Hi Guys,
well its nearly time for my girl to come into season and after she missed last time I am starting to feel really anxious again as she is a champion and we desperately want to get her in pup! We have decided not to use the same stud dog and to try a different dog who is well proven. Problem! Living in Northern Ireland I want to have my girl progesterone tested but am a bit worried about sending blood off overses via the post to Idexx. Do you think the long distance would affect the results?? Unfortunately my own vet can only offer the in house-Premate test which I'm not keen on as it isn't as accurate and we have to travel by ferry to the stud dog so want to be sure she has definitely ovulated. Any feed back would be greatly appreciated!!

Have you thought about doing the testing yourself with an ovulation kit. I have in the past used the vets inhouse test and they gave a false positive for ovulation. I took her to the stud and she was not interested at all after vet saying time was right. Tried for 3 days but still nothing. After day 10 i started using the microscope and slides which after 4 days showed that she was about to ovualate and that would be day 19 so we would totally have missed the right time. Anyway took her back and had a good tie of 20 min and 2 days later another tie . Hope things work well for you. Good luck

I haven't really as I have to admit I am a bit sceptical as to their accuracy. I have seen the canine ovulation pads and again I'm not keen on those either. I heard heard about people saying how good the saliva tests are so maybe I would run these along with the progesterone tests.

Any tips for getting a good saliva sample?  I have a little tester but have never managed to see the ferning.  Am trying it again this time along with swabs.

"Do you think the long distance would affect the results??"

Distance won't make any difference. Check out the postal service for guaranteed next day delivery, before 9 a.m or 1 p.m might be possible. Will be a little expensive but worth it as in my experience Idexx are very efficient at getting the result through quickly after delivery.

Thanks for that..I will do. I am desperate to get her in pup and am willing to pay anything!

is it not possible for the bitch to stay with the stud dog owner for a week or so?

I really don't want to send her on her own to stay with the stud dog as last time she stayed with friends who took her for the matings. I have heard soo many stories of bitches when stressed come out of season and she didn't eat for a few days the last time.

Always the best option for me is to get the dog and bitch together and let her stay there until both have lost the will to do the deed.

I have no faith whatsoever in the vet looking down a microscope. I did this, along with progesterone testing. The vet took a look and said no shes not ovulated, wait a bit. The blood taken on the same day came back, oh yes she has, get in the car asap!!!

Mine have always enjoyed their holidays with their mate and the bitches I have had here to stay along with the studs have been very happy as have the boys ;)

Did you still test the bitch for when she had ovulated or did you just let nature take its course?

I let nature take it's course.

I only once did the blood testing, taking the blood was far too stressful for my bitch for me to want to do it routinely.

My Young bitch who is going to be mated in the USA would need sedating for blood being taken as she did for the Rabies titre.  She had blood taken for DNA testing at 4 1/2 months and has been a pain since with ti.

I was recommended a lady in West Sussex, who after sending a cheque you will receive a jiffy bag containing 3 sterile swabs, and 1sterile saline. The test is called pre-mate ovulation cytology.  It is a series of vaginal swabs, which can be taken over a period of 5-10 days, depending on the bitch, and will determine the day in which the cells mature, and the increase in cell layers, from the information given Val Brown will guide you as to the optimum mating times.  In addition to the premate, they provide a bacteriology from which they can advise if veterinary treatment would be beneficial.

We are on day 9, I did the test on day 8 sent it off same day for delivery next day, had call this morning, no bacteria infection:), retest on friday:) The price of this was £35.00

Debsx

I'm using Val for the first time - my result was same as yours - swabbing again Friday.....

Agree with Debs re Val Brown, also an excellent relaxed service re scanning.

Is Val the lady near Haywards Heath who is dong the testing and scanning? Someone has spoken about her before. I don't have a bitch but always worth keeping a note about.

Hi Guys,
thanks for that..could you pm me with Val's details. Might be worth running this alongside the progesterone tests plus would be could to get a bacterial result.

I am assuming this is the lady? I haven't used her myself

Emz77, yes that link is correct.

She also checks sperm quality - just so the boys don't miss out!!

Bit confused does the price include 3 swab tests or is it £35 per swab?
Thanks guys

I read it as the price includes 3 swab tests and 1 sterile solution...

Val initially sends out 3 swabs - if you need more she will send them - no additional charge.

Yes that is correct, Val lives in Haywards Heath West Sussex.  Tel no. 01444 453232

Debsx

Good luck Ells-Bells :)

Debsx

Thank you -  you too.  We'll have to compare notes when results back!

Thanks Debs,

Bookmarked this page now..

Val is extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of bitches.
When my vet would not accept my bitch had a closed pyo, as all tests urine cultures, bloods,
and in house scans were inconclusive, just showed kidney failing.
In desperation went to Val she scanned and found huge mass. I still had to plead with my vet to open her up!!
Her uterus was just about to rupture! thankfuly she recovered. Without Val I would not have had the confidence
to have insisted my vet operate on an already very sick bitch.

Had the results of second swab this morning.... apparently I am not collecting enough cells grrrr Val did say that a few cells she did see had Cornified(SP),basically cells were fried egg shaped, they need to look like cornflakes lol, Val did say she was almost at her window, so to take her to stud dog on monday, and swab again monday morning.

Heres hoping.

Debsx

faorgive my lack of knowledge - but what service to IDEXX offer ? is it saliva samples ? blood ? do you need to send them via your vet or can you deal direct with IDEXX your self ?

its bloods ,ring idexx and ask for a progestrone test kit,you get your vet to take the bloods ,do it 1st thing in the morning and post them yourself ,they ring you next day with results ;) xx

Fab - from what day do you start taking the bloods ? is it usually expensive ? when the results are not ready do they give an indication of how soon or is it a simple Now! or not now type of affair? x

i think its about £12 something to pay to idexx and then you pay your vet for doing the bloods ,once the reading at idexx they tell you when to repeat the bloods or if the reading is high enough they tell you when to mate, most start taking bloods form day 10 but some like to start day 5-7 if there girls missed before xx

Thanks White Lilly :-)

Its just under £25 to pay for Idexx plus the cost to the vet for taking the blood sample as mentioned

Can you folk who, in October, were using Val's method to tell ovulation give us an update - did it work, was it accurate?  How did it go?

She is v close to me in Haywards Heath...

sorry yes it is 25!!! i got the cost of the vets for takeing the bloods LOL X

Fit and Fertile are also now doing it.

> most start taking bloods form day 10 but some like to start day 5-7 if there girls missed before xx

Which is why my girl who kept missing started her tests on day 1!!!   Ovulated on day 4 of season!

well yes jean! fingers crossed with your girl this time xx

Yes we were sucessful, Vals reading was spot on, had to send three tests all in all, last test Val phoned and said Willow was ready, and we had a 3 day window, she was mated on day 16 and 18, Val said to swab her again which we did, results were her window was closing. We had two good mating monday night, and wed night, 25th, 27th October. 

I will say that I was not doing the testing correctly and was guided by Val, you have to insert the swap from a downward position and head towards the shoulder blades if that makes sense and as you gently insert in u have to twist the swab same also when pulling out.  Good luck!!

Great, thanks.  We may give her a try - as we are very close to her, I think we could go see her and she could even do the swab for us.

I do worry though that I should try to steer clear of testing methods using her lady-bits (!) - when she was a pup, she had a vaginal infection and a course of ABs didn't clear this up.  Our vet then decided to do this STUPID thing, which was to flush her bits using a syringe of water.  (This is in a 5-6 mnth old puppy which hasn't even had a season yet.)  I really regret letting him do it but she squealed blue murder and it was horrible.  We were then supposed to continue to do this every day or other day or something, but I refused to.  The infection went away anyway - either his flushing worked, or it just resolved itself.  (I suspect the latter.) 

Which is all to say that she now hates anyone doing anything to her bits (!).  When I bath her, she will sit down on them.  She doesn't mind other dogs sniffing them or relating to them - in fact she is a little tart even when not in season and is always sticking her bum in other dogs' faces - so I'm hoping that this won't affect her ability to mate.  But I probably should avoid methods which involve sticking things up her, I think.

Val did swabs for my bitch back in Oct and scanned for me at 4 weeks.  Sadly she isn't in whelp this time - would have been due 27th.

She did suggest  to me that around day 17 is a critical time for bitches and if something upsets them they could reabsorb - although my bitch doesn't worry about fireworks it may just have been enough for her not to conceive.  Fingers crossed for better luck next year.

Sorry just found this post. I see you are in N.Ireland thoughnot sure where. Ancu in Newry do progesterone testing. I know it is too late for this post but it may be of help in the future.

John.

Thanks John,
this is where we took her and she had a lovely litter in january x