X Ray Pregnant Bitch - Page 1

Hello:

I have a pregnant bitch. She is day 40 today & she is showing. Her sides are puffed out & her teats are swollen. Her appetite has also increased.

Should I get her X RAYed in late pregnancy to get a head count on the number & size of pups she is carrying?

I thought to do this because I have heard of females who are carrying only one or two pups but these pups were giants & too big to give birth to. These dogs require C sections as a result of the size of a singleton or a twosome.

This will be her first litter.

Thanking everyone in advance for your contributions !

It is a good idea, especially with a first litter when you don't know what to expect with the bitch.  Day 58/59 is typical for x-rays.  Good luck and happy birthing!

If she is showing already she probably has more than just one or two pups. You can x-ray after 42nd day, by then the little skelletons are calcified enough to show. Never been a friend of pre-whelp x-rays though. They are misleading at best. Can give a false sense of security, ie you see 5, though she may have 7 (2 were overlapping and could not be seen despite 2 views, side and belly side up) and if things stop after 5 and you do nothing it could spell disaster. There is the radiation load for the unborn pups to consider. Not really necessary. If your vet has an ultrasound, you can go that route for now. You can also get a stethoscope and try to listen to puppy heartbeats. Thats fun actually. When she is giving birth and things are not going so well you can still x-ray then. I always recommend to do an x-ray as soon as she seems to be finished to make sure every pup has been born and nothing was missed that could pose a problem later.

Thanks to both of you for your help. I do worry about exposing my bitch to X Rays. She has been X Rayed once before for her hip & elbow certification & I know repeated exposure is not good for human or dog. Yes, this is day 40 & she already has a nice little belly showing.

Again thanks for the input !  

I believe that ionizing radiation cannot be good for the developing fetus.  This is based on my training in radioactive damage control in the Navy and is JMO.  If you are concerned about the number of pups and their size you might want to go with ultrasound.  You will might want to x-ray after whelping to ensure all pups were born.