Studies on canine pregnancy using B‐mode ultrasound: Diagnosis of early pregnancy and the number of conceptuses

Abstract

The ultrasonic (B‐mode) detection of canine pregnancies was first achieved 21 to 23 days after the calculated luteinising hormone peak when daily examinations were made in six bitches. In 51 pregnant bitches examined for the first time between 20 and 35 days, one bitch was incorrectly diagnosed as non‐pregnant 24 days after the calculated luteinising hormone peak. In only 31‐8 per cent of pregnancies was conceptal number accurately determined. The greatest tendency was to underestimate the number of conceptuses.

Studies on canine pregnancy using B‐mode ultrasound: Development of the conceptus and determination of gestational age

“…It was therefore decided to express results relative to the day of parturition, which is 64 to 66 days after the LH peak (Concannon and others 1983). The appearance of the early conceptus has already been described (England and Allen 1990); after 25 days before parturition its spherical shape was lost so that measurement of conceptual diameter was not accurate for the prediction of gestational age, as is the case in man (Sabbagha 1987). The change from a spherical to non-spherical shape may however be a useful indicator of gestational age.…”

Determination of gestational age in medium and small size bitches using ultrasonographic fetal measurements

“…Ultrasonography is used wid'ely as a method for diagnosing early pregnancy (Bondestam and others 1983, Shille and Gontarek 1985, England and Allen 1990a, Ferguson 1990) and fetal viability in the bitch (Johnston andothers 1983, Barr 1988), although its application for the estimation of fetal age is limited in this species compared with humans. This i:j because of the great variability in dog breed sizes, which makes the measurements of fetal structures different, depending on the female's weight.…”

Sonographische Verlaufsuntersuchungen an trächtigen Hündinnen – ein Beitrag zur Bedeutung der Fruchtresorption beim Hund

“…Es muss jedoch erwähnt werden, dass drei Hündinnen nicht in die Datenauswertung aufgenommen werden konnten, da sie die Einschlusskriterien nicht erfüllten. Die Zählung von sonographisch dargestellten Fruchtkammern beim Hund stellt folglich kein standardisiertes diagnostisches Verfahren dar, da es für den praktischen Einsatz zu viele Fehlermöglichkeiten beinhaltet (4).…”

“…Die sonographische Untersuchung des graviden Uterus bei der Hündin ist eine häufige diagnostische Methode zum Graviditätsnachweis, zur Trächtigkeitsüberwachung und der Detektion von Trächtigkeitsstörungen (2,4,5,7,21). Dieses bildgebende Verfahren erlaubt es, Fruchtverluste im letzten Drittel der embryonalen Phase und während der Fetalperiode zu diagnostizieren.…”