Not specifically about breeding, but thought this the most appropriate forum to put it in.

I was at training a few weeks ago and one of the group (who is a vet nurse) said she was going to give her bitch an injection to stop her coming into season due to competing.  I've heard of this being used before, but just wondered if anyone had any experience of info about it.

I used it once last year, just before Crufts.  Have two bitches one came into season at the end of Feb, the other one was also due, so got the jab.  She came into season 6 months later (so 12 months from her last season) and has just came into season again, 6 months on.  I didn't enter Crufts this year, one of the reasons being I thought she would be in season again and didn't want to use the jab again.  I'm not breeding form this bitch (failed one of her health tests) and I don't think I would have used the jab if I was going to.  She produced alot of milk in the months after the jab and had to have Galastop, so it did mess her up a bit.
Also used the jab a few years ago on my other bitch, she was going to go and spend a holiday with a friend who had dogs.  Didn't have any problems and she went on to have a litter.

i used it once as we were moving hundreds of miles away and my bitch was due
and with 2 males and no fencing in new house ,
she was fine and went on to have a litter
my vet would not recommend it for regular use,
but said it was ok as a one off.
i know people who used it regularly but i would,nt
it can have side effects

I have used Delvostern twice, but along you let the bitch have a clear season or 2 if your mating them, or get them spayed if not breeding from them ,can cause pyometra.
I only used it so my bitch would'nt come into season for Crufts, and another Champ show!

> my vet would not recommend it for regular use,
>

My practice have said regular use is preferable to erratic use, as the bitch will not come into season, so it lessens the chances of a pyo.   I have had Mia injected since last year and - touch wood - I've not had a problem with it.   If you use it regularly, you have you bitch injected just before/start of her season, then another 3 months later, then 4 months and then every 5 months.

when i asked my vet he did not recommend it
seems they all think differantly

It can screw things up. I had finished breeding with one of my bitches and had her injected just as she came into season in September 2007 as we were booked to go to Belfast and had paid for ferry etc so didn't want to miss it and wanted the season stopped.  4 months after that she had a season lasting ONE day -and it wasn't a silent season, it was really just the one day. (She was checked by the vet on the day as she had been booked in to be spayed that very day, now it could not be done. She truly was in season then, the next day she was not.) I then had her injected again May 2008 as we were going all the way to the world show in Sweden and I didn't want to risk a season. She's not had a season since. I.e. since the first injection in Sept 2007, she has not had one normal season, and it's now been 10 months since last injection. I'm waiting for a normal season as I want her spayed -rather do it when she is fit aged 9, than later when she is old and frail but as we need to know where she is in her cycle to be able to safely spay her we can't do it until she's had a season.

hmmmm- i am considering it for my bitch later on in the year as it clashes with a big comp. does anyone know the approx cost of it?

I think it was about £25.

mine had it on day 1/2 of seasons and it stopped the season in about 6 days but one would still have a full blown phantom and need gallostop so in the end i spayed them both-cheaper in the long run!

I had a bitch stopped once because of what I consider a genuine reason. We had moved house within the month and had a male(her brother). Previously we were in a large farmhouse with plenty of room in which we could separate them. She had a litter successfully 18 months after. I wouldn't do it again though.
In my opinion to stop a bitch just for a champ show is not a genuine reason. I had 2 sisters who often came in season together, missing numerous champ shows!!

Used it once many years ago, perhaps it was a different drug then I don't know, but that bitch failed to produce a litter when mated on three occasions.  Of course this may have been entirely coincidental but I have heard several similar anecdotes together with links to pyometra so, personally, I remain very wary of it.

Thanks everyone for your replies.  TBH, I don't feel comfortable using it anyway, so wouldn't - a month out of action is a shame, but not the end of the world ;-), but it's useful to hear your experiences and the vet nurse using it seemed very relaxed about it as if it was the norm to use it.