BorderScan

17/09/2026

06/06/2026

Ever wondered why whelping always seems to happen at night?
My girls certainly prefer the dark, I've attended many an 'all-nighter' and emerged from midwifery duties into the following dawn, bleary-eyed and kn@ckered!

Recent research has confirmed it's a hormone driven thing; the combination of night-time hormones produces stronger contractions and better whelping outcomes than in the light. Your whelping kit should perhaps include a set of matchsticks for the eyelids.

06/06/2026

Saw this infographic the other day and thought it might be of interest to those folk who are new to breeding, thinking about the logistics of breeding, or who simply wish to understand more about the science behind establishing a canine pregnancy.

Following an empty scan I'm often asked "But why isn't my girl pregnant, we did everything right?" The fact is, timing is key and missing a critical window by even a few hours can be enough for things not to work out. Here's what's really going on behind the scenes.

23/01/2026

Due to a recent cancer diagnosis, I must regretfully suspend BorderScan with immediate effect. No more scans for a while. My target is to be back in action this time next year (early 2027) and this page is where I hope to announce that victory.

In the meantime I would like to thank my wonderful clients for trusting me with the care of your special girls for the past decade. My travels have taken me across the Borders and frequently well beyond, meeting you all and so many loveable dogs. It has been a privilege to be invited into your homes and hearts to provide you with such important news.

Until then
Heather.

30/12/2025

The last scan of 2025 (unless somebody has an emergency tomorrow - I hope not!)
Here's something a little different - a Small Yes. A super, bouncy black lab girl with just the one on board.

The vet said one and I agree. A singleton needn't be a disaster though, so long as the pregnancy is carefully monitored and not allowed to go too far over the due date then delivery often happens naturally.
Only panic when you need to, I'm sure this girl's lovely owners have got it all under control.
Can't wait to see this cherished pup in a few weeks :-)

30/12/2025

Wow, what a busy few days. Promised myself I wouldn't be working between Xmas and the New Year but some of my lovely clients had other plans! Well, their dogs did. How many times do I tell myself that diaries cannot be arranged around a dogs' bottom ...

Yesterday's Big Yes went to a stunning black lab girl who is expecting her first - big - litter next month. Lovely to catch up with her owner again. A scan, a mug of tea and a good natter to put the world to rights are a great mix

18/12/2025

Yesterday's Yes goes to a cute little Mini Dachshund. Wee soul wasn't sure about the visitor and the machinery but some ham treats from mum swayed her opinion and we got some super images eventually. It's not a big litter but she's a first time mum and I've a feeling that will suit her perfectly.
Mini Daxie pups in the New Year!

10/12/2025

An adorable little Papillon girl is expecting her first litter in the New Year and what a gem she was to scan. A wonderful way to start 2026, I can't wait for the photos!

Geek alert! This was a day ~30 scan. Processing the images at home afterwards I was stopped in my tracks by one that at first glance I was about to delete. Usually you see a cross section of a foetus but on closer inspection on this one I could just make out the entire thing.
Pic #3 is the original scan image and pic #4 I have drawn the outline of the foetus on and added a photo of what a 30 day foetus looks like in real life, to compare.

Still see a bowl of grey porridge? OK I'll try harder next time :-)

10/12/2025

Several empty scans lately, it's never nice to be the bearer of bad news :-(

So to cheer ourselves up, here's a recent scan I didn't post before because it's one of my own girls!
The scan image is a cross section of a skull which was used to calculate an approximate EDD for the litter. Not that I didn't know the dates but you know - have scanner, will play ...
The second photo - our litter of five Longcoat Chihuahua puppies

17/11/2025

Surprise Season continues :-)

Today's big Yes went to a cuddly, mellow Cocker Spaniel who had been keeping the news of a secret tryst to herself for a while. Thankfully for this love-lorn Juliet, her crafty Romeo can only have been the resident stud dog, so this just bumped puppy plans forward by a season or two.

This pregnancy is sufficiently advanced that the images can't show entire embryos, just a cross section. On the second image (four gestational sacs) the dark circle in the top puppy is the puppy's stomach, and we saw little hearts beating away on several others. These frozen images do the real-time, moving images no credit at all.