Pregnancy can be secured with the help of ultrasound, which is usually performed no earlier than 28 days after mating.
The reliability of a positive pregnancy diagnosis is high.
Ultrasound examination performed at an earlier stage of pregnancy results in a more uncertain result.
The reason for this is that fetal blisters can be missed, but also that fetal resorption occurs earlier in pregnancy. In case of unwanted pregnancy, ultrasound is performed before any medication is taken to induce abortion.
It is difficult to get a correct idea of the number of fetuses during an ultrasound examination. This is because it is not possible to get a picture of all fetuses at the same time and therefore the same fetus can be counted several times.
For this reason, the veterinarian refrains from trying to estimate the number of fetuses in the ultrasound examination, as it is worse to give out incorrect information than no information regarding the number of fetuses.
In the case of childbirth complications, ultrasound is performed by the fetus to assess their condition, among other things by checking the heart activity.
Fetal diagnostics with X-ray
To get an idea of the number of fetuses, an X-ray examination can be performed after about 45-50 days of gestation. Then the fetal skeleton has normally started to calcify. X-rays are then a safer way than ultrasound when determining the number of fetuses.