Reproduction
Reproduction is not as obvious an act as we would like to believe. The Animovet clinic can support you in order to optimize the gestation of your female dog and calmly prepare for whelping and lactation..
The duration of heat but especially the date of ovulation within this heat is very variable. Breeding at an inappropriate time is the main cause of pseudo-infertility in the female dog (70% cases).
The exact determination of the date of ovulation thanks to one or more determinations of blood progesterone at the clinic makes it possible to accurately predict the date on which the mating must be carried out in order to maximize the chances of gestation but to optimize the number of puppies. It also indicates the presumed date of birth (61 0 63 post ovulation days) with a precision far superior to the date of mating alone (especially in the case where the male is simply left with the female for several days).
Occasionally, after exact determination of the optimum mating date, there is "incompatibility" between the male and the female : lack of acceptance, misunderstanding, inexperienced male, conformation of the female making the mating complicated and/or painful…
In this context, the Animovet clinic can offer you the performance of artificial insemination after collection of the male (insemination with fresh semen only).
From the 25th day after ovulation, we can suggest that you perform an ultrasound of the genital tract in order to establish the diagnosis of pregnancy
From the 50th day after ovulation, the abdominal X-ray will allow us to count the number of fetuses and anticipate potential birth problems (single puppy or on the contrary large litter).
The day of whelping, an insufficient number of puppies compared to what has been estimated or significant expelling efforts without birth should lead you to contact us as soon as possible in order to assess the progress of the whelping and, if necessary, put in place preventive measures. 'assistance (medical or surgical = caesarean section).
In some breeds (ex : chihuahua, bulldog, carlin,…) or when single puppy, we will guide you towards the scheduling of a caesarean section. For it, we will need the ovulation date to have been determined (see above heat monitoring). A few days before the expected birth date, we will repeat daily progesterone assays to accurately determine the optimal date for carrying out the cesarean section, the puppies being then quite mature.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the management of the diet of pregnant and lactating females., the follow-up of the first days of the puppies and concerning the regulation of canine or feline breeding in France.
