Pregnancy Ultrasounds For a Boxer

Question
QUESTION: Hello Denise,

Yesterday the 1st of May we took our girl to the vet for an ultrasound to confirm if she is pregnant. My vet told me that she was unsure and that since she was not god that she didn't know. She told me to come back when my girl was 42 days for an x-ray. As of yesterday my girl was 23 days out from mating. Durning the ultrasound I saw what looked to be a little grey curved spot on the right side wall of the uterus that the vet pointed out. She also told us that there was allot of fluid in the uterus. My girl is showing signs of being pregnant morning sickness, enlarging teets, rounder & harder belly, broader rib cage...etc... In all aspects to me I think that she is pregnant but my question to you is do you think that I should get a second opinion or if I should just wait it out. I know that I am not going to go back to my regular vet and that I will be contacting someone that is more experienced with canine pregnancy but I just wanted to know if someone with allot more experience than I could maybe give me some advice. Thank you very much for your time and consideration in this matter.

Christina

ANSWER: Hello Christina:

On average, an ultrasound can detect fetal heartbeats as early as 25 days gestation so if your female was not yet to that degree it's unlikely anything definite would have shown on an ultrasound. Her symptoms are definitely that of pregnancy but could also be a false pregnancy. Unfortunately they're very similar & even a false pregnancy can actually lead to labor etc. yet no puppies are present. If I were you & I wanted to know proof-positive if she was indeed pregnant as soon as possible I would make an appointment with a vet more experienced in canine reproduction & have another ultrasound performed when you're certain she's a minimum of 28-30 days gestation. A simple X-ray can easily detect fetal skeletons at 50+ days gestation so waiting until 42 days as your vet advised seems pointless in my opinion. Since an ultrasound is more costly than an X-ray I would only have one done by a more experienced vet & only if you're anxious to know if it's a positive pregnancy. Hope this helps!

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QUESTION: Hello Denise,

I was wondering if I may ask you another question. Do other female dogs treat a pregnant dog differently? The reason that I am asking is becasue I have an 8 year old female boxer who is spayed and for about 3 weeks now she has been acting differently towards my female who might be pregnant. By acting differently I mean that she is nudging her at her stomach and smelling at her rear end which are things that she has not done before. Once again I really want to Thank you for your time.

Christina

ANSWER: Hi Christina:

The fact that your other female is acting differently toward the possibly (probably, we hope) pregnant female is fairly common. Usually this is related toward the change in scent due to the hormonal fluctuations as opposed to her having an instinctive knowledge, although I wouldn't completely disregard that possibility either. My females act slightly differently toward one another during pregnancy but tend to take on their motherly roles very much almost in unison. Although I wouldn't recommend it for most, my girls even join the mother & puppies in their whelping box if given the opportunity! I think it can confuse the puppies so I don't encourage it but once the puppies are mobile they all play with all the adults, even my male to a certain degree under supervision. Personally I believe this allows the puppies to learn from more than one adult dog & since dogs are pack animals I feel this enhances their social development. Please bear in mind that this is only MY opinion, however & puppies should be carefully watched to ensure their safety first & foremost.

Please let me know if you have any other questions. I wish I could provide you with a more definite answer as to your dog's pregnancy. With any luck you'll know very soon if she is indeed pregnant & I hope the answer on that comes quickly! Please feel free to let me know if you have any other questions. I'll be hoping the very best for you & your girl!

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QUESTION: Hi Denise,

I have another one for you.Today I noticed a clear non smelling discharge coming from my girl. I was told that this is a symptom that only pregnant girls have and that it is not associated with a phantom. Is this true? I have been measuring her stomach and in the past week she has grown an inch. And to let you know I take the measuring tape from the center of belly and wrap all the way around her back to the point that I started. She has also gained an inch in her rib cage area. I am thinking that she is pregnant I guess that we will just see.

Answer
Hi Christina:

The only clear vaginal discharge that may be what you're describing would occur approx a week to ten days from whelping & I don't believe your girl is that far along. The increase in her measurements is of course a sign of pregnancy but a false pregnancy can also provide the same thing so it's not conclusive in & of itself. If she's at least 25 days from conception (the last mating or from the end of estrus - fertile portion of the heat cycle) an ultrasound can detect fetal heartbeats. Instead of playing guessing games, I think it would behoove you to find a vet more experienced in canine reproduction & simply have another ultrasound performed.