Yes, brand new digital equipment can be the issue, it takes a while to learn new equipment, new techniques, it's not like driving a new car. You can't manipulate a poor image. Few doctors will admit their shortcomings even temporary ones in fear that you will view them as incompetent. Just wait it out, don't x-ray again and expose your babies to more radiation. Many people don't realize that radiation is cumulative and does damage cells, it shouldn't be taken lightly and used sparingly.
Technology isn't fool proof. Someone recently had a huge litter only saw 7, so were were all the others hiding? If you see skulls, you have babies. It's not like you have little heads growing in there with no bodies. Calm down. Count heads go off that, and the rest will happen as nature intended.
Fluid can hide evidence of any puppies until a day or two before they are ready. We had it happen and were told we had a false pregnancy. All twelve puppies were delivered by C-section and lived.
The female had an abnormal amount of blood in the walls of the Uterus which the Vet had never seen.
breeder: I am so happy to read this.... I am trying so hard to be positive... Just heard about a litter recently that had 4 show up and many others were shadows... 7 dead pups ' ( assumed pups didn't calcify for some reason), and 2 live....
It is weighing heavy on my mind at this time... Your reply comes at a time I need to stay positive for my little girl... Thank you!
Don't,, it seems more and more I read that breeders don't xray at day 50 even though that is when calcification is supposed to start.....
Maybe they have learned over the years and experience and worry that it's too early for many bitches...
Yes, this is what I'm saying. First even though we may pinpoint ovulation, the actual fertilization doesn't take place until the ova are ready, so waiting until day 60-61 makes so much sense. If the spines aren't calcified, or only beginning to calcify, you see nothing. If any pups are tucked up under the diaphragm in the xray, you probably won't even see the skulls. I've had X-rays that count 7-8 pups and wound up with 12. It's so hard to wait until day 60, but you do have a better picture of what to expect.
Many that are dead and never calcified are probably pups that died and mummified due to a progesterone drop after day 50 or so. With many bitches you have to check progesterone to be sure it stays up toward the end so they carry to term.
OP, stop worrying! Good luck!
