Current thinking on testing for non-cycling bitches?

RE: Current thinking on testing for non-cycling bitches?

Dinu Catilina — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 11:01:11 GMT

[quote userid="3169" url="~/f/non-clinical-questions/31111/current-thinking-on-testing-for-non-cycling-bitches/246336#246336"]

If wanting to breed I've had 50:50 success with daily carbergoline to induce oestrus.

[/quote]

We only had two fails with cabergoline and one was a type of intersex, looked normal on the outside but one ovary was replaced by a testicle in the exact same location. We found out at neutering, she/them/they never had an ultrasound. The second one had an ovarian tumour and the owner declined histo, in hindsight I should have paid for it myself and find out.

What we found with cabergoline is that it can take weeks of treatment and it takes longer the closer you are to luteal phase hence why we always test progesterone before we start.

If progesterone is basal and they're in a rush you can also use Suprelorin but not all seasons are ovulatory and litter size seems to be smaller. They come in season within 2 weeks of placing the implant.

[quote userid="8991" url="~/f/non-clinical-questions/31111/current-thinking-on-testing-for-non-cycling-bitches/246337#246337"]Question is what is anything it would show and if it did then what would you do about it anyway. [/quote]

I doubt you'll see anything useful in anestrus (unless you find testicles) and I find it more useful in females with split, anovulatory or persistent seasons. A liner probe would work better and they're exactly where you expect them to be, caudo-dorsal to the kidney.

RE: Current thinking on testing for non-cycling bitches?

David Mills — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 00:23:29 GMT

Yes wanting to breed. Sensible breeder - if they can't, then so be it, but wanting to know whether possible or not.

I've read about cabergoline - some studies reckon 70-80pc success in inducing oestrus. Maybe worth a punt.

Can't say I've ever knowingly scanned a dog's ovaries. Question is what is anything it would show and if it did then what would you do about it anyway.

RE: Current thinking on testing for non-cycling bitches?

Michael Woodhouse — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 23:23:07 GMT

[quote userid="8991" url="~/f/non-clinical-questions/31111/current-thinking-on-testing-for-non-cycling-bitches"]- or is there a better approach to these cases?[/quote]

What are you trying to achieve? Do they want to breed the bitch? Time neutering? Establish if she is normal?

If not wanting to breed I'd spay, really unconcerned when in the cycle.

If wanting to breed I've had 50:50 success with daily carbergoline to induce oestrus.

Could try US or even scope to see if things look normal.

RE: Current thinking on testing for non-cycling bitches?

Dinu Catilina — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 13:07:51 GMT

That's what I would do. If you're lucky and the first progesterone is a bit higher than basal then she might be in the luteal phase. You can also ultrasound the ovaries but I have never seen a true luteal cyst on an ovary and if it is a persistent corpus luteus I would not be able to differentiate it ultrasonographically.