Was just wondering if anyone can give me some advice. I have used Idexx twice now on 2 different bitches which resulted in puppies. I am planning on mating one of my bitches again. She ovulated on day 16 last time and was mated the once on day 18 resulting in 8 puppies.

I started doing the blood tests on day 10 last time and did 3. Would you start bloods a bit later this time? Say on day 12?

Thanks

My vet does the blood tests in house so much easier for us, do you have to get the vet to draw the blood to send to Idexx or does your vet draw it and you send?

I would continue with what has worked well in the past, for the sake of one test you might miss the right time.

I agree, when I spoke to Larry @ Idexx he said it varied on each cycle. For the sake of £27 + vet drawing blood if it was me I wouldn't risk it.

Thanks. Will start the bloods from 10 like last time. xx

What is the best day to start doing these bloods, for a maiden bitch (with what seems to be a regular 3 week cycle)?

Croft says on their form to start from day 5 - is that too early?

> Croft says on their form to start from day 5 - is that too early?

I have a bitch that I just couldn't get pregnant.  I explained to my vet that she appeared to have short seasons, and didn't swell much at all.

He told me to start testing on the first day that she was starting to swell (there was no blood.)   Started testing on 1st day, she ovulated on day 4.

Gosh Jean that's early - but do you think that, if we haven't tried to mate her before, we should start that early?  I mean, what is the best day to start if you don't know that you have any problems yet?

Without any problems, my vet always says start on day 10 (I know he did with his own bitch.)

Great, thanks.

Having just done an AI with my bitch, she was progesterone tested on day 7 as a normal bitch would be then not again until day 10 then she was done every day from day 13 til the day she ovulated and inseminated 2 days later. The surgery who performed the AI are my usual vets and they recommend to do a test on day 7 then if it is a low reading then perhaps not again until day 10.

I tend to know my own bitches and the bitches I have now have all been late ovulaters at about day 18/19. In general I don't start progesterone testing until day 10 for the 1st one. I watch them when they are having phantoms and know when they are 'having pups' which has saved me a lot of money in the past!

I have also had one bitch who swung her tail on day 1 of her season and she was tested on day 4 and had already ovulated so was mated and had 11 pups. Her next litter she ovulated at day 14 and the final litter day 19.

Another bitch my parents owned was mated on day 11/13 before preogesterone testing days and she missed 3 times. On her next season on day 1 her brother mated her and produced 8 pups! They were all sold as pets and not bred from.

Arg, it all sounds very unpredictable!

I guess I just am wondering when to give the vets a call and take her in for the first test. 

Our vet usually does the in-house pre-mate colour-changing type of test, so if we do manage to persuade him to go with the external lab progesterone test (rather than him persuading us that it is too expensive and we should stick with the in-house one!), we are going to have to tell him what we want him to do, I think, and not rely on him for much help.