Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How accurate is ultrasound for predicting dog pregnancy age
By Lenard, Z M et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2007·Murdoch University Veterinary Hospital·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Accuracy of prediction of canine litter size and gestational age with ultrasound.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at how well ultrasound can predict the number of puppies and their gestational age in pregnant dogs. Researchers used two methods: one based on fetal organ development and another measuring the size of the puppies. They found that using both methods together gave a good estimate of when the puppies would be born and how many there would be, with a 70.8% accuracy for predicting the due date within a day or two. The best time to use ultrasound for these predictions is during early to mid-pregnancy.
People also search for: dog pregnancy ultrasound accuracy · how many puppies will my dog have · predicting dog litter size with ultrasound
Abstract
Different sonographic criteria have been developed to estimate canine fetal age, including fetal mensuration and assessment of fetal organ development. This retrospective study assessed the accuracy of gestational age and litter size predictions in 76 bitches using one of two techniques. The first method used the differential features of fetal organ development that occur in early and mid pregnancy, based on published tables for beagles. The second method used biparietal head and trunk diameters to predict gestational age based on tables published for late gestational Labrador Retrievers. The accuracy of the two methods was compared and the effect of maternal body weight and litter size evaluated. Litter size and maternal body weight did not affect the accuracy of gestational age prediction. Using a combination of both methods, the overall accuracy of predicting parturition date within 65 +/- 1 day and +/- 2 days was 70.8% and 86.1%, respectively. The correct litter size was predicted in 65% of cases, and in 89.5% of cases for +/- 1 pup. Pearson's correlation between actual litter size and predicted litter size was high (R = 0.957, P < 0.001). The organ development method of predicting gestational age was more accurate than late gestational fetal mensuration (P = 0.019). The optimum time for sonographic estimation of fetal age and litter size is early and mid pregnancy.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17547634/