Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

My rescued dog is lactating. Is she pregnant or false pregnancy?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Rottweiler | Female | unspayed | 107.8 lbs

Rescued a Rottweiler off the street 4 weeks ago. It's obvious that she's had a litter in the past. She's still young tho. Tonight I noticed that she is lactating. She doesn't be look any bigger and I can't feel any puppies.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 17th, 2018

How lovely of you to take in Nala! It could be that she isn't far enough along in her pregnancy to feel puppies, that usually can be felt during the last one to two weeks of pregnancy. A dog's pregnancy lasts 58-68 days. It could also be she is suffering from a false pregnancy in which a dog shows signs of being pregnant but isn't carrying any puppies. The only way to know for sure is take her into the vet. The vet might be able to do x-rays to see if she is pregnant or not. If she isn't pregnant and is having a false pregnancy, typically no treatment is needed for it, but spaying her is recommended. I would take her into a vet on Monday. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
A clear sticky fluid without odor has come out of my dogs nipple, a couple days ago she developed a 6 pack of breasts, I acquired her from a rescue less than 2 months ago, she was/is bony and thin but gained some weight since adopting her. We do not
HI, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Normal pregnancy length in dogs is 60-63 days. If she mated right before adoption then she could be pregnant. Puppy heart beats can be detected on ultrasound at 28 days gestation and we can see their skeletons on X-rays around 50 days. She could be pregnant or she could be suffering from a false pregnancy which occurs after they have a heat cycle from a hormonal imbalance. This imbalance causes the body to think it is pregnant when it actually isn't. The dog can develop mammary glands, produce milk, nest, carry stuffed animals around like babies, act anxious. It resolves with in 2-3 months. I would make an appointment with your Vet to see if you can confirm or deny pregnancy. I wish you the best!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
Our female dog has been laying in her whelping box all morning. She is also lactating and her nipples are enlarged. She doesn't look pregnant though. Could she be going into labor? She won’t let our other dog go near the whelping box. *
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lola. The first question is if she was in heat and breed approximately 63 days ago. If so, then it is possible that she is pregnant. If not, then she could be experiencing a false pregnancy. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian for a thorough examination and x-rays of her belly. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog mated 30 days back. She was very active and eating everything for the first 3.5 weeks in pregnancy. Her teats are little large but they are not pink at all. Now I can see a round big belly. She is a stray and 1 year old. Pregnancy was not pla
Unfortunately you can't tell if this is a real pregnancy or a false pregnancy without an ultrasound at this stage. At 22 days, the fetal heart beats can be detected on an ultrasound. At 45 days, the fetal skeletons can be seen on an x-ray. Depending on the size of the mother and the amount of puppies, the fetuses may be palpated in the final weeks of pregnancy. Here are a couple links with additional information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/false-pregnancy-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/pregnancy-diagnosis-caring-for-the-pregnant-dog/ I strongly recommend to have your dog spayed. Otherwise she will have up to two litters of puppies a year. Not only is this a lot of strain on her body, but it contributes to pet over population. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I think my dog is pregnant. She was around a male 3 weeks ago and I don't recall them being alone long enough to have done anything but she's producing milk and has become extremely needy. I thought she was in heat a few months ago and it was over bu
Dogs are typically pregnant for 58-63 days. They do have false pregnancies which their bodies will think they are pregnant and go through the hormonal process just like being pregnant. Milk typically started to develop around week 6 of pregnancy. Dogs typically come in heat about every 6 months on average. Taking her to your vet for an ultrasound or x-ray will determine if she is actually pregnant or just going through a false pregnancy.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
She’s been like this (look at picture) for more than 3 weeks. Her belly is kinda big, her nipples are large. Is this false pregnancy, or something different than pregnancy in general? Or does she look pregnant?
She appears pregnant from the photos but there is no way for me to diagnose pregnancy via the internet. Dogs are pregnant for 62-65 days so if it’s been that long without her delivering I suggest you get her to a vet for an exam. I doubt this is false pregnancy. Here are some articles for you to read about the subject: ( https://mobile.petcoach.co/amp/article/false-pregnancy-in-dogs ) ( https://mobile.petcoach.co/amp/article/pregnancy-diagnosis-caring-for-the-pregnant-dog )
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My female dog is lactating, and exhibiting signs of false pregnancy, and it is 2 months past her last cycle. Producing milk, protective of toys, nesting behavior. I don't understand?
Two months following her Heat cycle is the exact time you would see these symptoms as that coincides with the timing she would be close to giving birth if she were pregnant. Normal pregnancy lasts 9 weeks or 63 days. If you are sure she is not pregnant, than she is likely having a false pregnancy and the symptoms can last for a few weeks.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
We found a stranded dog on new years day. She was at the last of heat blessing for a few days still. She is showing signs of pregnancy now. I can't determine a date she could have mated
Well first off, thank you for taking care of this sweet girl. A dogs gestation period is 62-63 days. With her being a larger dog, she likely won't have any issues having puppies. If you feel like she is getting a larger belly, I would have your vet take an x-ray. If they can see the skeletons of the puppies, then this proves that she is at least 45 days along. That will give you approximately 2 week window of when she could have the puppies. Unfortunately, there isn't any good test to tell you the exact day of when they will be born. Most dogs will have their temperature drop below 99 degrees F when they are going to go into labor within 24-48 hours. Unfortunately, this doesn't ALWAYS happen. When she does go into labor just give her some space and don't bother her too much. If you mess with her too much, it can actually slow down labor. I hope this helps !
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a pitbull. She mated on june 18,2017. I am not sure about her pregnancy. There is white substance coming from her nipples, but her stomach is not fat like pregnant dogs. How can I be sure whether my dog is pregnant or not.
If she became pregnant on June 18, then Brownie is 57 days along. It is possible that she is starting to create milk. Dogs do not always "look" pregnant, especially if she is having a small litter. She is far enough along to have your vet do an x-ray to check for puppies. I recommend this also so that you will know how many puppies to expect while she is labor. It is possible that she is not pregnant and is exhibiting signs associated with false pregnancy. Most dogs will clear a false pregnancy on their own without treatment. Here is some more helpful information: Birthing puppies: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=678 False pregnancy: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1896
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Miniature Schnauzer 7 weeks pregnant but cant feel any puppies only the solid pregnant tummy, out of the ordinary recently she has been sleeping on the tiled floor on her side breathing quite fast, Could she having a phantom pregnancy seen as I can't
Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. Dogs are pregnant an average of 62 days, so Skye is getting close. It is possible that this is a false pregnancy, but the only way to really tell is with an x-ray or ultrasound exam. At this point of her pregnancy it may be difficult to feel individual puppies, especially due to size of the puppies & if this is a rather large litter. An increased respiratory rate could be a direct result of her pregnancy putting increased pressure on her diaphragm. I think it is well worth an x-ray to know how many puppies are there. Hope this helps. Thank you.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
How can I tell if my dog is pregnant she is Lactating
Pregnant dogs have enlarged abdomen from about 5-6 week after the heat. Lactation can start 1-2 days before the labour - this usually does not happen in first pregnancy. If Tweet has normal size abdomen and she has been lactating for a few days now i would suspect phantom pregnancy. However, if you want to be sure if Tweet is pregnant or not, you will need to take her to your local vets for x-ray or ultrasound scan.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Supplies Dog Food Dog Health & Wellness Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Wet Dog Food Puppy Milk Replacers Dog First Aid & Recovery Prescription Dog Digestive Medications Premium Dog Food Dry Dog Food NALA Cat DOG by Dr Lisa Puppie Love Lactulose Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Lactulose Prescription Dog Digestive Medications Novolin N Insulin Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Lactated Ringers Electrolytes for Dogs Lactated Ringers Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Puppy PetAg Puppy Milk Replacers
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored