Navigating Your Dog’s Heat Cycle

Lyra wearing her pink dog panties!

Sharing this here as FYI, great article!

http://embarkingthepetdog.com/2018/11/29/navigating-your-dogs-heat-cycle/?fbclid=IwAR2cnk1GGUmIs1dHvIkjV3YXolHccss05wu2E1BXa87dpi8ulEJ8b6dD4mk

First Vet Visit -- they had a blast!

Day 55 is X-ray day! Take a peek at the upcoming Sugar & Spice-sters!

X-rays are an invaluable resource when whelping a litter, a couple reasons "why" I do radiographs on pregnant dogs.

X-rays are generally done after Day 50+ of gestation, otherwise the skeleton hasn't ossified (calcified) enough to count the babies. 

You can usually count puppies readily on radiographs, again +/- one puppy. (Count skulls, not spines! Most people count BOTH). Even then, someone can be hiding behind another puppy or along mom's spine. This helps me plan for the whelp and know what to expect. 

The other advantage is that the skulls can be compared in size to the width of the dam's pelvis (not usually an issue with Vizslas).

Drum roll...🥁 How many babies do you see? Don't forget to count the skulls and the spines!

Left Side

Right Side

Any guesses? Dr. Beckie Williams DVM sees 4 (possibly 5) babies. I have been looking at the x-rays for several hours (no joke) and I am thinking the same thing. Exciting stuff!

Due date is estimated to be 12/2/18, fingers and paws are crossed for an uneventful whelp!

Stay tuned . . .

Ultrasound results . . . drum roll please . . . 🥁

Harley had her ultrasound at Chino Hills Animal Hospital today. Ultrasound is the best technique to detect the pregnancy from around three plus weeks in, the ultrasound is safe and uses sound waves to create pictures of a bitch’s womb. And, drum roll please . . .

Harley is expecting! 

Ultrasounds can't tell exactly how many puppies she is carrying, but Dr. Williams believes between 4-7. It is extremely difficult to count them exactly with this type of scanning imagery.  In other news, Harley was giving a clean bill of health and instruction for feeding and exercise over the next few critical weeks.

Next steps will be an x-ray at Day 55 (just past Thanksgiving Day) and continuing to care for Harley and make her as happy and healthy as possible. 

Below is a YouTube video of an ultrasound (not Harley).