I have bred cockers on and off for 20 years and experienced phantome pregnancies. Coco was mated 1st July after two blood tests for ovulation. This mating was a "slip" mate but she was mated the next day and tied for 40 minutes. I had her scanned at 23 days and on entering the vets told him I did not need confirmation as she was blatantly pregnant and was showing all the signs - needless to say, she scanned clear and I was gob smacked!

This was a new vet (i used the stud dogs vet and not my own) and he said he would give her a second FOC scan in ten days. This scan was also clear. My bitch gained steady weight, then lost a bit and now 1.7 kg over her normal weight and still showing all the signs of pregnancy. I had my own vet scan her at 39 days and she saw no puppies.

I have heard all sorts of stories about bitches scanning clear and then going on to have normal litters. Do I dust the whelp box down?

To scan at 23 days is too early, even folk who scan different species as a job wont scan a dog before 28days and prefer later. There would be no outward signs that early either so think you need to go back to another vet practice.

I had a bitch have 4 phantoms and the shortest was 5 weeks and the longest 7weeks, she looked more pregnant than a bitch who had been mated 3 days before her, increased girth and weight, then over night would return to normal.

I think you can be sure that this late and several scans later she is not pregnant.

I scanned my bitch on day 20 (also cockers) and found pups, but my bitch did lie still on the settee on her back for ages while I had a good look.  The trouble is even though it's 23 days since mating, she could still be approx 5 days behind, especially as the day before you had a slip mating which could indicate she wasn't quite ready.  I would take her back again for another scan around day 32, normally if there are pups then, they will be easy to see.

Thanks, I have always asked the operative of the scanner when they would like to scan. Our local maternity hospital was the best, the radiographer did it and she would always let you know exactly how many puppies you were going to get and she was never wrong. Sadly this service is no longer available.

There is definitely a hormone problem here, this is only her second season in nearly three years. Her grandma had silent seasons, but I don't think I have missed any. Let's hope we get another chance.

She was mated at the beginning of July so the pups are due 2nd Sept less than a week away which is why at this late stage pups would be clearly seen and felt.