We had our bitch scanned at 4 weeks and it showed at least 5 pups, as she had not gained any weight took her for re-scanning at 6 weeks and very sadly she had absorbed the full litter, we are beyond devastated ! She is now 6 days before when the pups would have been due and is very well in herself, however she has started to come into milk, and has a slight clear sticky vaginal discharge , is this normal and is there anything I should be doing. Many thanks xx

How experienced was the second scanner.

Very experienced it was canine scan at Boston who did both scans xx

Shame.  I'm anxiously waiting to see if my Inka is in whelp, as she absorbed last time. 

Only 4 weeks from first mating last mating Wednesaday.

Fingers crossed for you x

Fingers crossed for you x

This is exactly why I don't scan!!   It only confirms a pregnancy at the time of the scan (which may be enough if there was an 'accident' and the need to spay or not, made), not that the bitch will carry to term.   And in any case, even if I'd been told no pregnancy from a scan, I'd still be waiting and hoping.

If she was mine, instead of all this scanning, provided she was otherwise fit, I'd have waited until around the due date, and gone for x-ray.  Which is what you might yet consider re this 'sticky vaginal discharge'.   She may need help (medication) to help scatter her milk assuming there are no puppies and cut back a bit on the amount of protein she's eating?

Very sorry for you because it's so disappointing.   I had one who looked okay, big, at around 5 weeks, and then didn't expand further.   At least she had one big bitch puppy (how often are singletons male!!) and clearly reabsorbed any others she originally had.   That bitch wasn't as good as I'd hoped either, much as we still kept her.  No showing or breeding for her tho.

>If she was mine, instead of all this scanning, provided she was otherwise fit, I'd have waited until around the due date, and gone for x-ray.

Ditto here.  I never bother with scanning and have no problem with x-rays when a bitch has gone to term.

Do they knock them out for the xrays?

I'm aware of using a GA for x-rays as usual practice.  But each time I've had a pregnant bitch x-rayed it's been during the last hours of pregnancy and it has never been suggested, mine have been done without GA.  I just use the command "wait" with mine.  It's only for a few seconds anyway.