Stray dog looks pregnant, how do I tell?

Hi all! This is my first time posting here but this site look amazing and I can't wait to get to know all of you and be able to share knowledge!!

Well, my very first post has to do with a dog we've named Momma. Momma was tied to the bumper of my truck during the night about 3 weeks ago. I ran an ad in the newspaper for found dog but no one called so we decided to keep her and find her a home (we're a nobody rescue group--just a bunch of animal lovers determined to do what's best). Anyway. Momma looked like she was either pregnant or just had puppies so I took her to the vet to confirm one or the other. He said she was definately NOT pregnant and probably had puppies recently. About a week and a half later, her tits were more "obvious" and she had put on a good 6 lbs. So I took her back to the vet and again he said, no, she's not pregnant.

Well, last night I was petting her (she's VERY lovey) and I noticed that her tits are now sagging and her abdomen is almost solid--though not very large. She's very lazy, doesn't walk around much and when she lays down she lays on her side and when she sits, her legs are to the same side (sits and lays without laying on her tummy basically). And in the last week, she's eating twice as much as she had been for the two weeks before.

The vet says she's probably just in heat and that's what the "problem" is but she is not pregnant. I have someone interested in adopting her but I strongly believe that she is pregnant.

I have never had an unsterilized pet before--we've always had dogs (and cat) sterilized before placing them in homes and we've never kept unsterilized males and females together. Right now, Momma is the only animal of 8 in our rescue group who is not fixed (well, one of the cats isn't but if HE knocked HER up, give me a number for a circus!!!! lol)

Because we have SOO many stray pets in our foster homes, we just don't have the funds to continue running any of them back and forth to vet after vet to have a gut feeling proved or disproved. So I'm hoping you guys can help.

How do I tell if she is pregnant (without waiting 8 weeks to see if she pops anything out). lol In the mean time, I'm offering her all the food and water she'll accept and keeping her inside (it's getting into the mid to high 90's with high humidity around here). But she enjoys being in the house--she finds a corner, stretches out and lays there.

Also, she doesn't urinate or have bowel movements very often--is that a sign of pregnancy? I suppose the BM could be irratable bowel syndrome--especially considering how underweight she was when we found her, perhaps having so little to eat for so long and then finally getting food (though we fed her gradually) could cause this.

Any thoughts or suggestions????

Thanks in advance!!!

the only way to be 100% sure in an ultra sound. But if she is not PG, then she is going through a false pregnancy. Can be dangerous. I would opt for an ultra sound, and if she is not, what my breeder friends have told me is you do not give them food for 24 hours...It really does help. Then get her spayed ASAP. she can have an infection called pymoretia ( sp ). infection in uterus and very deadly....Start off with US work from there. Good luck, she is a cutie

Thanks for your thoughts. I did have a complete physical done on her the 2nd time I took her to the vet and he said, despite being dehydrated and underweight, she was healthy (blood work was fine, heart was strong, lungs were clear, yadayadayada). He also said that he could not do an u/s because if he didn't feel any pups in the uterus than nothing would show up on the u/s. An u/s on a dog is usually only "good" after the 42nd day; before that it won't show anything up. His only suggestion was to have her spayed and if she IS pregnant, they would terminate the pregnancy. I totally understand the over-pet population in this world. But I am against euthenizing healthy animals and will NOT take part in any of it. If I agree to this termination, then I will have become a "kill shelter" and that goes against everything Adoption Palace stands for. It's sick and disgusting and I won't be a part of it.

I guess at this point we have decided to withdraw her from general population and hold off her adoption. We expect one of two things--either she'll have puppies or she won't. So if in 60 days (we figure we'll give her full term from this date) she has puppies, my gut feeling was correct and we'll go from there. If in 60 days she hasn't had any, we'll take her in, have her spayed and find her a home.

You would not be considered a kill shelter based on these in her belly are not puppies yet. And if she goes through labor being so weak, and under nourished an infection can occur. I think the more responsible thing to do would be to have her spayed now. When it is very early into PG, or if she is not pg... I volunteered for a no kill shelter, and let me tell you, sometimes it is more humane to do the right thing....Think hard, it is not worth her life.

His only suggestion was to have her spayed and if she IS pregnant, they would terminate the pregnancy. I totally understand the over-pet population in this world. But I am against euthenizing healthy animals and will NOT take part in any of it. If I agree to this termination, then I will have become a "kill shelter" and that goes against everything Adoption Palace stands for. It's sick and disgusting and I won't be a part of it.

If you are a rescue, then your first priority should be preventing anymore unwanted animals from being born. Also, allowing a malnouished dog to have a litter could be a serious problem, if the mother can't or won't feed the babies, or if she dies during labour. Continuing with the pregnancy is not doing anyone a favour.

There are already tons of unwanted puppies everywhere, and if you let another litter be born, you will be contributing to the deaths of puppies who are already here.

Aborting a litter is sad, but it's not "sick and disgusting" and I find that attitude alarming.

No one enjoys spaying/aborting pregnant animals - I sure don't - but if rescue groups are going to bring more animals into the world, then we are in big trouble.:(

The original question was answered and this thread will now be closed.