My bitch has just come into season.  Had BHS infection last time in season and therefore missed.  This time have been advised to use ampicillian one week before and three weeks after.  Other people says to use Synylox for one course, and then another at three weeks in whelp and at six weeks also, plus a course at day 59 as this is meant to be better.  Any advice would be welcome as she is due to be mated next week.

hi i dont meen to cause offence as i rearly aint a clue wat the infection is but if it was me and everytime my bitch came into season she got the infection,i personnally wouldnt breed from her! expecially because she missed because of the infection last time,but thats just my opinion as i dont now how serious the infection is or if it can be passed on to the pups!  wat is the infection called and can it affect any unborn/newborn pups? :) just courious thats all!
sarah x

I would rather have her swabbed at the beginning of the season, if an infection is present antibiotics can be used in time for the mating.  I'm not very comfortable with the idea of prophylactic antibiotics.

Mini-Meg Even in a normal healthy bitch the vag*na harbours a series of bacteria including staphylococci, streptococci, (including Beta - haemolytic streptococci (BHS) ), escherichia coli (E. Coli), proteus etc, the level of each bacteria being controlled by the others to sustain a regulated balance. The problem of fading puppies arises when one bacteria becomes more prominent, causing an imbalance between the various bacteria however slight it may be.

OP (forgot OP's name) The chances are, if BHS was at a high level, your bitch did not "miss" should would more likely have resorped. 

As Isabel has said, swab at begining of season and place on Synulux until 7 days after mating, then stop the AB's.  I have on occassion started AB's again at a couple of days before due whelping date for a max of 5 days to cover the whelping period.

I did swab the bitch last time, then put her on synulox for a seven day course, but this couldn't have been long enough.  Her breeder said the same, that she reckoned she did get pregnant but reabsored the litter.

Sorry Patricia, my post was badly worded.  I meant place on synulux at beginning of season when swabbing and keep her on it until 7 days after mating, hope that was clearer :)

Many thanks for that.  Will have her swabbed in the morning as it will only be day 2

hi,about 7year ago my champion bitch had same thing,a woman called elanor bothwell gave me lots of advice,along with my vet,sorry i dont have elanors phn number,she also wrote an article in a stafford magazine,il try and find it for you..
good luck hope all goes well....jayne.
ps ..i rem vet doing swab 1 season and she had bhs,gave antibiotics ect and i got a litter,next time i bred her i said to my vet should i swab her again....no just give antibiotics,not all vets greedy for money....saved me a swab....and got a litter.

But if he had swabbed and no infection found he would have saved you the cost of the antibiotics.  The cost of either is nothing within the cost of breeding a litter anyway, the real expense may be in the future if we continue to use antibiotics prophylactically.

Been to the Vets today for swab and recommends starting antibiotics from Saturday, which will be approximately one week before mating.  Which antibiotics did you use?  Jayneze would very grateful if you manage to find article on BHS. The bitch was swabbed a few weeks ago, and e-coli was found to be present, but was told that this can be quite normal.  She was also scanned just to ensure that the uterus was normal, which thankfully it was and know that she ovulates all right as I do the premate tests, that are sent to the laboratory by myself.  Fingers crossed everything goes all right this time.

Can't see the point of going to the trouble and expense of taking a swab if he is going to prescribe anyway before there is a chance to culture the swab and get a report back as to whether antibiotics are necessary
The whole point of swabbing is not only to find out if the flora contains an imbalance or unwelcome bacteria, the path lab will also determine which antibiotic they are sensitive to thereby cutting out that random aspect too.

He wants to start the course of antibiotics because of her history, but when the result comes through which change them if necessary.