Ultrasound advice for pups

[miniwhisper]

Hopefully my Wirehaired Viszla is expecting. My vet is advising a scan to detect pregnancy but the stud dog owner said that she doesnt do this. My gut reaction is that what will be will be and do I really want to shell out any more money to the vet! However, I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has a view either way. Thanks!

 

[suzysparkle]

I didn't with mine. My concern was for my girl picking up a bug at the vets while the pups were at a vulnerable stage. I did hum and haw about it for a while though!
I started getting clear signs of pregnancy after about 4 weeks anyway, though in fairness, subtle signs in the first couple of weeks. Mainly some strange behaviour. Buy 'book of the bitch' if you haven't already.

 

[JanetGeorge]

Lass who worked for me had her JRT in pup for the first time and she got my vet to scan her when he was scanning mares (she used to bring the bitch to work with her.) Being a horse vet - armed with a scanner with a 'head' used for horses - he wasn't confident - but counted 5-6 pups. She had 6! It only took 5 minutes.

Knowing roughly the number of pups would be helpful as if it's a BIG litter you would feed more - and if a small litter, not be quite so generous to avoid the risk of over-sized pups.

 

[Vizslak]

I dont usually bother, I have done twice, once when I was pretty sure the bitch hadnt caught and was having a phantom which I wanted to nip in the bud well before the due date (I was right) and once when number 5 on my waiting list was so so so so desperate for a pup and had been waiting ages so I went to get a rough head count so I could hopefully put her out of her misery one way or the other! (there were 5 counted and 5 born...she got her pup! )

 

[Vizslak]

Oh and its not v expensive either...30 quid ish from memory and only takes a few minutes. I wouldnt bother personally unless for a specific reason. And especially if your bitch doesnt like vets, its not worth the stress IMO.

 

[MurphysMinder]

For the majority of litters I bred ultrasound was not commonplace. However latterly a neighbour who was a sheep scanner did my bitches, usually by the time they were scanned I had a good idea they were in help but it was good to know numbers. With one bitch who scanned with 7, she had a text book whelping of 5 pups and then settled down happily, no sign of any more, with the scan in mind I got the vet out and after a quick jab of oxytocin the remaining 2 soon appeared. It was a classic case of inertia and without the scan I would have been happy she had finished at 5 and would probably have lost the remaining 2 and possibly the bitch.

 

[Vizslak]

Good point MM, I've not had any whelping issues like that in the past but very useful to have a rough head count in mind in those circumstances.

 

[CorvusCorax]

All our lot do it routinely, it's very handy as MM says, and for example, in the case of my dog's breeder, he had bookings for so many, but she only scanned three, so he was able to warn people on the list that they wouldn't maybe get the pups they wanted.

 

[Bedlam]

Ultrasound is harmless and easy, but not many vets would be prepared to give numbers to be honest - it's all too easy to double count pups!

I think the people on here who have scanned to see how many in order to tell people on waiting lists whether or not they have a puppy have been a bit lucky to say the least..........!

 

[CorvusCorax]

I guess we were it is pretty common with the breeders I know.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Can't speak for others but as I said in my case the chap who scanned the bitches did sheep for a living so presumably had a pretty good eye for reading them. There is a lady locally who does nothing but scan bitches, again she is usually pretty accurate, so maybe these people are more prepared to give numbers than vets for whom scanning is just a tiny part of their work.

 

[k9h]

Ultrasound is harmless and easy, but not many vets would be prepared to give numbers to be honest - it's all too easy to double count pups!

I think the people on here who have scanned to see how many in order to tell people on waiting lists whether or not they have a puppy have been a bit lucky to say the least..........!

Very lucky! I had my girl scanned at 5 weeks. They could see 3 maybe 4! Told my boss who said, don't worry, when she had her's scanned (same vet) They could see 4 & she ended up having 12!
I don't want that many but have 7 spoken for! Plus they were spoken for before she was even mated!
Roll on Jan when she is due!
All I care about is that whatever many she has are healthy & she is too! Anything else is a bonus!

 

[GinaB]

Ohhhhh are there going to be baby Quail's? How exciting!!

 

[k9h]

Ohhhhh are there going to be baby Quail's? How exciting!!

Hopefully! Though I think they will be an ailen bursting out of her as her ribcage has exspanded so much! Due early jan!

 

[k9h]

I am one heck of a nervous Gran to be! Worrying so much that all is going to go wrong.
Wondering if done right thing to her! LOL!

 

[miniwhisper]

Thanks so much for all the advice. As it wont hurt her I will probably go ahead with the scan. Anybody looking for a Wirehaired Vizsla? Such an exciting time for the family. Lets just hope that she didnt miss - but thats another story! Will keep you posted and thanks again for all of your advice

 

[Vizslak]

Seriously?! I'm amazed at the concept of a litter of wires without a waiting list a mile long!

 

[Puppy]

I had Popple scanned, as I wanted to be as prepared as possible for the birth Mind you it was worth the money for how emotional and thrilled I was at the news - she didn't show at all at that stage so it was when we knew for definite she'd taken - oh, and to see the little ones in the scan pic

She scanned for three, and when she settled down after just the two we got the vet to check her again and he said there were no more - she must have reabsorbed the third.

 

[gwenllian]

if you get a stethoscope, lie your bitch on her back ( give her a tummy rub) put the stethoscope in the v shape under her ribs you will hear there hearts beating.
you can hear them from about 4 and a half week after conception, you will not get numbers but you will know if it is a pregnancy or not.
listen to your bitches heart first so you know the speed of hers, the puppies will beat more than twice the speed, it is unmistakable