We took Amy - our 3 year old bitch to have a scan at six weeks. The Vet told us that Amy had been carrying but must have lost them when she was ill at around 3 weeks (temp 103). At the 3 week time the Vet gave us anti-biotics and said these would not harm the pups if she were pregnant.
After the fourth week Amy started to gradually show signs of getting larger - eating more and her teets pertruding. At six weeks she was quite tubby - so how can she have lost them when she was ill at 3 weeks? The Vet said there were pups in there but they must be being re-absorbed into Amy as they were only an inch or so long with no heart beats.
I took her back at week seven for a check up as she was still growing - the Vet told me it must be a hormonal thing. She gave her a second scan and found heart beats and larger pups! Lucky I had carried on treating her as if she were pregnant. She told me that there were still dead puppies there and the surviving ones may not make it.
I was told to bring her back next week for yet another scan. Amy does get quite stressed at going and being injected, shaved and poked about.
The breeder I used said I should just treat her as if she were going to give birth and not to take her back unless she shows problems - as I was just paying for more scans and stressing Amy more - which she does not need! Does anybody out there know of any similar situations and whether the chances of some healthy pups being born is good?

Cant help, I'm afraid, but am interested to know what she is injected for? My bitch has had 4 scans, 3 different vets and one not a vet, and never been injected.

When I've had bitches scanned they've never been injected either.
:)

Sorry if I wasn't to clear on my comment about Amys injection - I was refering to all three visits she'd had during her pregnancy. The first being at 3 weeks when she had a strong anti-biotic injection for her tummy bug or what ever it was. This injection had no reference to her later scans.

According to the book of the bitch the risky time for pups in the womb is 3 1/2 to 5 we4eks after mating.  Unlike in humans the pups are free floating and don't attach until 3 weeks, so that any infection the bitch has at this time can cross to the pups as they are then fed by the placenta.  If your bitch was ill at this time then this is likely to have caused problems in the pups and the reabsorbtion.

Not nice really but better that thean perhaps her producing deformed pups at tem due to the illness.

Thanks Brainless. As the bug was apparent a couple of days prior to her third week - would the pups still be showing at about an inch and a half long at six weeks - would they not have been reabsorbed completely by then? What do you think the chances of the remaining pups, which seem to have developed a lot between week 6 & 7, are of survival. And as you pointed out - do you think these newly detected pups will have a chance of being deformed?

All I can say is how horrible for you. It must be such a worry for you. I can sort of sympathise.
My bitch was put in pup and then got a terrible virus and high temperature at 3 weeks. I thought she could die at one point. The vet gave her no injections or pain relief, but sent us away with strong anti-biotics (synulox).
I worried my head off all the time thinking I wonder if they would all be dead etc. As I knew that 3 weeks is a crucial stage of development. If your bitch had e-coli or other types of illness such as herpes then you can get absorptions and deformatities, or fading puppy.
Anyway my bitch that had this virus, had 7 massive healthy pups just over a week ago. She had to have a Cesearian as one dead pup had blocked up the way and she had not gone into second stages of labour. The pups are doubled in size, healthy as can be.
I hope it works out ok for you too.  I would not let any vet mess with my in pup bitch for too much. They do need to be quiet, and definatly not messed around with.
Nutkin

Thanks Nutkin, I've no idea what her illness was - diarrhoea and some vomitting for a couple of days. She was given a strong dose of antibiotics with a course of tablets to follow, and we had to starve her for a day and a half. She was still eating well and full of energy while she was ill. Any way I think I will keep her on a low profile away from the Vet so she won't be upset unnecessarily. She should be due around the 17th of Feb. I'll keep watching for any more advice and keep you guys uptodate on the outcome - a miracle I hope!
P.S. I was told by the Vet (a young lad) that starving Amy at 3 weeks for a couple of days would not harm any pups - any thoughts?

Just keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best, you will not be able to affect the outcome, other than ensuring her the care she needs.  good luck.

I hoped for a miracle - and one came in the form of an 8oz healthy pup. She is jet black just like her mum and dad. We said we would not take Amy back to the Vet at week 8 but she started panting heavily and discharging a lot of black gunk! So as we were told not to expect anything resembling a pup - we took her to see if they could ease out any thing that may be festering away inside her. Amy seemed ok and the stuff stopped coming - so we decided against an op and thought we'd let nature take it's course. The Sunday after - her due date - she started again with the discharge, so I took her back. They asked if they could keep her in for a few hours and give her an injection to help her with contractions. We were told there was no way there could be anything alive as a previous scan showed a heart beat but no skeletal formation. Anyway I called them at 5.30pm and was astonished to say the least to hear Amy had given birth to a healthy pup, sadly along with a badly deformed and another dead one.

That was yesterday - they are both doing really well.

We haven't named her yet - but my 7 year old son wanted to call her 'Snowball' - A Jet Black Cocker?

As she is a miracle we have got to keep her - and I'm not sure I would want her tail docked as it really doesn't matter to us - any thoughts to why docking would benefit her?

Thank you all for your words of comfort - I'll keep logging on to see if I can offer any words of wisdom.

I don't want to risk getting into a docking debate but if she is a working cocker then I would dock.   I have had a spaniel who needed a tail amputated and I wouldn't put any dog through that again.

Oh Well Done Amy, bless her, please give her a big hug for being such a clever girl.  Hope the baby is still well.  If she is to be just a pet, I really would not dock, it cause a truma for her with what she has already gone through.  But whilst I don't want to get into a debate, I am biased and love tails.

Incidentally Snowball is a super name, I love it  - remember the Love Thy Neighbour series on T.V.

I agree with Haylea, if she is to be a pet then leave the tail.  Only dock if she is a working cocker who will actually work!

You only have 2 more days to find a vet if it was born today, also you'll be lucky to find one who will do it.  Most people who dock their dogs legally and this is how it should be done LEGALLY are with the Council of Docked Breeds.

As everyone else says if you're not going to work it I wdn't bother, but if you are then I would.

Thanks for your advice guys - you've just confirmed what we had already descided. I just wanted to know if there was any medical reason that we should dock. She'll be keeping her tail and wagging it constantly no doubt! My Vet has Cockers and all hers have full tails.

We had a mini panic today when Amy was licking away at the pups underside - she managed to pull back what was left of her cord and it started to bleed quite a bit. Thankfully we were told not to worry and put a cold compress on it - worked a treat and the bleeding stopped. They're both doing really well - she's already a little chracter, she stands up on her hind legs suckling on a higher teet - then nestles between Amys legs for a Power Nap.

The names are still bouncing around but we think the kids favourite for now is Ebony - as she is jet black like her mum.

Thanks everyone.