A portly stray dog in China was taken to an animal clinic after people thought it was going into labour and called for help.

However, the vet said the canine was male and it was ‘just too fat’.

The dog, spotted in Dalian was too good at absorbing nutrients, according to the vet, reports dailymail.co.uk.

The animal was taken to the vet on a mini stretcher after passers-by spotted it lying in a Chinese subway station inside the Youhao Plaza Station in Dalian on July 21.

Passengers and subway staff thought the canine was pregnant.

After carrying out medical examination, the vet said the dog was not pregnant and that it was obese.

According to a statement from Dalian Subway Group, staff first saw the stray dog near a staircase and it had a ‘bulging belly’. They thought the dog was expecting puppies.

Staff used food to lure the dog to a corner of the station so it would not block the way of other commuters.

With the help of a commuter, they managed to contact an animal clinic, which agreed to come and pick up the dog.

Staff from the animal clinic soon arrived and took the dog to the vet on a mini stretcher, according to a video on Pear Video.

According to Dalian Xingwang Animal Hospital, which examined the animal, the dog was about six years old and it was male.

The stray dog is said to suffer no major illnesses.

‘The dog is just too fat. We think it’s because the dog is too good at absorbing nutrients,’ said a worker at Xingwang Animal Hospital.

The worker also said stray dog was discharged from the Xingwang Animal Hospital on the same day and was being looked after by the stray dogs centre.