I had a bitch scanned at 4 week and the vet has said no puppies. But my bitch has been gaining weight seems to have had a total personality change and has been sick quite a few times. She would be 6 weeks now isn't massive but the bitch is quite long in the body has anyone else had experiences like this and is it possible she is having puppies.
Thanks

My thoughts about this have been well documented here!   Fact is I'd only scan if I needed to make a decision about a gravid spay, or not.   And as that's unlikely to have ever been needed, frankly I don't bother with scanning, which after all isn't accurate re numbers, and at best, only confirms a pregnancy at the time of the scan.  Not guarantee the bitch will carry to term.   I realise, only too well, that others disagree, but that's my two-bits worth!!

By the time your bitch gets to 7 weeks, you should start to see the puppies moving around, unless she only has a couple and has them tucked up under the ribcage.

For me, I'd wait until a couple of days after her due date and if nothing has happened, get her checked by your vet, palpated, perhaps x-rayed /given a shot to get things moving.   Provided you had perhaps a couple of good matings, why not wait?

ps   Vet offices are where sick dogs go (infection).   Many dogs hate going to a vet (stress).    Others will disagree, and have, but when I plan a litter, I curtail all my other dog-related activities, showing etc.

Unless it is a VERY experienced scanner (and a lot of vets are not), I would never have a bitch scanned before 30 days. Ideally around 32 days. At 28 days pups can still be missed.

Thanks for your help. To be honest I expected her not to be as she had three slip matings. But the amount of weight she is putting then the sickness as personality change is certainly making me wonder.

> > I expected her not to be as she had three slip matings

I had a litter of 5 from 1 slip mating.

I had one bitch carry right under her ribcage.  I saw a pup move down a couple of days before she whelped.  I honestly thought we were having a singleton..

She was laid on the settee right next to me the next evening.  She was on her back and I was stroking her tummy while watching TV.  I soon got distracted from TV when her tummy looked like waves as a pup decided to move down from under the ribcage.  She whelped 2 pups the following morning.

Again one of my males only ever managed slip ties but his strike rate, with normal sized litters, was 99% .   Of the (few) litters I let him sire, only one bitch missed - she came back the next season to my other stud dog, and missed.   She went to another male, not one of mine, on the next season .... same result.   Clearly she wasn't meant for motherhood!!   In other words, much as we all prefer to see a mating with a tie, it's not totally necessary!!

Fingers X'd eh

My friend had her girl scanned at vets who said no pups. Then later had her rescanned by a breeder a few weeks later due to her gaining alot of weight and they saw 5 pups.

is she pregnant do u think

I have always gone to a lady who specialises in scanning, over 20 years experience. She is brilliant, numbers and date wise. I wouldn't use my vets, for one thing I don't think their scanning equipment is as up to date as hers and when I have gone in with a friend who got her bitch scanned there, they wouldn't give numbers, just a yes or no. Do you know of anyone providing a scan service in your area?

I have always gone to a lady who specialises in scanning, over 20 years experience. She is brilliant, numbers and date wise. I wouldn't use my vets, for one thing I don't think their scanning equipment is as up to date as hers and when I have gone in with a friend who got her bitch scanned there, they wouldn't give numbers, just a yes or no

This is SO dependant on the person who does it though, not being a vet doesn't guarantee anything. I have had really bad scans from vets AND from a scanner lady. Best results I've had as far as numbers go have been my current vets and they are a tenner cheaper than the scanner lady I used, and closer to home too.

I'd ask around other local breeders and see what their experiences are.

Both my vet (who is excellent) and my scanner lady were correct. My vet said at least 4, possibly 6; the scanner lady said 5, possibly six. In the end we had 6, and 2 were stillborn.