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My dog was in heat. Is she pregnant? Her nipples and vulva are swollen.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 3 months old | 3.5 lbs

How can I tell if my dog got pregnant, her breast our swollen a lot and she is just was in heat ,not her genial area is still swollen and she stopped bleeding over a week ago.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on May 23rd, 2018

If Cali stopped bleeding over a week ago, it's still too early to tell if she is pregnant or not. Her nipples and genital area should go down not long after a heat ends. Even if she was pregnant, it would still be too early for her nipples to enlarge in response to a pregnancy. You can wait at least another three weeks then take her into the vet for a blood test looking for the hormone relaxin. This will be present in her blood if she is pregnant. You can wait six weeks instead and then take her into the vet for x-rays or an ultrasound to see if she is pregnant or not. This will also tell you how many puppies she is carrying. Best of luck.

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    Answered By Stephanie Echols, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 30th, 2017

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like she was finishing a heat cycle. Only a blood test can tell if she is pregnant this soon and it is a very expensive test. Orherwise, you can wait about 30 days to do an ultrasound or 45 days for x-rays. Good luck and kisses to Karma!

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Related Questions

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I have a 10mth old pocket bully came into 1st heat around jan.18th it is now feb.26th no bleeding vulva is still kinda swollen but all her nipples are red and swollen can she be pregnant..we do have a male on property but thought they where kept apar
If Nakkita was kept apart from the male, it may be she isn't pregnant. It takes time for the vulva to go down and the nipples do not return to their previous size after a dog goes into heat. Keep an eye on her for now, and maybe in a few weeks, take her into the vet for a check up. I hope this helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My dogs has been in heat for about a month and now she's acting super out of her normal and nipple swollen tummy tight and has always looked lean and does not anymore. Is that preg or just her first cycle?
A dog's heat last 3-4 weeks, and her nipples can become swollen during a heat. This should go down in in a few weeks. If your dog was around an intact male during her heat, it's certainly possible that she is pregnant. She also could be experiencing a false pregnancy. I would have her seen by a vet in another 3-4 weeks if she still has a swollen nipples and a tight belly. The vet then can diagnose if she is pregnant or not. Should she start showing any other signs such as vomiting, lethargy, anorexia, or diarrhea, I would have her seen by a vet right away.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My dog lanzo is just 9 months and had her first period. And now it seems that she might be pregnant as there are signs of it like swollen vulva and hormonal change, nipples are visible too. Is it too early ? Is it bad for her health ? It was accident
It could be that Lanzo is still in heat, as it would be too early for signs of pregnancy if she just had her first heat. Vulva and nipple swelling are also signs of heat, and it does take time for them to go down after a dog ends her heat. I would have her seen by a vet in three weeks for a blood test called relaxin. This is a hormone produced when a dog is pregnant. While it isn't advisable for a dog to get pregnant on her first heat, it does happen and as long as you work with your vet during her pregnancy, she can be ok.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Is the dogs vagina hanging out post being in heat a sign of pregnancy
Not necessarily. A vulva can stay enlarged and swollen for weeks after coming out of heat. Keep a close eye on her. You can have your vet check with an ultrasound at 30 days of pregnancy and with X-rays st 45 days to confirm pregnancy. I hope this helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog's vagina never shrunk down after she was in heat. Her bottom two nipples are also enlarged and feel swollen when pushed on. She is 100% not pregnant.
It is not unusual for the vulva to remain swollen for a period of time after the "heat" cycle is over. In dogs, there are [4 stages of estrus](https://www.petcoach.co/article/anatomy-and-function-of-the-reproductive-system-in-dogs). The combination of proestrus and estrus, which is often referred to as "heat" by breeders, lasts approximately 21 days. "Heat" is followed by diestrus and anestrus. During proestrus, the vulva swells and has a bloody discharge. During estrus, the vulva softens and becomes pliable in preparation for mating. It can take several weeks following estrus for the vulva to shrink back down in size, but it will never go back to the size it was before the first heat cycle. The same is true of the mammary glands, which enlarge slightly in preparation for [pregnancy](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/pregnancy/).
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog had her first heat cycle 2 months ago and her nipples and vagina are still enlarged. When will they shrink back down?
tAs long as she didn't get bred or is going through a false pregnancy, most dogs will shrink down within 2-3 weeks or so months from the heat cycle. It should be noted they will never shrink back to the size they were prior to here heat cycle. Since her teats and vulva are still swollen, I recommend to have her examined to find out if something is wrong or if she is pregnant. I do recommend to spay Oakley unless she is planned to be a breeding dog. There are many health and behavioral benefits to the procedure. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello I think my dog may be pregnant but can't tell. She hasn't gained much weight but she runs a lot and her nipples are starting to get bigger. Also her vagina is dark and swollen. Could you please give me any advice on weather she could be or not.
Harley could be pregnant or she could be experiencing a false pregnancy (showing all the signs of being pregnant without having puppies). But these symptoms could also be due to her first heat. The only way to know for sure is to have her seen by a vet. The vet can diagnose what is causing her symptoms. I would have her seen by a vet tomorrow. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog had gotten out and may or may not have been around a male , the dog pound found her and we were told she was in heat . We recently have been noticing that her teets are growing and producing milk , they feel very swollen . Her stomach hasn’t r
She is most likely pregnant based on what you are describing, but there's a small possibility that this is a false pregnancy. They don't tend to have a dramatic increase in drinking when they are pregnant, so this worries me somewhat, because this can happen with some diseases. If she is also having other signs of illness, then I would recommend a visit to the vet as soon as possible. Testing for pregnancy is usually most effective after 30 days of pregnancy, so it would be good to schedule an exam by your vet sometime soon. You may also consider getting her spayed to prevent the pregnancy. This can be done anytime now and is better to do earlier rather than later. Below is a link with more information about pregnancy in dogs. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/breeding-for-pet-owners-pregnancy-in-dogs I hope that helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has had her first heat and her nipples and bulbs are very swollen but she isn’t bleeding at all anymore
Female dogs bleed in pre-estrus, which is the two or three weeks before the actual estrus or heat during which they can conceive. This will then actually last about two to three weeks and her vulva and nipples will remain swollen due to the increase in hormones. So, actually she is now in heat and can conceive, so you need to guard her, if you do not want puppies.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a 10 month old pitbull. She went I'm heat 6 weeks ago. I'm just noticing her belly n nipple getting larger theis week. Could she be pregnant? If so will it hurt her? I'm so worried she my baby.
It is possible. If she was ever outside unsupervised when she was in heat (or around an intact male dog unsupervised inside your home) I would be suspicious. She is probably far enough along that your vet could tell you; either by a blood test or by ultrasound to look for fetal heartbeats. These tests won’t tell you how many puppies there are, just whether or not there’s a pregnancy. An X-ray can be performed after about 50 days of pregnancy to try to estimate the number of puppies. (Fetal skeletons can’t be seen on X-ray until at least 45 days along) Here is an article you may find helpful. Good luck with her! Thanks for asking Boop by Petco! https://www.petcoach.co/article/pregnancy-diagnosis-caring-for-the-pregnant-dog/
Updated on September 24th, 2025

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