Our Poochon, Biscuit and Cavapoo Blue are going to be parents once again! They have previously had a litter of absolutely adorable Cavapoochon puppies. You would think that the second time around we would have spotted that Biscuit was pregnant sooner, but you’d be wrong! I have kept a pregnancy diary of our poochon to share with my readers. This might help you to spot the signs of pregnancy sooner than we did!
This is part 1 of our poochon pregnancy diary covering weeks 1 to 5.
Biscuit Came into Season
As a small, Poochon, Biscuit comes into season 2 or 3 times per year. Typically, smaller dogs tend to come into season more frequently than larger dogs. However, each dog is an individual and what is typical for one breed might not apply to all dogs of that breed.
Biscuit came into season in the middle of February. She displayed a number of symptoms which indicated she was in season. First, we noticed she was licking her private parts frequently. Biscuit also became much more affectionate and rather than sleeping in her bed, she sought company and the comfort of the humans in the home. After a week or so, we noticed Biscuit would bleed slightly from her vulva. She is a hairy dog and we could see spots of blood in her coat. We also noticed a few spots of blood on the floor too.
But the biggest indicator that Biscuit was in season was Blue’s reaction towards her. He became increasingly interested in her and would follow her around the home. When she urinated, he would smell it and lick it obsessively.
We kept the dogs separated when we were not present.
Mating
Biscuit began to seek attention from Blue. They tried to mate but had what is known as a ‘slip mate’ – Blue mounted Biscuit but did not achieve what is known as a ‘tie’. A tie is when the male dog penetrates the female and they become stuck together. Quite often, the male dog will turn during mating so the dogs are back to back.
After one slip mate, the following day they achieved a successful tie. The dogs remained back-to-back for around 20 minutes. It is important to remain calm at this time and try not to cause the dogs any alarm or distress. If the bitch seems uncomfortable, the best thing you can do at this point is to reassure her. Any interference from humans can cause pain or damage to either or both dogs.
Biscuit and Blue tried once more but they did not achieve another successful tie again.
The Pregnancy
Week 1
Week 1 of the pregnancy was rather uneventful. Biscuit continued to bleed as her season continued. Blue became less interested in her and she became less interested in him.
One thing we have noticed that has occurred from week 1 is a slight behavioural change. Since week 1, Biscuit will roll in her back whenever she comes to us. It’s almost as if she is trying to show us her belly. Or perhaps she is comforted more than ever by a belly rub.
Week 2
Very much like week 1, week 2 of the Poochon pregnancy was largely uneventful. Biscuit continued to bleed and I wasn’t sure if this meant that she had not conceived. After seeking advice from various websites and chat forums, I discovered that a pregnant bitch will continue her season as normal whether she has conceived or not during mating.
Towards the end of week 2, Biscuit stopped bleeding.
Week 3
At the beginning of week 3, Biscuit became very clingy to us. She slept very close to me and constantly sought attention from us. We noticed during week 3 that her energy levels were low.
Biscuit began to sleep a lot. Normally, Biscuit loves to play fetch with the ball. This completely stopped at this time. During her walks, she tired very quickly. She would often pant on walks which is not normal for her.
Biscuit no longer played with the other dogs from week 3, instead taking herself away from play and seeking the quiet and solitude of her dog bed.
During the night, I would sometimes hear her heave as though she was going to vomit. I would wake up and check on her, but she did not appear to have vomited.
Week 4
During week 4, Biscuit’s appetite decreased dramatically. Rather than just heaving, Biscuit would sometimes vomit slightly in the night and during the day too. We weren’t sure if this was an indication that she was pregnant because one of our other dogs vomited on one of these days too. We told ourselves that the dogs had probably eaten something that didn’t agree with them – they had tried a new brand of food in the days leading up to the vomiting.
Biscuit hasn’t vomited since but her appetite did begin to increase toward the end of week 4.
Her urination increased in week 4. Unlike Biscuit, she woke me up through the night to urinate in the garden. She continues to urinate more frequently as the pregnancy develops.
Week 5
Week 5 saw the biggest transformation in Biscuit and convinced us that what our Poochon was experiencing were pregnancy symptoms.
Biscuit’s appetite increased dramatically in week 5. She would eat all her food as soon as it was offered to her (this isn’t typical for Biscuit). Once she had eaten all her food, she would hunt for more. Biscuit would sometimes try to get into the dog food cupboard or steal food from the other dogs.
Her belly swelled during week 5. This was rather difficult to spot initially. As we are around Biscuit all day every day, it can be hard to notice this important change. If you do think your dog is pregnant or if she has been mated, a good idea is to take photos of your dog’s belly every few days. This way you can compare photos and look for an increase in the size of her belly.
In the middle of week 5, Biscuit’s nipples began to grow. They also became much more pink in colour.
Also in the middle of week 5, I noticed a mucus discharge from Biscuit’s vulva. I only spotted this discharge once and it was when she came back from urinating.
One curious behavioural change occurred in week 5. Biscuit began to rub herself on items of furniture and the floor. She does this throughout the house, in every room. She does this daily now and it is something she hs not done before. I assume she is marking her scent around the home in preparation for the puppys’ arrival.
There was little doubt in my mind by week 5 that Biscuit was pregnant and we took her for a scan. You can read all about Biscuit’s ultrasound scan here.
Main Symptoms
As a neat summary, here are the main symptoms Biscuit experienced between weeks 1 and 5 and the week in which she experienced them.
- Swollen Belly – From week 5
- Sickness – Week 4
- Enlarged Nipples – From week 5
- Decreased Appetite – Week 4
- Increased Appetite – From week 5
- Lack of energy – From week 3
Come back soon to read the second half of our poochon pregnancy diary!
