Hi! I've been reading this forum for 2 months now and find it very informative. I really hope some experienced breeders can shed some light on my situation. My female PON (Polish Lowland Sheepdog) was bred (first time, she is 2½)on the 22/23/24 of March. All three times with 35 min ties etc... The male already has 7 litters. So everything was optimal.
I was at the vets on Friday 2 May, 41 days or 39 days along depending which day you count from. I was there to do a health check for my insurance. I mentioned that she was 40 days along and what did the vet think. The vet felt her stomach with her hands and said "I feel nothing." and then suggested we do an x-ray. I was very surprised since I've read The Book of the Bitch + other breeding books in Swedish and all say x-ray show nothing until after 45 or more full days! But my vet insisted that she would be able to see not puppies, but an enlaged uterus. So we did the xray, she puts the picture up and says "totally empty, nothing there. She is having a phantom."
I don't know what to make of this.........my female has slightly enlarged teets, and I've even seen tiny tiny amount of whitish discharge on 3 occasions. She is a very stocky and muscular dog, so I can't really say she has an enlarged stomach or anything.
Should I wait a week and then go to another vet and do an ultrasound?

x=rays are rarely if ever offered in the UK for pregnancy diagnosis, and then only late in pregnancy when bones calcify. Most people use ultrasound, but you can still get false negatives. I am afraid the only way you will know is to wait and see.

At 40 das you would not expect a vet to be able to palpate, especially in a broad bodied bitch. The waters accumulate around the pups, and the characteristic marbles that can sometimes be felt at 3 to 4 weeks are no longer palpable.

Hi,

We always just wait and see what happens. Usually the bitches behaviour gives you a clue, but at about 6-7 weeks we can usually start feeling a little movement and by about 8 weeks there should be movement (unless she only has one hidden in the middle) and the bitch should change shape, even slightly.

I would be patient and wait to see what happens, the more you stress your bitch during pregnancy, the more possibility she may re-absorb or abort. :(

manda
X

Hi Carinab.
My Staff had a scan at 4 weeks, I was told there was nothing showing up. Went for an x-ray at about 6 weeks, still nothing. Even though she was showing all the signs of pregnancy. At 8 weeks my vet had a good feel around and said there was possibly one, and to come back on day 63 to get another x-ray just to make sure, as she wouldn't be able to give birth naturally if there was only one. I took her back and she was x-rayed,and I was told he could see at least 4. She ended up having 6 pups on day 65. In future I don't think I would even bother

Michelle.

Our SCWT bitch is at exactly the same stage as yours (mated 24 & 26 March), we had a scan on Wednesday by a lady who specialises in scanning animals and showed up 5 pups, they were the size of a large grape including the water sack so an X-Ray would show nothing.
We have had spot on results from the scans we have had. The lady is based in Bedfordshire and does house calls... don't know what area you live in but if it is of any use I can dig out the number for you

Hi! Thanks for this information. Unfortunately I am in Sweden! :(
I am going to phone around for who does the best scanning. And do a scan on Monday.
I just feel so diappointed about the whole thing and have more or less accepted that there is nothing there.
Everything I previously thought were "signs" of pregnancy, seem like nothiong now :(

Art & It,

Good to see that there is another wheaten owner on board :D

I had my girl scanned at five and a half weeks. I was told that although there was definitely more than 1 puppy it looked like being just 2 or possibly 3.............She produced 6 pups. They will be 2 weeks old tomorrow and are absolutely gorgeous.

Good luck with your pups.

Our girl is becoming very hungry now...
I'm sure she didn't eat this much with the last litter, we are trying not to overfeed her but she is eating for more than 1... we have been increasing her food a little and are about to split her food into to meal to see if that helps. Thankfully she isn't a greedy dog
She's not looking rotund yet but is definately taking things easy!

Al

My girl is day 63 today!!!!! My vet scanned her at 5 weeks and told me 3 pups, but looking at the size of her I would say double that figure! She's gone from an 18" tummy to 32"............if it's 3 they must be almighty BIG!! She has been quite a fussy eater during pregnancy and has gained over a stone in weight...............I must say she is looking really calm at the moment, but knowing my dogs they'll wait till the middle of the night before starting labour! :-)

Art & IT
Any chance of her number please??

Thanks........BB

Hi BB

E-mail me direct and I'll send you her number she lives in Risely
[email]alistair.turner@which.net[/email] hope the link works :)

Al

Hi,
Unfortunately my PON (Polish Lowland Sheepdog) was empty.
All signs stopped at about 6 weeks and I did an ultrasound scan at 7 weeks, it showed nothing.
She is not even having a phantom. She just "missed" I guess.
What I have learned from this:
1. Don't count your puppies before they hatch!
2. Not to keep looking, feeling wondering until about the 7th week.
I'm not giving up.......I will mate her again next season.
thanks to all for support and advise.

It makes it all the more valuable when it all happens! Hope you have a positive result next time... looking forward to the PLUS side!

hi guys.....they now have a relaxin hormone pregengy test...its a blood test done in house that can be done after twenty-one days ...it good to do...just in case of pyometra...its inexpensive about twenty five bucks here...it takes about 30 minutes to run.......

Sorry to hear your bitch had no puppies. I have been there as well with my Wire Fox Terrier. I always used as a rule of thumb after with her to breed her on her 10th, 12th and 14th day of her season. Both of her next breedings produced 5 and 6 puppies. Usually by her 10th day the discharge was very very light pink and she readily accepted the male. I DON'T like to do X-Rays at any time during the early part of the pregnacy term. With the cost of an ultrasound I think I would only choose this route for a medical emergency. Follow the good old fashioned routine of waiting and patience. I increase food as the bitches increased appetite warrants it. Some of them have morning sickness just as in humans where others are ravenous from the get go. By the end of the first 4 1/2 weeks she was eating double of her normal ration. I didn't use raspberry leaves for her litters mainly because I didn't know about them then but definitely would now. One capsule per day in the food. You don't have to break them open usually. Most dogs can handle the gel capsule. No additional suppemention do to the problem of toxicities. Just feed a good balance diet as you fed prior to the pregnacy.

Margaret