Hello, my bitch was mated back in November - 2 successful ties. We assumed it was  ‘successful’ as she began to put on weight and became very attached and needy. When I say she put on weight she is a very fit and athletic lean gun dog breed and the weight gain has been across her waistline and ribs, it looks as though she is much wider but no visible baby bump. However we had her scanned on 2 occasions by 2 different people at around 26 days and 30 days, both of which said she was empty which came as a total shock as she was showing all the signs. Disappointingly we accepted this and moved on. So I didn’t up her food or do anything differently...however she has still kept the weight on and for a dog that normally has a pretty narrow waist it’s almost the same size as her rib cage... this has made me question if she actually is pregnant or not, a few days ago I noticed with a slight squeeze of her nipples she had milk... am I going crazy or could she be in pup? The person who scanned her said she could of ovulated later than when she was Mated so potentially when scanned it could have been too early to see... which means she could potentially go up until the 27th January... has anyone had any experience of dogs not showing? I’m sure she isn’t pregnant as the scans said she wasn’t but I can’t rest easy due to the weight gain and milk... please share your stories or advice thank you

Milk could simply be phantom pregnancy, which to a certain extent all bitches go through.

I do know a bitch in my breed was told no pups.

She developed a lot of milk so vets prescribed Galastop (which should never be given in pregnancy, can cause abortion.

Much to her owners shock she went into labour, had 5 pups,but had no milk for 5 days.

Pups had to be bottle fed for 5 fays until her milk finally came through.

Thanks for the response brainless.... phantom pregnancy has certainly crossed my mind and is likely what she is doing...I’m just concerned that I ignore and take this as her not being In pup. what’s your thoughts on her not showing? Can this actually happen? I keep hearing things about pups hiding in the ribs? Thank you x

One of mine did not look pregnant at all until last 10 days, and carried 8 pups.

I did have her confirmed in whelp by palpatuon at 28 days from first mating.

Wow ok so literally showed at last minute!! My head says no as 2 scans later said empty...but I have that niggling feeling she might be... do I just wait and monitor her day by day? Thank you.

Why not get her scanned again to be sure?

I think she was scanned too early , I always scan after day 35.

I think many vets would deem scanning non urgent during lockdown?

When she's lying quietly, can you feel any movement in her tummy?

You should feel/see some movement from around week seven.   Personally I'd not bother with another scan (I don't do scans in any case) but let her go to a couple of days over from the first mating and get your vet to examine her and x-ray if nothing has happened by then.

The vets won’t scan her jeangenie as apparently it’s  not classed as an ‘emergency”

Hi Mamabas, it’s not often she chills and relaxes her tummy. I have had a few occasions where I have felt her tummy and felt something hard taken my hand off and back on and it’s gone. But nothing that I could say is puppy movement, my other dog had  litters years ago and the puppy movement was very obvious in the last few weeks... the issue I’m having with the vet is they don’t class it as an emergency so won’t scan or X-ray, I asked if they would even just examine her but have said they would only do that nearer the time but couldn’t give assurances... I have argued a few times saying the whole point is so I know if she is expecting and now is the time if any! Thank you

All you can do is watch and wait and be ready for her to go into labour. It is possible that pups are carried high up and missed by scans especially if there are not many of them.

It can equally be a false pregnancy which can go right through to producing milk. Don't treat it as a false pregnancy until you're sure she isn't pregnant though...

>The vets won’t scan her jeangenie as apparently it’s  not classed as an ‘emergency”

That's a shame, because they're allowed to perform procedures that could prevent an emergency arising, and an over-large singleton pup would probably require a c-section to deliver - and that would be an emergency. If they're aware of that it could be scheduled.

Thank you jeangenie, it’s very frustrating for me as I don’t feel they are giving me the support or advice. I have to be honest they are not great but I live in a small town where they are the only vets, I didn’t go to them when I had her scanned which may have something to do with it... I had asked if they could do the relaxin bloody test weeks ago, but apparently that’s not something we do in the uk? Thank you

Thanks for the advice onetwothreefour we are prepared in that we have the whelping box, shed load of towels and a heat lamp etc.  But stopped with any other preparations before Christmas when she had the 2nd scan... I will buy a whelping kit and I’m monitoring every day. This morning she won’t lay for my to feel her tummy or watch her... double checked the calendar and today is actually her first  due date...will keep all updated thanks again all

The only other behaviour she is displaying, is every Morning she is eating quite Abit of grass  to be sick (I try and stop to a certain extent but I know it’s natural) before the suspected pregnancy she rarely did it. Is this just natural behaviour? Never known a dog to suddenly have this habit? Thanks in advance

>I had asked if they could do the relaxin bloody test weeks ago, but apparently that’s not something we do in the uk? Thank you

How odd! My practice (a small independent practice) has sent bloods to the lab for the relaxin test for several breeders - it's definitely something available in the UK. I don't know where you are but this is the lab we use. I'm sure your own vet will have access to a similar company.

There are plenty of well trained mobile scanners about who are working. A quick Google will bring up mobile dog scanners near you

If your vet won't do anything at the moment, again I think all you can do is wait, keeping an eye on her and planning to be with her, especially overnight once she gets nearer to her due date, and as said, if nothing has happened after 2 days from the first mating, then tell your vet this IS a potential emergency situation as she may have gone into inertia so you NEED TO KNOW what's going on.   Don't be put off by reception either.

Prepare for a litter - and have her sleeping in her whelping quarters with comebody on a cot/sofa alongside.   At least until you have her confirmed (via x-ray) empty.

Unfortunately just now vets do have to observe the advice given by their authorities re seeing or not seeing clients.    Oh and don't milk her - that will only stimulate lactation which may not be necessary at all, and newborn puppies don't need lashings of milk either.

We are in Cornwall jeangenie. When I asked them about it they spoke to the lab and said it’s not something they can offer something to do with the hormone that shows can show in phantom also and as far as they are aware it’s not something they are aware happens in uk...

Thank you Mamabas! I think that’s a good idea we will set her whelping area up for her to settle into I also have a camera I can put on her so I’m don’t disturb too much...  I will get on to the vets again thank you

Hi suejaw this is how we found the last scanner however she isn’t working during lockdown. The other was a friend who only had experience of scanning a few dogs and that’s why it was suggested we have another further on or go to someone else... thank you

@ Mooredottie .   We are in Bude and I'm fairly sure the vet we use, in the middle of town (Tamar Vets), would act but perhaps not until she's to her due date, or beyond.   Check their website.

Oh wow not too far from us at all! So my vets did say nearer the time they would see her... my thoughts were if it was nearer the time surely I would know myself. I was asking them in advance so I could prepare and that’s when they told me I would have to wait until she was past due date as it’s not an emergency and based on her having to empty scans (not with them) they thought it would be unlikely! Thank you

Hi my maiden bitch was Artificially Inseminated on day 11 ( 35 days ago ). Bitch is fully tested 3 year old . We couldn’t naturally mate her in March as in full lockdown. Bitch was 4 weeks late coming into season and went into season on 9/10 December . Again we went into lockdown as she was due to be mated . Decided to try AI as only option given lockdown again . Vet said PG testing wasn’t looking great as they had 2 tests take 3 days to return results , 1 test went missing and idex lab wouldn’t guarantee results over weekend , nightmare! . Such bad timing. Canine fertility person who could do PG testing wasn’t willing giving so near to Christmas and she was going away ( turned out in the end she couldn’t) so only option was AI clinic that didn’t do PG testing and was 6 hour round trip because we couldn’t stay overnight anywhere due to covid restrictions. Anyway this is a much anticipated mating , 5 folks anxiously wanting good news . However only signs have been extra cling 12 days after mating , little weight gain but probably due to not agility training her . Scan booked for day 40 . Should I see more signs or is my instinct correct in thinking we didn’t get timing right. Thanks
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What method of AI did you use?

Surgical AI is banned in the UK. Transcervical AI needs a very very skilled and experienced vet to perform. And regular old AI where they squirt it up there, ideally needs to be done immediately it comes out the stud dog for the semen to be viable. You can use a semen extender but you have to know how to do that, do it properly and well, and maintain correct temperature for the semen using FedEx or similar - it wouldn't survive in the regular post. Was the semen tested after arrival and before it was put in? What was the motility on it and how many viable sperm?

I've never heard of an AI clinic that can't do progesterone testing, I would have thought that is an essential requirement for an AI clinic.

The most successful method of dog breeding, is natural breedings. If you can't travel due to lockdown, I would have looked into a pet transport company to drive her down to the stud dog and for her to stay with them throughout and then be driven back up by pet transport. Pet transport are allowed to travel because they have DEFRA licences and it's work-related.

Hi thanks for reply . Chilled semen collected ( and extender used, delivered on time and checked for viability all good ) by fertility guy who knew what he was doing . Yep I know the chances are low . I didn’t know about pet transport and wouldn’t have used it , the mating success doesn’t matter that much that I’d send my bitch of on her own . The clinic did do PG testing but had to be sent away to idex( other clinic tested themselves ) and given we were 6 hour round trip away and not supposed to travel we decided one journey was enough for all of us . Probably not going to be in pup , never mind we will try again in the summer and fingers crossed we can do the real thing by then !

Well, you can't do too much about it now except keep fingers crossed and wait and see. At least you did all you could under the circumstances.

Thanks yep waiting game it is .

Just to update all of you on the original that are interested... bitch  obviously  missed or absorbed, waited until 25th January to give her the benefit of the doubt, no pups. So at least we know and I can sleep easy. Until the next time. Thanks all, stay safe x