[katelin]

I usually do a sonogram on my female around 32-35 days from first tie to determine if there are any viable fetus -- looking for heartbeats, number and also size. Number is not always accurate, and size helps determine whether female conceived on first tie or a later. I also switch female's food to puppy food if she is pregnant and add 1/2 tablet of Pet-Cal to her diet for remainder of pregnancy. I wouldn't do that if she were not pregnant with at least one viable puppy.

I x-ray during last week of pregnancy to determine how many puppies, position, and size compared to pelvic opening. Not always accurate with number of puppies, but you get an idea of what to expect. Positions change, but still nice to know if they are still high up, all on one side, etc. In a new female with first litter, it is always good to see the size of the puppies' heads to the spread of the pelvic opening to prepare for a c-section if the puppies are too big already.

Nothing we see in sonogram or x-ray is set in stone. But I like having as much knowledge as I can get going into a whelp. I've not seen any evidence these procedures cause problems, but if you have any I'd be interested in seeing it.