What happens at a pregnancy scan?

A pregnancy scan is a short and straightforward appointment, and most owners are surprised by how calm it is. There is no X-ray table and no sedation. The room is darkened, the scanner works steadily across the abdomen, and you can watch everything on the screen.

When to book

Thirty days after mating is the earliest point at which a scan can reliably confirm a pregnancy. Before that the sacs are too small to identify with confidence, and some of them will not develop into puppies, so an early scan tends to create uncertainty rather than resolve it.

Bring the mating dates if you have them. The scanner uses them to check that the development on screen matches the expected stage, and that is largely how an estimated due date is reached.

No preparation is required. There is no need to withhold food or water before the appointment.

At the appointment

Your dog will usually lie on her side, on a table or on the floor if she is more comfortable there. The scanner parts or clips a small area of coat, applies coupling gel, and moves the probe slowly across the abdomen. The lights are dimmed so that the image is easier to read.

The procedure is painless. Some dogs dislike being held on their side, and a few will spend the appointment trying to sit up, but the scanning itself causes no discomfort.

What you will see

At around thirty days, small dark circles of fluid become visible. This is the confirmation of pregnancy.

A week or so later, individual puppies can be identified, with heartbeats clearly visible. This is the image most owners ask to keep.

Later in the pregnancy, spines and skulls become visible and the puppies move around a great deal, which makes the screen busier and counting less reliable.

What it cannot tell you

The exact number of puppies. We have written about why ultrasound cannot count puppies, and the limitation belongs to the technology rather than to the scanner.

An exact due date, only an estimate based on the mating dates and the stage of development seen on screen.

Whether every puppy will be healthy. The scan shows heartbeats and growth that is consistent with the stage. It cannot guarantee the outcome, and if anything looks unusual the next step is your veterinary surgeon rather than a further scan.

Afterwards

You will leave knowing whether your dog is pregnant, roughly how many puppies could be identified, and roughly how far along she is. Ask whether a printed image or a short video is available, as many scanners provide one.

If the scan is too early, or shows that she is not pregnant, you will be told clearly and advised when to return.

Finding a scanner

Every scanner in our directory is approved and certified by Vet Image Solutions and uses a veterinary-grade ultrasound machine from our approved list. Enter your postcode to find the nearest one.