Pseudo pregnancy post spaying

Re: Pseudo pregnancy post spaying

Kate Richardson — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 20:14:18 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"][quote user="Kate Richardson"]Yes you can continue Galastop for up to 21 days then they need a break in case of bone marrow suppression.[/quote]Just hijacked this in relation to my thread on the bitch with mammary hyperplasia. I spoke to CEVA and they have said that after an exhaustive search through literature they have found nothing that suggests that Cabergoline causes bone marrow suppression.[/quote]

Interesting- my information came from a colleague who got the information from Ceva I understood! But good to know, thanks

Re: Pseudo pregnancy post spaying

Anthony Todd — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 15:54:05 GMT

[quote user="Sarah Keir"]I have a case of a pseudo pregnancy post spaying. [/quote]

It was ever thus... We had a rule that we would only spay at least 12 weeks after the last heat and we had to check the bitch when "on heat" as owners never could remember, or just got it plain wrong. We would defer spay if there was any sign of mammary enlargement on admission.

Way before anti antilactating treatment was available and they lactated for weeks, sometimes months.....!

Re: Pseudo pregnancy post spaying

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 11:19:19 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]Yes you can continue Galastop for up to 21 days then they need a break in case of bone marrow suppression.[/quote]Just hijacked this in relation to my thread on the bitch with mammary hyperplasia. I spoke to CEVA and they have said that after an exhaustive search through literature they have found nothing that suggests that Cabergoline causes bone marrow suppression.

Out of place but an update on the my case, I decided not to spay but to refer locally for ultrasound. The owner then 'suddenly' remembered that the bitch is actually registered at a practice in Stroud (she lives with her boyfriend up here and he initially presented it as his dog) and was by amazing coincidence going back there last weekend so was going to see if they could do the ultrasound.

Re: Pseudo pregnancy post spaying

Sarah Keir — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 11:55:32 GMT

Thank you for the detailed reply Kate; a very useful answer.

The reason why a pseudo-pregnancy occurs post spaying is that naturally during dioestrus the progestrone levels drop, whether the bitch is pregnant or not. Prolactin is then produced which is luteotrophic so supports the corpus luteum to produce more progesterone until shortly before parturition. If a bitch is spayed during dioestrus then the body goes ahhh progesterone falling (because the corpus luteum has been removed), produces prolactin to try to up progesterone production and so pseudo-pregnancy signs develop.

Our practice policy is spay after 12 weeks after season but this one missed that

Re: Pseudo pregnancy post spaying

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 08:47:37 GMT

Perhaps you wouldn't mind looking at my thread on a bitch with massive mammary hyperplasia but no lactation Kate?

Re: Pseudo pregnancy post spaying

Kate Richardson — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 20:35:46 GMT

Had a run of these so hope this helps!

Yes you can continue Galastop for up to 21 days then they need a break in case of bone marrow suppression. Essentially treat with galastop until there is absolutely no discharge at all from any of the mammary glands, really give each teat a good squeeze. Continue tx even if discharge is clear, they need to be dry.

One of my colleagues did a lot of research into this recently as we had a run of bitches developing milk post speying. Its all to do with timing of the speying and prolactin levels and the hormone which switches it off- sorry can't remember detail (and am rubbish at repro hormones anyway!) You can either spey within 4 weeks of them being in season ( and I need to clarify if that is counted from day 1 of the season or from the end) or 3 months after. Speying in the 4-12 week window post oestrus removes the negative feedback hormone and allows the prolactin to stay in the system.

We have a policy now of checking all bitches glands thoroughly pre speying and deferring if any discharge at all, some have galastop, some don't depending on the amount/nature of the discharge. We had one bitch we treated with galastop after speying for about three 21 day cycles before she was dry!

Hope that helps.