My Top Show Bitch - Page 1

Hello Everyone,

Just want to solicit some advise from you who are experts in getting a bitch pregnant.  My top show bitch has been bred for in every cycle she had been but still she was not pregnant at all.  Why is my bitch not getting pregnant?  We have tried breeding her with some proven males but no avail.

Is there some test that we can do to see if there is something wrong with her reproductive system?  Her cycle comes every 4 months only.  Is that normal?  Thanks in advance.

This is one problem that seems to be more and more present within the breed. A number of possible reasons. On what day of the cycle did you mate her? Did you repeat the mating 48 hours after the first one? Did you do a progesterone test? Were dogs tied up for more than 15 minutes? (Last time my female was tied up for 30 minutes with the male). Did she ever have a litter while with previous owner (if there was one)? Are you sure that she does not have some inflamatory proces of the reproductive system (clumsy question maybe)?

There are a lot of things to be considered.

Wok, There can be many reasons for a bitch failing to conceive, or indeed conceiving and then aborting or absorbing the puppies before or after any confirmation of pregnancy.

The priorities are as follows:

1) Make sure as far as possible you mate on the correct day(s)
Bloodtests to check progesterone levels combined with vaginal cytology tests are the best indicators.
Antibiotics for a period following the matings may be advisable.

2) consider using the herpes vaccination (merial)
canine herpes is considered responsible for aborted and absorbed puppies, still births and fading puppy syndrome (puppies dying in the first weeks of life)

3) Check for pregnancy at 25 to 30 days, and most importantly also check the female progesterone levels, which should be 30 or above to 'hold' the pregnancy. If the level falls below this, which is more common in bitches with 'short menstrual cycles' - especially 4 monthly cycles, puppies can be absorbed or aborted.  Drugs such as 'Overid' can be administered to maintain the levels of progesterone, and therefore 'hold' the pregnancy.

4) Regular ultrasound checks can monitor the situation ina non-invasive way.

I am NOT a vet, and would urge you to consult with a Vet on this matter, indeed I would urge you to consult a "reproduction specialist vet"

my best wishes

David Payne

Kenan,

We did mate our bitch from the day she will accept the male until the day she will not accept.  We bred her every other day.  They locked for around 20 to 30 minutes everytime.  She never had a litter ever yet.

What is the progesterone test?  Where will I get this test for her?  Is this the Premate Ovulation kit?  Actually, we never tried this kit yet because it is not available yet in our area.  Thanks for your input.

Hello David,

We give all our dogs their annual (5 in 1) shots.  Does it include the herpes vaccine?  If not, is it really effective to have this vaccine?  Thank you for your input.

Wok:  with respect CONSULT A VET - take wahat I have written above, and give it to your Vet.

The herpes vaccination is given SEPARATELY to any other, and given twice during EACH & EVERY MATING/PREGNANCY - It cannot be given any other time, because if it was IT would be ineffective. 

If she cycles every 4 months it is possible that the eggs have not had enough time to ripen in that short time frame to actually be fertile. She would allow a breeding which is due to her hormones and is no indicator that the eggs are actually ripe enough to be fertile but there will be no conception in such a case. Talk to a repro specialist. Hormone treatment can lengthen the time between heat cycles to produce viable eggs. Unless it is a very valuable bitch I would not recommend it though as you might be reproducing the same problem. After a successfull pregnancy her heat cycle might change on its own though. So one time hormonal treatment might be worth a shot to get at least one successfull pregnancy and then see what comes of that.

The other option is the timing of the breeding. She is standing and accepting the male but it is the wrong time for conception. You would need to do proper ovulation testing to determine the ideal mating time. Can be as early as 4 days into the heat cycle and we have had as late as 27 days (that female had been bred 4 times to 4 different studs by prev owner, but always at the wrong time, they never thought about o-testing and breeding her later, she then had 3 successful litters due to proper ovulation testing and mating at the right time of her heat cycle). Don't be fooled by the behaviour of the bitch. She may accept the male, then refuse him but actually ovulate much later, but is never put with a male again at that time to see if she would be standing. What David recommended for ovulation testing was very sound, combine several methods to ensure success. For vaginal cytology your vet just needs a microscope, but needs to know how to interpret what he sees.

The next possibility are hormonal changes after mating during the pregnancy that will cause her to resorb the litter or abort. Before and after mating check thyroid and progesterone levels at least weekly and medicate with either hormone if tests show she needs it. Again, best to talk to a repro specialist to discuss what is needed. Normal hormone levels outside a pregnancy are no indicator that it will stay that way during pregnancy. You can give thyroid hormones on spec at the onset of the heat cycle, as thyroid tests are not always conclusive. Your vet should be able to advise you properly. Seek a second opinion if your vet right out refuses that option.

Infection can also hinder conception. See if it helps if you put her on a course of antibiotics at the onset of her heatcycle (David, never heard of giving antibiotics after mating, would be interested in hearing what experiences you have had with that, we usually like to be off the anticiotics by the time of mating). Check for staph infection before she comes into heat again. Keep her off dairy products. Check ph (blood and saliva). Check for systemic fungal infection. Her vagina and uterus may not present a good environment for the sperm to be able to survive long enough for conception. A change in diet might help withsome of that. Ie Eagle Pack Holistic Duck or Fish. 

Also keep her lean and fit. Over or underweight females can have problems with conception. Underweight females may not come into season at all or ovulate properly. Many breeders like to overfeed a bitch they plan to breed though, which is counterproductive, and can hinder with conception. Overweight bitches also have more problems birthing. If she is fed well, kept at an ideal weight and fitness level, she will have everything she needs during pregnancy. We usually do not add food til the half way point or the onset of the third trimester, depending on the condition of the female.

Given the short heat cycles, that seems to be the obvious problem here though.