jr_inoz Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 I am trying to mate my bitch on this season. Seems like she isn't going to ovulate. (Still have my fingers crossed though). The interesting situation that this has brought up is that, during the course of her progesterone tests (where she started to rise, and then drop again), two different vets (one who tests in-house and another who sends bloods to a pathology lab) have both stated that this is happening A LOT in SA at the moment. Bitches are coming in season, not ovulating and going out again. (Some will still stand for the dog, some won't). Talking to a few people, I also know of bitches that have 'missed' in the last month or so (bitches that haven't been prog tested but had matings). Anyone got any ideas as to why this might be happening? Do the bitches know something about the upcoming summer that we don't? Anyone else have other examples? I am puzzled and very curious. I still have my fingers crossed for my girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Not sure if its the dogs or the weather. Mine are all over some years & not others. This year I had one come in 3 months early & she jumped over a 4 foot room divider ( toy poodle with great legs ) at the end of the 4th week & tied with the boy. No pups. Yes it is completely blocked in now. Couldn't believe it. Another came in 6 weeks early & mated with the young boy in the first few days when it wasn't even noticeable. No previous sign of heat or swelling or indication by usual signs. The old boy who is always bang on the mark in knowing didn't even react. Then a few days later it became obvious she was in. 5 weeks now & flat as a pancake, thankfully as I didn't want her mated this time around. Yes they are weird this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyosha Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Do you have a proven dog available? If you do, he will tell you more than the prog tests...I know someone who recently had a neg prog test and took their bitch home, only to have a mating and now pups in the way. A bitch not standing for a dog can be her inexperience and worry rather than an ovulation problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr_inoz Posted October 19, 2013 Author Share Posted October 19, 2013 Do you have a proven dog available? If you do, he will tell you more than the prog tests...I know someone who recently had a neg prog test and took their bitch home, only to have a mating and now pups in the way. A bitch not standing for a dog can be her inexperience and worry rather than an ovulation problem. I've sent her to the stud dog anyway - just in case. I was prog testing all week to get the timing right to send her. It was just an interesting comment made by both the vets that there are lots of bitches here that are not ovulating at the moment. Was just wondering if anyone had a theory as to why that would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 How old is she? I've had bitches just stop at 6 yrs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyosha Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 I've sent her to the stud dog anyway - just in case. Good idea. :) Personally I find it odd for the vets to jump to the conclusion that multiple bitches are failing to ovulate. Which would seem a pretty serious issue? How much investigating have they done into the testing. The failure could be at that end. I sometimes worry that we are starting to rely on prog testing too much. I know it's convenient for vets, and for owners who don't necessarily have a stud dog available for teasing etc. Let us know how your girl goes. As I said I know someone who has recently had the same thing - neg prog test so they didn't go ahead with the AI. Took her home and the resident young dog jumped her - deed done. She was confirmed in whelp and is due shortly. Hopefully you might get a similar result! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr_inoz Posted October 21, 2013 Author Share Posted October 21, 2013 How old is she? I've had bitches just stop at 6 yrs. She's 19 months old - this is her third season. I've sent her to the stud dog anyway - just in case. Good idea. :) Personally I find it odd for the vets to jump to the conclusion that multiple bitches are failing to ovulate. Which would seem a pretty serious issue? How much investigating have they done into the testing. The failure could be at that end. I sometimes worry that we are starting to rely on prog testing too much. I know it's convenient for vets, and for owners who don't necessarily have a stud dog available for teasing etc. Two different vets - two different pathology labs - which is why I pricked up my ears. I have a theory, not at all backed by science, about why there could be a higher than normal incidence of this happening here. I wonder if the bitches know something about the upcoming summer here in SA (december anyway) that the rest of us don't. I know that kangaroos don't get pregnant if there is a drought coming up. (Or they get pregnant, but the little kangaroo doesn't grow to maturity in the mum until the drought has broken). I know some Australian animals have smaller litters, and not boys, just girls when drought conditions are approaching. I am wondering if it is a similar thing with dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wundahoo Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 This year, some breeders and vets in W.A. have seen similar things happening too. There is currently quite a shortage of puppies in one particular breed because four breeders have had the same thing happen. Bitches have been mated but have failed to conceive. Having spoken to numerous other people in different breeds there has been a common thread of no puppies or small litter sizes and an unusually high number of caesarians. Those who prog test and have got unusual results have taken their bitches to the stud dogs just in case. Some have conceived others havent. I have spoken to several breeders in South Australia and they have also had the same story. There is something different happening around the west coast and into South Australia this year. Exactly what it is we are not sure of, but it is real. I've heard several theories and I dont know if one or both or none are true ! I know that West Nile virus has been recently implicated in reduced lambing rates across Australia and as it's a mosquito borne virus it's possible that it may have been able to affect dogs in some similar way. Perhaps there has been a mutation of some kind that has made our dogs more suscebtible to infection by the virus. Sheep dont often get clinical disease with West Nile but it has been proven to affect fertility in ewes. Perhaps the same is now true for dogs. A friend of mine who is a Veterinary pathologist and also a stud sheep breeder is very aware of West Nile reduced lambing rates and has suggested that perhaps this or a similar virus could be responsible for reduced fertility in dogs. There has also been the suggestion that it could have something to do with our very strange weather patterns over the last 12 months. Who really knows...... all that I can say is that there is something very different this year compared to others and there have been a lot of "odd" things happening as far as fertility is concerned for many breeders. Vets who deal with canine fertility issues in W.A. are aware of it and so it seems they are in South Australia too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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