Accuracy and timing of Xray

Question
QUESTION: I have a female rottweiler that I have been trying to breed. Last winter, she bred, and had a false labor where no puppies were born, and she lactated as if she were pregnant. This time around, using the same reputable breeder but differant stud, she hasn't gained any weight. She looks the same, but she was kept with the stud for two weeks starting with the day after she came back into heat. She is "acting" pregnant to me, her dimeaner has changed a bit, and when she lays down, her tummy does hang over a bit more than it did before. She's a good size dog to begin with, but always been very slender in the middle. According to the calculations, today would have been her 57th day. I took her for an xray and the vet said she is not pregnant. Is there any way that if the calculations were of by even a few days that she could be pregnant and the xray did not show it?? I picked her up the 7th of July, and so it had to have been before that date. she went in heat June 22nd and was dropped off June 23rd. I was told mating occurred July 1 and 2...but also know that since the care taker never actually wrote the numbers down, he could be wrong. I am holding out for hope that she still could be, but am thinking that the xray would have shown something.


ANSWER: Hi Jennifer. Did the stud owner actually see the dogs breed? Acording to what you wrote, the breedings took place on the 10th and 11th day of the heat cycle, maybe. Most people try on days 11 and 13, or on days 12 and 14 of the heat cycle. She stayed at the stud's until day 16 of her heat cycle. You need to talk to the stud owner and see if there was any way that these two dogs bred later than thought. You also didn't say what day into the pregnancy she was x-rayed. If x-rayed before day 50, it may not pick up the pups as their bones aren't calcified yet. If there was any way that they bred later than thought, and you x-rayed early, then this may be the problem. I'd talk to the stud owner and see what he says. You may want to wait until later this week, and take another x-ray. If it too shows up nothing, then you'll know what to expect, because even if she was bred later than thought, puppies should show up by the end of this week.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: She stayed at the stud's quarters the whole time she was boarded there-for two weeks. The caretaker said that they locked up on the 1st and 2nd, that he actually saw. I guesstimated her due date for September 2nd, going off a July 1st "tie", so the xray was taken on what would be the 55th day...provided that they didn't lock up between the 2nd and 7th, and that is when it took.

Answer
I would do another x-ray at the end of this week just to know for sure. If she's not pregnant, then you may want to start doing some tests to figure out what's going on, provided that the male is in good shape and has a good viable sperm count. I would start with her thyroid, especially since it would make her twice that she missed.