Human Pregnancy Tests Cannot Work For Dogs
When humans are pregnant, they produce a specific hormone called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, or HCG. Note the keyword, “human”. At-home pregnancy sticks test the urine in humans specifically for this hormone. This is how humans are able to obtain quick and accurate results.
Since dogs do not produce this hormone, they cannot be tested for pregnancy through the means of urine testing. In fact, dogs, in general, do not produce a specific “pregnancy” hormone the way humans do. Dogs do, however, produce more progesterone and this is the cause of much confusion among many dog owners.
Are There Pregnancy Tests for Dogs?
Yes, there are ways dogs can be tested accurately for pregnancy. Female dogs may not have the advantage of a rapid response rate for pregnancy detection as humans do, but that does not mean they are exempt from testing.
In fact, according to the American Kennel Club, a veterinarian can detect pregnancy in your bitch around 28 days in gestation. This is done through very secure and trusted measures via an abdominal palpation or an ultrasound. In addition, dogs may also receive a blood test to determine pregnancy. None of these methods of testing should be done at home, but always in a professional setting by a trusted professional.
Whereas a human pregnancy test will check for the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin hormone in the urine, a female canine pregnancy test will test for the relaxin hormone. Relaxin is the hormone that is measured by canine pregnancy tests. Relaxin normally appears about three to four weeks after the pregnancy starts. Such tests tend to be extremely accurate.
However, unlike humans in which a simple urine sample is needed and the results are almost instantaneous, these relaxin tests require blood. Nor are these exams necessarily as easy than the average at home test sticks humans acquire. The test to measure pregnancy in female dogs requires you to draw blood and then separate the blood from the serum/plasma.
Testing kits for detecting dog pregnancy can be found online and ordered for home delivery. But no dog breeder or dog owner possesses the equipment at home to actually perform these tests properly and receive accurate testing results since blood samples are required. This is precisely why it is advisable and highly recommended you take your pet to a veterinarian and get her checked out professionally. Get your dog’s pregnancy confirmed by taking reliable testing methods such as an ultrasound abdominal scan or an x-ray.
Another form of testing is done through palpations. This is when a person feels for the babies on the dam’s abdomen. This can be done only between the days of 28 and 35 and should not be done at home as to avoid injury. From day 45, a female dog can undergo an x-ray to detect pregnancy. These are extremely reliable tests and also provide more information than ultrasounds. During an x-ray, a vet is able to determine how many puppies are in the litter.
In addition to the advantage of knowing how many puppies are inside the dam’s womb, an x-ray exam can also help in checking the bone structure of the puppies. Additionally, during the end of her pregnancy, roughly between a week or two before she is due, it is highly likely your vet may want to test your bitch again. This is often a great idea as it will help confirm the results from the previous test as well as give you crucial recommendations on what to expect during the whelping phase.
It’s important to check for accuracy because many dogs may experience what is known as a pseudopregnancy, or false pregnancy, in which she exhibits much of the same symptoms of pregnancy but is not actually pregnant. The best exam to take for testing is the ultrasound. It is completely safe and utilizes sound waves that create s of the inside of the dog’s womb. However, these means will not be able to tell you how many puppies are inside the womb.
Did You Know You Can Test Canine Pregnancy Via a Blood Test?
Humans can test for pregnancy from a simple at-home urine test; a dog pregnancy test is a little more complicated. Pregnancy in dogs differs quite a lot compared to humans. For starters, their pregnancy only lasts nine weeks, compared to a human’s nine months!
Bellylabs Pregnancy Test is the worlds’ first early detection rapid dog pregnancy test for home use, with a proven accuracy of 96 % for all dog breeds.
To test if a dog is pregnant, blood can be used to measure the hormone “relaxin,” which is produced by the placenta in pregnant dogs. Relaxin can be measured once the embryo has been implanted about three weeks after mating.
Performing a blood test is just one way to know your dog is pregnant; read on to find out more.
Pregnancy Tests For Dogs?!
If you’re a dog breeder, the prospect of a pregnancy in your dog is cause for celebration. If you’re a regular owner with an unspayed dog, the possibility of pregnancy is probably concerning.
Regardless of your situation, do human pregnancy tests work on dogs? The short answer to this question is no. A human pregnancy test won’t work on a dog. Read on to learn more.
I’ll explain why a human pregnancy test won’t work on a dog. We’ll also look at some other reliable methods of testing for pregnancy in dogs.