German Shepherd dog

I took my girl to the vet today for an ultrasound and the vet told me that she was not 100% sure if she was pregnant or not that she was not god. Should I seek another opinion? The signs that my girl is presenting all show that she is pregnant but the vet is telling me that she is unsure. Please help... The vet says that she has fluid in her uterus and that we just need to come back around day 42 for an x-ray .. My other vet stopped practing and I had to find another vet and I am really unsure on if I should get another opinion.

I took my girl in this week at 40 days.  I saw lots of puppies...movement legs....heads, heartnbeats, etc.  There was no doubt in my mind or my vets that my dog was expecting.  I have done ultrasounds a bit earlier and have always known the dog was pregnant.  Now when it comes to predicting numbers I prefer to x-ray.

23 days is too early

I personally think 23 days from mating is too early.  If I do an ultrasound, I would do it at least around day 32-35 at the earliest..   If I were you, I would repeat  it in 10 days or so.  The other option is time just wait an xray later.  I do not usually ultrasound and just xray around day 55. The reason I did an ultrasould this last time is because prog tests indicated my girl did not ovulate but she acted prego and was beginning to show and I needed to rule out a false pregnancy.

http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/eiltslotus/Theriogenology-5361/ultrasound.htm

This link may be of help to you.  At 23 days, the gestational sacs can be seen, but depending on the quality of the equipment and skill of the operator, may not be quite as clear as those shown in the link above.  If you wait until after day 30-35 you should have more definitive results.  There is a blood test called the relaxin test, but it's more accurate later in pregnancy as well (false negatives are possible, especially before day 35). 

Regards,

Diane Seaman

Thank you very much. When we were looking at the ultrasound today I saw a grey spot on the side of the uterus. I think that we are just going to wait her out. Just like I said she is showing all signs of being pregnant ...teets swelling, vulva still swollen, will not eat morning food, personality change...etc... So at this time I think that  just waiting her out is going to be my best corse of action. Everyone has been so helpful... Thank you very much for all of your time in helping me to try and make since of what the vet was talking about.

I wouldnt be X-raying a bitch of 42 days in possible whelp.  Why X-ray?  is there some defiante reason why nature cant take its course, if so, get some-one that can do an ultrasound efficiently, and see that you dont pay the "lady with attitude that obviously isnt God"  I agree with YellowRosse of Texas, no vet with attitude is allowed on my dogs... Mo - Mascani

I did ask the vet if it was to early and she told me no that it was not.  I agree and I think that I am going to find another vet that is more knowlegable.  Would anyone know why there would be fluid in her uterus if she was not pregnant? The vet kept saying that there was a lot of fluid in the uterus but that she was still unsure on wether or not she was pregnant.

I've had really bad results with ultrasounds myself, I am begaining to see it as a total waste of money.  Vet says the dog is not pregnant...she is.  Vet says it is a tiny litter at six weeks gestation or so....dog had nine.  Ultrasound at five weeks, vet is an ultrasound specialist, yet she can't tell for sure if the dog is pregnant, "looks like puppies in there but not sure...development of bitch suggests pregancy", but she ends up not pregnant.  Veronica