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THE RISK OF PREGNANCY FOLLOWING UNPLANNED MATING IN BITCHES First broadcast on www.provet.co.uk |
This information is provided by Provet for educational purposes only.
You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.
Despite everyones best efforts occasionally a bitch gets mated by accident.. or is thought to have been mated by a "stray" dog. A few simple tests can help determine the likely risk of pregnancy resulting in the bitch.
Take a vaginal swab for examination for :
- Evidence of sperm in the vagina
- Cell cytology to determine the stage of oestrus of the bitch
Take a blood sample for :
- Plasma progesterone concentration estimation
From these results the likely risk of pregnancy can be estimated :
| Sperm present in vagina | Progesterone concentration | Stage of oestrus | Risk of pregnancy |
| Yes | Moderate increase or High | Oestrus | High |
| Yes | High | Metoestrus | Low |
| Yes | Low | Oestrus | Moderate |
| Yes | Low | Pro-oestrus | Low |
| No | High | Metoestrus | Low |
| No | Moderate increase or High | Oestrus | Moderate |
| No | Low | Oestrus | Low |
| No | Low | Pro-oestrus | Low |
(Table adapted from Allen's Fertility and Obstetrics in the Dog by Gary C.W.England. Reproduced with permission of Blackwell Science )
Last updated : October 2013