So she has finally come into season, only problem is she will need mating just before xmas and i have a 4 hour journey to the stud.
We had an unsuccessful mating in april to a stud that was sldly past his prime and 4 bitches missed in the same month to him. She was standing very well on day 15 and had a good mating.
My dilema is I can only do the 1 mating as it is xmas week.
Do I pay the vet £100 each time for a blood test? (seems very excessive and the test won't be back for 24 hours)
or try the swab technique? a lot cheaper and can be done daily by me.
Or
if anybody knows of a vet in the stratford upon avon area or south birmingham who has an in house blood testing facility that is reasonable?

All advice gratefully received, we have waited an extra month and a half for her to come in, so its a nervy time for us again
:)

Would the stud dog owner not board her over 4 - 6 days?  This has always been my preferred choice when mating bitches to have the two in the same household.  I have even had the stud come and stay.  There has to be a lot of trust between you of course.

We had this distance (Bristol to Doncaster) with our Inka, who is now 5 weeks in whelp.  We went up on the Saturday arranging for her to stay until the following Saturday.  On the event she was mated Sunday to Tuesday so we picked her up on Thursday.

We walked into the sitting room and madam was happily sprawled all over stud dog owner in the armchair, while her Lothario was tucked up in a crate LOL

Have to agree with Brainless on this one, I was in the same situation as you last year our bitch needed to be mated on over Christmas and we were able to board her with the stud owners..much easier  :)

> Do I pay the vet £100 each time for a blood test? (seems very excessive and the test won't be back for 24 hours)

Why is it so expensive? My vet draws the blood and charges £7.50 for doing so, packs the sample for Idexx and he puts it with all his other stuff which is collected each evening by courier, so I don't incur a postal cost. Then there is the cost of Idexx doing the test (£28.80), so £35-ish in all per test. Even if you send by special delivery I can't see the total cost being anywhere near £100.

The only time I used the in house premate tests it was £47 per test in 2003. 

Any vet round here charges about £35 to walk in the door, then for taking the blood. 

Last time I had a basic kidney blood test it was £57 inhouse so OP prices don't surprise me.

Hi Diddles
Fit and Fertile only charge £23.50 per progesterone test so you'd only have that plus the cost of the bloods drawn (my vet cgarges £12) and the postage - much cheaper than £100. It would save any doubt regarding dates and assure you that you're doing all you can to help nature along :). This blood testing is the best and most accurate way.
Good luck

I used Fit and Fertile last time, cheaper and they are so nice.  Though so are Idexx.  I paid the £23.50 and my vet charges £18.00 to take the blood..

£41.50 per test ? Wow that's expensive
Find a vet that does the test in house
there is one in Newcastle Croft vets and one in Cheshire Merefield vets

Hi Bordaquest,

Your IP country is showing up as US. Is that really true? If so, you've travelled a heck of a long way to go to Fit and Fertile :-)

Ha ha ha You know its not true

The Stud owner cannot have her for a couple of days, so I have no alternative but to drive.
Thanks for all the advice have applied for a fit n fertile testing kit. So fingers crossed for optimum result, this will be our first litter and have spent too long out of the show ring this year, itching to get back in.......providing we get a result and a very nice male to run on.

Lol. Not sure how the US is coming up Satincollie??  I'm well and truly in the UK. Good luck with everything Diddles. Let us know how it goes :)

Ok so the test arrived today and i called the vet, she wants £30 to take the blood. I called another vet local and they said that it is ilegal to draw blood and take it off the premises due to it being a bio hazard, but they would take the test kit off me and send it away for me. I asked if it would be sent special delivery tomorrow......er no.
useless!!!!
also i am sure if it was ilegal fit n fertile couldn't send the testing kits out
but hey no one said it was going to be easy.

if i could do it myself i would.......

they said that it is ilegal to draw blood and take it off the premises due to it being a bio hazard

Oh excellent :-D Trust you'll be giving those idiots a wide berth!!

Hhhm, wondering how my DNA samples have managed to be gotten off the vet premises, gone through the postal system and sent thousands of miles away!!

It's not illegal. Not sure if illegal to draw blood and take it off the premises major medical conditions are diagnosed either!! Nope, I'd steer clear of those vets. Can't help re progesterone testing, never done it never will ... with one of my girlies the number of tests required would lead me to be bankrupt :-O :-O

I realise it's a 4 hour drive for you (that's not actually that far!! But then I guess it's who you're guaging it against) ... could you go with your girl and stay somewhere more locally for a couple of nights to give you the chance for her to have two matings? Might work out cheaper in the long run.

Crazy crazy. You could try shaming them into charging you a lot less by telling them how many of your champdog pals have had blood drawn for DNA or progesterone tests for a LOT less than £30! Lol
The progesterone tests take the guesswork and stress out of wondering if you're mating at the right time. Heard so many tales lately of bitches ovulating early, so if they'd relied on just 'nature' they could've mis-timed things. Keep us posted :)

To be honest the cost of the blood draws and repeat tests would equal a stay in B+B.

I know my girl will need mating to near xmas to be staying out overnight, n hubby cannot get the time off work so deffo don't want to stay out on my own.

Expensive test it will be

Just a thought but can't you find someone with an experienced stud to test the water for you? Our boy knows exactly the best time for mating, never wrong. It's annoying in some ways as he refuses to mate unless he's 100% sure the bitch is ready but it ensures lovely sized litters. A couple of days before she is ready he starts weeing on her, gross I know but he's always right.

Sitting here with my girl in first stage of labour ATM, hoping for pups by dawn :o)

We have our own boy, who is not used for stud, he hasn't a clue and has never really show an interest in her when she is in season.
am going to take her today for a blood test at my vets and hope that we are not to early, she is now on day 8 or would you leave it til day 10?

Questions questions, decisions, decisions.....its all very mid boggling!!

I am currently paying £50 per test at my vets...I know and trust them and that is what they charge so for peace of mind thats what I will do. I am travelling to Holland so need to be certain.
We are on test 3 now....hopefully the last and am waiting todays result. However if need be will test again if I have to.
Breeding can be an expensive hobby..such is life. I breed for other reasons than money so just eccept the little extras like the vets making thier wages...As long as my girl is comfortable and not stressed then I will not shop around but take her where she is used to going.
Aileen

My vets have always allowed me to take the blood sample direct to Idexx as I'm nearby.

Day 8 definitely :)

My fauth in vets has been truly restored.
I took her this morning and we where in there less than 5 minutes.
The charge....zero.
My vet said she has a fab temperament loves her to bits and she deemed it unfair
To charge me. So just to let her know how we get on.

Wow

Sent sample off special delivery so should have
The results tomorrow.

It is very likely (well practically certain) that you will need at least oen more test, as the first is to get a baselien of not ovulating.  If your unlucky you may need several tests on alternate days until she goves past ovulation levels.  If she is like one of mine that doesn't ovulate until day 17!

Day 8? Good grief, you've not met my girly :-O ... Think day 26+ :-O :-O

That's brilliant of your vet. Must be feeling charitable with it being Christmas :)
The lab will guide you what to do next depending on what the first reading is. A friend of mine had her first test on Monday and it was only 0.5 so they said retest Thursday. Oooo I'm excited for you :)

yep test results are 0.6 advised to send 2nd test Tuesday to gauge her rate and then give me a more definitive answer.
Keith at Fit n Fertile did say that an average bitch doubles every 48 hours so a long term prediction would be start ovulation Friday, if we did not want to re test, but with my vet feeling charitable i might just see if i can push my luck and get another sample on Tuesday.
will let you all know how we get on.
Need a bit of good news in our world as recently a breeder lost a bitch and 10 pups and another started to re absorb a week before whelping and had to have a c section to remove the decaying fetus'.....It probably should have put me off, but hopefully we will have better news this time and we have spent too much time out of the ring this year, itching to get back in....

:(

well nothing in breeding is ever simple.....2nd test has come back as 0.7 so she is very slow, another test to be done on thursday........xmas day here we come lol!!

Well we have had 3 tests now, and have now been told she will start ovulation xmas eve and optimum day for mating is 27th and 28th, she will be on day 22 and 23.....wow, glad i decided to go with the blood test as if i had used her signals as a sign she would have been at the stud yesterday, and that would ave been a complete waste of time.

better news is my hubby is off xmas week and can do the driving to anglesey yay,,

That seems a very long prediction for mating 6/7 days from now, I thought the whole idea of doing bloods was to find out when she has ovulated and go to the stud 48hrs later, she could have a surge and ovulate over the weekend.

What was the result of the 3rd test

Third test was 1.3  so on average she is doubling
Every 48 hours. I have also bought some ovulation pads
I know some people have had good results and some not so good
Thought they might be an indicator to use in conjunction with
The testing we have had done.
Keith at fit n fertile did say that he has discovered that since
The clocks changed and he had been seeing bitches ovulating at a slower pace
Than in the summer time.
As this will be our first litter trying every oportunity to get it right.

I have used ovulation pads in the past with success,it was them that told me my girl that kept missing was ovulating very early and did get her pregnant at the 5th attempt.

Snip a tiny bit off each corner with nail clippers to make them less sharp especially if you have a small breed, any change in colour is positive for ovulation, it doesn't have to be the whole pad, some bitches have more vaginal secretions than others.

I recently had my bitch blood tested and she shot up suddenly on the last couple of days, she looked to be doing the average doubling every other day and then shot up so I would be careful about being too blase about guessing the mating day without confirmation of ovulation.  I know its probably a bit late now to get another blood test done though what with the Christmas holidays?

Out of interest I ran the ovulation pads alongside the Idexx testing, had never used them before and had heard many negative stories about them.  I filed the corners because they were very sharp and did them twice daily.  I then went to 3 times daily when I thought we were getting close and lo and behold they changed from pink to a very obvious dark purple.  I didn't expect them to work if I'm honest.  With my girl they only stayed purple for less than 24 hours so I would suggest you test 3 times daily or you may miss it.  This change of colour happened on the day the Idexx tests confirmed ovulation.  I don't know yet if my girl is in whelp (she has missed a couple of times before so I don't hold out much hope), but I can say that the pads did change colour and did tally with the blood results.  If that is all you have to go on over the next few days I would recommend you do them 3 times daily.

Good luck, hope it all works out for you.

thanks zajak,

i have done the pads this morning and there are definitely no changes in the colour, will do them again later.
the trouble is with my bitch she stands ruffling her back and trying to hump my other bitch from about day 12, i am glad i bought the pads then as fit n fertile have now asked for a blood test thursday to see if a fertile mating took place. If the pads do work it will be interesting to see if they tally up with what keith has said. Will keep you posted.

Hi diddles, just wondered how things went over Christmas with the matings?

We did the matings on 27th december, so fingers crossed we get some news in about 4 weeks.

I have been using the ovulation pads everyday, and none of them have changed colour at all. I perhaps are not using them right, and just out of curiosity have done them since the mating and still nothing.
She is on day 25 today and they are still showing pink.
heres hoping :)

I would get another blood test done she may not have ovulated at all

Did you only do the one mating?

Yes I would agree get another progesterone test done then you will know either way

Okay we had 2 very good matings but on the 1 day.

we are 21 days now and we are going to have her scanned next week.

I have not noticed anything different with her except she is still keeping her tail to the side and she is licking herself a lot. There has been no discharge other than a white goo after about 11 days, this was found to be nothing untoward. She has not gone off her food but is very loving and is sleeping a lot.

I am not certain she has taken even with the blood testing, but only a scan will tell.

I am keeping my fingers crossed

For best results matings should be 48hrs apart as the sperm lives for several days and 2 matings on one day will not improve the chances as the sperm count won't have had time to build up again.

I know we should have done 2 but sadly it was xmas week and her best days where wed thurs fri.
We went on the thursday and the only other day we could do was saturday and she would have been past the time.
If its meant to be it will.

If your timing was spot on then only one mating should still be sufficient, depends on how carefully you blood tested and were able to pinpoint ovulation.  My girl had the white discharge around day 17 and she has been confirmed in whelp, expecting a minimum of 6 puppies.  I was convinced she wasn't in whelp as she hadn't gone tired or quiet, no sickness and she had missed a couple of times previously so was preparing myself for the same.  Good luck, I know how disappointing it is if they miss but fingers crossed your girl will be just fine.

Sadly even with blood testing dee has missed again.

we had her scanned on saturday and her womb is as dusty as mine....

will give her another try when next in season, with the same stud, if she misses again I will have to assume that there is a problem.

Sorry to hear that but don't give up. Same thing happened to my champion bitch and next time we used a different dog and she took. She has also had another litter since then to another dog. Might just be a case of two just not connecting.

14.12.12 = 0.6
18.12.12 = 0.7
20.12.12 = 1.3

Chances are she had not ovulated when you mated her on 27.12.12 .You really should have re tested her again prior to mating

Yep you really do need to keep testing until it goes over 5, as some bitches can plateau, and not progress as fast as would be expected.

unfortunately fit n fertile where not available to retest that week as the post offices where shut due to xmas, and us living no where near preston to take them in myself.

keith did give me a predicted date, which as he is the expert we took his advice.

this is the second time we have mated her and 2 different studs so we could be looking at a problem with her.

like I said we will do it all again next time, she is such a good example of the breed and has done so well in the show ring it would be a shame to not
have a pup from her, plus others in the show fraternity have expressed an interest as well.