Relaxin Blood Test - Page 1

Hi all, I want to share my experience with you in regards to this test. My female came in season and prior to the breeding I did progesterone test to make sure that all goes ok( even I have my own proven male). Caro was bread 4 times and after 3 weeks she looked to me very much like pregnant bitch. However I went and did Relaxin test, 24 days after last breeding and 29 days after first breeding. Well I expected result will be positive for sure but happen opposite. Result came that she is not pregnant. I phoned my vet and said that she is pregnant for sure in my opinion (I am breeding gsd's since 1991) but he said that I am probably mistaken. Anyhow 2 days ago she delivered 9 puppies. Now after all I have huge doubts in this test and I think accuracy can not be 95% as claimed by vet's around. In my opinion this test is waste of money. Regards, Predrag Von Bellus German Shepherds FOR ALL REASONS www.vonbellus.com

I have never used this test, so I cannot comment about the accuracy of it. With a 95% correct result rate, perhaps you were in the unlucky 5% the first time that you used it? That is hard for me to believe, but I guess that it is possible. I am curious about the stated accuracy of 95%, and whether the presumed 5% error concerns false positives, false negatives, or is equally divided between the two (2) results. I don't wish to start a conspiracy theory, but it does make one wonder is the test's maker is 100% factual, or perhaps it was something awry with the laboratory who examined the specimen. We know that all testing laboratories are not created equally, and some are preferred over others. At least you are an experienced breeder so you were able to see what the test (or the laboratory who measured the sample) could not see and produced a healthy litter. Surely there is someone on this messageboard who has used this test with excellent results, or can at least expand on its usefulness. Bob-O

I had the same thing happen to me. I had 2 bitches that were bred 1 day apart, accordance with their quantitative progesterone tests. I took them both back at 30 and 29 days for the relaxin pregnancy test. One came back positive and the other negative. They both delivered full size litters right on time. Now... I was told that the accuracy goes up the later you wait in the prospective pregnancy and that at 30 days it is suppose to be 95% accurate. It seems like to me that maybe some bitches just don't produce a large enough amount of relaxin to trigger the positive result? Maybe they just need to make it a little more sensitive and lower the amount of relaxin needed to make a positive result? Debby