After ovulation tests, and two successful matings with proven stud dog on days 8 and 10, we had our girl scanned today- 29 days after second mating, and there's nothing showing on the scan. I feel so gutted ! :(

Lovely vet, wouldn't even charge us, and has said come back in a week for another free scan- just in case. Anybody experienced this? She didn't conceive last year after mating on days 11 and 13, so we had her tested this year ( only one season a year )..

I really tried not to get hopes up but I obviously had, we were all so excited at the whole prospect ! Sorry, have to get it off my chest x

Don't give up hope yet, she might be a late taker or the vet just couldn't see them.

I'd go back to the vet nwxt week and if you want to find adog scanner, they are usually better at detecting pups.

Good luck xx

Did you Idexx test or use your Vet to test?

Don't lose heart/faith just yet - she may well be hiding them well.  Have her re-scanned next week and hopefully they will be able to see something.

Did you use the same stud dog as last time?  This may be a factor.

Nearly 2 years ago I had a bitch miss to a proven stud dog - it would have been her 2nd litter so knew she was ok.  She was swabbed/had bloods etc done + CHV - 2 good ties but no pups.  So disappointing - following season took her to another dog and we had pups.

I've recently had another bitch miss - again all tested - dog not proven but was sperm tested just prior to mating - very disappointing as I really wanted pup from that litter - now have to decide whether to chance it again or go to another stud dog.

Sometimes it just isn't meant to happen - but hopefully your girl is young enough to try again should she not be in whelp.

I can sympathise. I've tried twice and missed twice with Esme despite good ties on both occasions. I Idexx tested the 2nd time (although in hindsight should have tested for longer to make sure she had ovulated but did as Larry recommended) and also gave CHV vaccine after only in-house premate testing the 1st time.

I'm waiting for her to come in season again anytime now and this time I'm using a different dog and am going to get her swabbed, to make sure there isn't an abnormal bacterial growth, Idexx test until ovulation and again give the CHV vaccine. Not sure what else I can do?

I would say don't give up hope. Does the vet have lots of experience with scanning? You may be better going to a sheep scanner who is doing it day in, day out and is often more accurate than vets.

Thank you for the hope ! I used premate testing- bloods taken then analyse the colour against a chart - all at the vets...

It was a surprise when tested on day 6, it showed ovulation to be imminent, then on day 8- ovulation deemed to have just taken place, so mated that day and day 10 thinking we had it covered..

She is such a slim but fit dog too, so haven't seen any physical changes, but know that's normal at 4 weeks... I think the vet is experienced in scanning, he said they normally 'jump out' at him on the scan, but will definately go back next week.

The problem may well be with her? As the Dog has sired several litters and is a well proven chap. Could it be the combination of those particular two?

Thank you for the kind responses, I have found everyone on this forum very understanding and helpful. x

I think I would use the Idexx test next time.  Tests are only as reliable as the operator and local Vets tend to do them rarely - Idexx do them everyday. :) :)
Very unusual that a Vet will scan for free......

I have had similar with my girl last year, a mating in March  - scan showed nothing - but had physical signs.Only resulted in a phantom pregnancy.Again tried in October - scan showed at least 3 pups.As the pregnancy progressed I wasn't convinced as I couldn't feel any fetal development/movement.Though she is very fit and very muscular it was possible she had them tucked up high.Vet thought she was(though i had little faith in her).She had sadly reabsorbed them :(  We will try once more when she is in season next month ( vet - different practice - has examined her and no cause found,just 'one of those things' and our breeder has encouraged us to try again ),but this is deffinately our last go.After the year I have had we were soo looking forward to pupsters.
ps our vet charged £50 each time but our new vet charges a one off £30
Fingers crossed for you though,
Jude.

Yes I know unusual to have for free, but husband is a falconer and often takes on their injured birds of prey that they have brought in...yes, definately use indexx next time ...

Our vet charges for the 1st scan but if nothing is seen the 2nd is always free.

I just assumed this was normal for vets.

Fingers crossed for you Louise, hopefully the lil tinkers are hiding.

Thanks for that . Do you often not see anything at the first scan and go for a second and see pups ?? x

Keith Shea told me that the days when to scan depend also on the breed.

If the test was correct then the earliest the ova could have been fertilised was at the second mating,a dn possibly not for another 3 - 3 days.  then allowing for the test being off by a day or two, might mean you had mated too early.

Had she gone off/become less willing after the second mating.

it would have been better not to have mated her until the second mating for the first mating and tried again two days later if travelling for each mating.

I have just had a litter from my girl who was not tested.  She was amted alternate days over five days.  She was two days late to first mating, so she probably didn't take until after the second mating at the earliest, but more likely the last.

Generally I have had maiden bitches whelp between 2 - 5 days before due date for first mating, ans it is rare for them to go the full time. 

The one I had blood tested at a lab was mated the day after ovualtion and the next two days and whelped two days early.

So it could be that she took up to 6 days later than the indicated ovulation day.

Fingers crossed for the second scan.

Our Vet did not charge us for a second scan for one of our girls.

I think you need to know if/when she has actually ovulated by progesterone testing next time. It's worth going back for a re-scan. My vet charges for the first scan but if I have to go back it's FOC. I now try to get a scan done around 35 days after the 1st mating.

Many thanks everbody. Yes I would definately go for the progesterone test next time. It's such a tricky science ! Thanks for all that Brainless, she was keen for second mating, but I think we should have gone back again to have made sure like you said. x

My proven girl was mated to a proven boy, i had her scanned at 4.5 weeks, no puppies utterly devasted.

Too her back two weeks later, two puppies were seen on the scan !!!  Yippee

However she finally gave birth too four healthy babies

Wow, bet you were over the moon !! That's amazing..... x

Ive just had my bitch scanned tonight by Keith Shea sadly he didnt find any pups
now im wondering if its because she isnt quiet 4weeks yet?or could she be hiding them..
we was looking forward to this litter!
I have heard that some are scanned and nothing shows only for the bitch to go on and have a healthy litter

I had one of my bitches scanned at 28 days, no pups, didn't go onto pup.

However, breeder friend had a couple of bitches scanned at 28 days. Both times told no pups, both went onto have nice litters.

If you search on this forum there are many similar stories. I'd just be a bit patient and see what the free scan next week shows. Fingers crossed for you.

My vets generally offer a 2nd scan free of charge if they don't find anything on the first scan. But it is very difficult to see any pups at 4 weeks, they're literally just blobs!

To be honest Polly, if Keith Shea can't find anything, its very rare that she will produce anything. He is probably one of the best scanners in the country :-(

I say definately go back for the 2nd scan, you probably all followed my girls story on here and even the week before she had pups (late by c/section) nothing was on the scan she had  3 healthy pups:)   So don't give up hope x

Yep ive used Keith many times and he has been spot on!apart from numbers on a couple of occasions
Bit dissapointing was looking forward to this litter,ah well next time we might be lucky

Yeah if Keith says no I'd take that.  He came and scanned one of my girls last year, I'd had a bad year anyway what with my health, my mum's recent cancer diagnosis, so I ended up in tears when he told me she wasn't pregnant.  Bet he thinks I won't go to that mad household again LOL.