Someone i know through the dogs is having trouble with their bitch, this will be her last try as next time she will be getting too old for her first litter. She came into season last year and never seemed to peak and be 'ready' didnt stand for the dog but colour changed, she didnt seem to soften up and no mating. This time i suggested they got her ovulation tested, she went day 9 and vets took some blood and tested it, not used this myself but the colour is on a blue chart and dark blue not ovulating white ovulating. Day 9 dark blue on the 0-2 scale not ovulating this was last tuesday, so the dogs were introduced fri but she was only flagging a little and not soft, dog wasnt too interested. They took her again today and she is exactly the same and this is now day 15.

Any suggestions or similar experiences

I have had a bitch wait til day 28/29. Progesterone testing is fantastic. Send a blood sample to larry at indexx and he will tell you exactly when she will be ready :)

>Any suggestions or similar experiences

Definitely similar experience!

I have a girl that I really wanted a show pup from.  Her seasons were extremely intermittent, and very short when they did happen.  Hardly any loss whatsoever, and no sooner had she swollen, than she was back to looking like a maiden in rapid time.

Reaching the age that I knew it would be my last time for trying, I mentioned to my vet that she hardly swelled, and didn't last long.  Instead of advising me to try testing from day 10, he said let me know IMMEDIATELY that you see any swelling.  Found her really swollen one night, and took her in the following day.  Tested daily until she ovualted on day 4.  I would never have thought of progestorone testing that early!!

Is the test idexx not similar to the inhouse testing at the vets?

Progesterone testing is the better way to go if it is that important. One of my bitches has been mated on her 18th day to produce a litter. I have also heard of a bitch that kept missing and as it was her last chance of a litter that the Vet decided to test from day 1. It turned out she had to be mated on day 2 and produced a litter.

> Is the test idexx not similar to the in-house testing at the vets?

The Idex test actually measures the levels of hormone.

The inhouse kits (e.g. Premate) give a colour reading which is compared to a chart, this is good enough for natural matings with a leeway of a  day or so either way but not as accurate.