact due date.

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