First-time pregnant dog not showing much. Should I get an x-ray?

You can try to repeat the x rays in a week time, usually mineralization of bones starts from 36-40th day of pregnancy. If no puppies are seen on the second x rays, it is possible that either she is not pregnant or the puppies got died and got reabsorbed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It is possible. the only way to know for sure is to have her x-rayed by your veterinarian. This would be recommended anyway so you know how many pups to expect. Since she is so close, start monitoring her body temperature. Use a rectal thermometer with sterile lube. Normal temp ranges from 100 F to 102.5 F. In most cases, labor will begin within 24 hours of a drop below 100 F.

An x-ray is helpful for determing the size of the birth canal relative to the size of the puppy's head. If there is a known problem, then a c-section would be recommended. However, the x-ray is limited and cannot test for all the possible reasons for needing a c-section. If there is any concern, then it would be best to have a plan for a possible c-section when she is whelping. I hope that helps and all is well with Sprinkle.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! X-rays are performed using relatively low doses of radiation. Though frequent exposure can be harmful to embryos/fetuses, one or two x-rays throughout the pregnancy of a dog should not harm the puppies.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Millie. If you know when she may have been bred, I would schedule an appointment with her veterinarian for 45-50 days after that date. At this stage of gestation, if she is pregnant, puppies will be visible on an x-ray. This will confirm the pregnancy as well as give you an idea of how many puppies she is expecting. This will be extremely helpful knowledge while she is in labor. You will know when she is done or if she is struggling, you know more puppies are coming and to seek help. In the meantime, feed her a high quality puppy food to supply her with extra calories and nutrition. I hope this information helps!

Here is some great information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/whelping-giving-birth-in-dogs/ Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

Unfortunately you can't tell if this is a real pregnancy or a false pregnancy without an ultrasound at this stage. At 22 days, the fetal heart beats can be detected on an ultrasound. At 45 days, the fetal skeletons can be seen on an x-ray. Depending on the size of the mother and the amount of puppies, the fetuses may be palpated in the final weeks of pregnancy. Here are a couple links with additional information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/false-pregnancy-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/pregnancy-diagnosis-caring-for-the-pregnant-dog/ I strongly recommend to have your dog spayed. Otherwise she will have up to two litters of puppies a year. Not only is this a lot of strain on her body, but it contributes to pet over population. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.