For dog owners who have female pet dogs, it is a must to know about pet pregnancy. Unfortunately, not all dog owners see the importance of knowing what to expect when their little princess is expecting. So here are a few tips and information on how you can determine if your dog is pregnant:

1. Dog pregnancy lasts approximately 63 days. For the first three weeks of pregnancy, you may notice some changes. Some females become more demanding for attention; their nipples may enlarge slightly; and some may become hungrier. However, these are not a guarantee of a pregnancy, but they are good signs.

2. You may notice a clear mucoid discharge on your female dog during the 4th to 5th weeks into pregnancy and this will continue until parturition or birth.

3. Ultrasound is able to pick up fetal heartbeats at about 28 days into gestation or pregnancy. Although, this will not be able to determine the number of puppies, it can still give an estimate and can confirm a pregnancy. At about the same time, a veterinarian may be able to palpate the uterus and feel the fetuses.

4. A blood test may help check for a confirmed pregnancy which should be done at about 28 to 30 days into pregnancy. This will check for the hormone relaxin which is produced when the fertilized egg is implanted.

5. On the 60th day of pregnancy, the number of fetuses may be determined. This is will also be the best time for your vet to know if the puppies will fit to the birth canals of your pet dog.

Once you have determined that your dog is pregnant, it is highly advisable that you feed her with premium adult food for the first few weeks of pregnancy. Starting the fourth or fifth week of pregnancy, begin adding a premium performance food or premium puppy food to her diet. Each week increase the amount of the performance or puppy food and decrease the amount of adult food, so when she is in her final week of pregnancy, she is on all performance puppy food. Increase the frequency of the daily meals to three by mid pregnancy. Finally, she may need to eat small meals every three to four hours during the last week of the pregnancy as the puppies continue to take up more room. Remember, most fetal growth occurs in the last two weeks of pregnancy so this time would really very crucial.