Ultrasonographic appearance of the uterus, placenta, fetus, and fetal membranes throughout accurately timed pregnancy in beagles.

Abstract

Serial ultrasonographic examinations were performed on 8 Beagle bitches from 20 to 60 days pregnant to determine time of first detection, appearance, and sizes of selected features of pregnancy. Gestation was timed from the day of the preovulatory luteinizing hormone surge. Findings related to gestational age were consistent among bitches. Gestational ages at earliest detection of the following features were: chorionic cavity at day 20; placental layers in the uterine wall at day 22 to 24; zonary placenta at day 27 to 30; embryo and heartbeat at day 23 to 25; yolk sac membrane at day 25 to 28; allantoic membrane at day 27 to 31; choroid plexus of the brain at day 31 to 35; fetal movement at day 34 to 36; skeleton at day 33 to 39; bladder and stomach at day 35 to 39; kidney at day 39 to 47; and liver hypoechoic, compared with lung, at day 38 to 42. Extra-fetal structures were measurable from day 20 or 22 through day 48. Chorionic cavity diameter increased from 0.2 +/- 0.0 cm to 3.3 +/- 0.2 cm, outer uterine diameter increased from 0.8 +/- 0.03 cm to 4.8 +/- 0.2 cm, length of chorionic cavity or zonary placenta increased from 0.3 +/- 0.03 cm to 4.9 +/- 0.05 cm, uterine wall thickness increased from 0.3 +/- 0.03 cm to 0.8 +/- 0.01 cm, and placental thickness increased from 0.1 +/- 0.0 cm to 0.5 +/- 0.05 cm. Chorionic cavity diameter, outer uterine diameter, and placental length each increased at a linear rate through day 37, after which time, each had a marked plateau in growth. Of the extra-fetal structures, chorionic cavity diameter was the most accurate for estimation of gestational age. All of the fetal structures studied increased at an increasing (second order) rate. Crown-rump length increased from 0.3 +/- 0.05 cm on day 24 to 9.2 +/- 0.2 cm on day 48. Body diameter increased from 0.2 +/- 0.03 cm on day 24 to 4.6 +/- 0.15 cm on day 60. Head diameter increased from 0.8 +/- 0.05 cm on day 34 to 2.7 +/- 0.04 cm on day 60. Of the fetal structures, head diameter was the most accurate for estimation of gestational age.