Vet-Repro Reproductive Specialists
Female Procedures
Most bitches ovulate between 5 and 30 days after the start of their season – it is a remarkably wide range to aim for!
Identifying the point at which a bitch ovulates in her cycle is called ovulation timing. It is a critical piece of information when choosing when to mate; in fact, the most common cause of infertility among dogs and bitches is due to mating at a suboptimal stage of the heat period, without accurate ovulation timing. Here at Vet Repro, we take a small sample of your bitch’s blood and analyse two reproductive hormones – progesterone and luteinising hormone.
The procedure is quick and minimally stressful and the hormone analysis takes place in-house so results are available within 20-40 minutes. What’s more, we use a state of-the-art machine called a MiniVidas, which has been proven to be far more reliable hormone analyser than traditional in-house machines and is therefore favoured by many of the top reproductive specialist vets worldwide.
When we measure your bitch’s progesterone while she is in-season, we interpret the hormone concentration while also charting it’s trend as it rises. Both of these pieces of information are vital to pinpoint the specific day of ovulation, therefore, it is normal to expect most bitches to require between 3 and 5 blood samples prior to mating. To help us ensure accuracy, it is better to perform the first blood test between 5 and 7 days after the onset of pro-oestrus (the appearance of a swollen vulva and blood spotting), which is earlier than most breeders are accustomed to.
Accurate ovulation timing leads to higher pregnancy rates and larger litter sizes. Larger litters also have fewer birthing problems. Therefore, it really is worth going the extra mile and ensuring the ovulation timing is right your bitch.
Do you need advice, or would you like to discuss if the procedures we offer are right for you and your pet? We’re friendly and would be happy to help.
Female procedures
Ovulation Timing
Identifying the point at which a bitch ovulates in her cycle is called ovulation timing. It is a critical piece of information when choosing when to mate;
Transcervical insemination
Transcervical insemination has been proven to result in higher pregnancy rates and larger litter sizes than traditional vaginal artificial insemination.
Management of Seasons
Whether your bitch’s seasons are regular or irregular, there are a wide range of options available to postpone them – either briefly or for a prolonged period – without any lasting effects on future fertility.
Pseudopregnancy
Pseudopregnancy is a completely normal phenomenon. All bitches that don’t fall pregnant during their season, experience a period of pseudopregnancy.
Heat Induction
Heat induction is the advancement of a bitch’s season so it occurs sooner than would be anticipated based on her previous pattern of seasons.
Pregnancy Evaluation
Pregnancy diagnosis by ultrasound scan can be performed from around 21 days of gestation. It is quick and non-invasive.
Other procedures
Breeding soundness examination and certification
A certificate is available to owners of breeding animals to show an examination has been performed at a reproductive specialist establishment.
Animal Infertility investigations
We have the knowledge, expertise and state-of-the-art equipment needed to get to the bottom of every animal’s fertility conundrums.
Remote Consulting
We can review your animal’s full clinical history, discuss the case with your vet, and produce a written course of action.