Hello,
I wrote with the bitch who had the discharge, at two and a half weeks. Well, were going to the vet tomorrow hoping for the best. I wanted to ask how early can you tell she's pregnant? Can we get a blood test, or scan her tomorrow, and be able to tell if she is or not? Respond soon :)
Thanks
Kat

Vets can usually feel whether there are puppies at 21-26 days . Scanning can be done from 4 weeks but you will only know whether or not she is pregnant, the numbers are not usually accurate at this stage. If you search - above- and type in scans or scanning you will get to read lots of other messages on the subject. I dont scan til after 6 weeks, if at all. I prefer to wait and see and not go back and for to the vets all the time, as one can usually tell whther or not they are pregnant at 5-6 weeks anyway. Hope all goes well.

hello take my girl to vets, she has just left vet school and said she could feel two but could be more pups.But last time my normal vet was spot on at 4 weeks so i am taking her saturday morning to see him becuase i think she has more than two, she looks like that there is more than two.what do you think thank you.

Hi, I would leave her safe at home with you. You have had the pregnancy confirmed, why is there always such a rush to know how many. :-) The more stressful situations/examinations she is put in the more likely she is to absorb the babies. Unecesary visits to the vet also put her at risk of picking up infection. Why not wait til 6 1/2 weeks when the pregnancy is less likely to be lost and then the vet will see much more clearly how many there are. Vets often encourage scanning as its a good earner!! Just my opinion.

You know that there are two puppies for sure. Most vets are far surer of the number at five or six weeks as this is halfway through the pregnancy. The little pups are not very large, maybe the size of an unshelled walnut for an average sized dog. It's not going to change the outcome when she whelps if you have 2 pups or more. The second visit toyour regular vet may only feel the same number as well. Litters are costly untakings so it is wise to weigh money decisions to necessity against need. Leave your bitch be from all that prodding and poking! Feed her a nutritious diet with the volume increasing as her hunger increases towards the whelping date. Some bitch suffer morning sickness just like people so are slow to want to eat more but will take off with a ravenous appetite. The less interference and the more things are left to Olde Mother Nature, unless medical emergencies arise, is better for your bitch and her puppies.

You can only take things as they come so enjoy your bitch during this neat time of her pregnancy as there are, at least some have some interesting quirks, that show up that can be very amusing. Spend this time preparing your supplies needed at whelping and your whelping box should be freshly washed and painted with non-toxic paint. There are lots of things to keep you busy until the time those beautiful babies arrive and your aid may or may not be needed by your bitch. My Wire Fox Terrier was an old hand by the time she had her second litter, so would only allow me to observe as she took care of all the details as each puppy was born. IT BLEW ME AWAY! Her first litter was an emergency C-section.

Margaret :) Canada

It is very difficult to tell if a bitch is pregnant, especially if they are carrying a small litter. As with Westielover we wait till at least 5 weeks before we have a scan, even at that stage the "pups" are only the size of a grape! If you want to know how many it is best to wait till 5-6 weeks and use a experienced ultrasound sprecialist, most vets practices do scans but not all are hugely experienced at interpretating the results.

Hope all goes well
Al

hi kat...if you find someone to do a relaxin hormone pregnancy test,,they can be done as early as three weeks.....

Thanks Everyone!
The vet said we'd just wait and see. She said the discharge of this kind is usually normal at this stage. I didn't know that, but I trust her. So not an inflection, it's a big relief. Thanks, I will update the board over time.
Thanks
Kat

hi lillput....a discharge is not normal at two and a half weeks....sometimes a slight clear discharge at four weeks...but i have not ever one at two and a half weeks...i would be concerned about a pyometra...........please get her checked asap...they can do a smear and blood profile.......pyometra can be deadly

She did a smear it was neg. to any inflections. I will seek another vet if she gets any more discharge, or other smytoms. The Discharge has stop, and she seems fine.
Thanks
Kat

She did a smear it was neg. to any inflections. I will seek another vet if she gets any more discharge, or other problems. The Discharge has stop, and she seems fine. We are seeing the vet again next week, for a check up. I will ask for another smear just to be sure.
Thanks
Kat

My bitch had a similar discharge at 2-3 weeks. not a great deal just the odd drip here and there.

As it turns out she hasnt taken,(week 8 now and no size increase and no pups on scan at 4 weeks so have to assume no pups) but vet did a smear at this time and was negative, just normal vaginal flora and did a blood test that was normal(she acted like she had never acted after a season before up until about 4 weeks I personally think she may have taken but will never know. I think the stress of me worrying about it and taking her to the vets etc possibly caused her to re-absorb.

Its a catch 22. Personally I am glad I did what I did, had it have been a pyometra then we would have caught it relatively early and would have greatly increased her chances of getting through it. She will have more seasons and we will have another go at having a litter, had it have been pyo and ignored then I would have neither with no future options.

The discharge comes and goes throughout the course of the last 8 weeks and the vet said it may be her clearing out after her season. If you do a search on here for discharge you will see that a lot of people have discharges at around the two week mark with many of them seeing it as a sign that the pregnancy has taken.

In general as long as the discharge isnt profuse, dirty or foul smelling and red or greenish in colour I would count Pyo out. However you did the right thing and have probably saved yourself a hell of a lot of worry.

Good luck
ps Dont change your vet. If the blood test and smear returned negative and clear then I really wouldnt worry too much. Try not to stress her out with return visits searching for something!

Okay you may all laugh but I do the 'ring test' on my bitches. A bit like water divining you dangle a gold ring on a piece of cotton above the bitches undercarriage and if she is pregnant the ring starts to weigh really heavy and swings with real force either side to side or in a circle. It is really weird and it doesnt work for everyone. I am having a bitch scanned next week and the ring says she is pregnant so will let you know when it is confirmed. Mind you if she isnt there is something terribly wrong as I have used one of my own dogs and lets say he made the most of it and so did she!!!! JAN