Hi,

Would 20 days into pregnancy be too early to detect relaxin?

Thanks

Looking up about testing for relaxin seems advice is it can be done from 22-27 days but if a negative result before 27 days it should be repeated a week later, and sometimes a third test 34+ days later could be needed.

The info sheet of a test kit advises from day 24 from ovulation for detecting pregnancy and from days 26 from ovulation for reliably confirming not pregnant.

But like scanning it only confirms pregnancy at that time, and if only one or two pups the level may to to low to make a positive test result.

I looked at it with I was considering breeding but I decided a scan with a good scanner would be less stress for my girl than having bloods drawn.

It's not very reliable as a test.  The only reliable and reputable method is ultrasound - but as recent posts here will show, scanning and finding a bitch is pregnant, doesn't mean she will carry a litter to term.

What's wrong with some patience?!  I don't get all this scanning.... I think it is a carry over from human pregnancies.  The thing is - the reason we scan so much with human pregnancies is because we can and will intervene if anything isn't developing as it should be - there is loads which can and will be done in that case.  With dogs, being animals, there is much fewer options available should anything non-ideal be seen, so there's not really a need to be doing all this scanning IMO!

> What's wrong with some patience?!  I don't get all this scanning

I chose to scan, while yes it only confirms pregnancy at that time she could lose them after if I knew she is at least pregnant at that time I know to defernatly book time off work, increase her food when needed and move furniture around. if she was scanned empty I knew I didn't need to do any of that. With my girl if I hadn't of had her scanned I'd not have known she was carrying one large pup.
So for me the quick trip and few minutes on a table is worth it.

Alas, I've heard so many times now of dogs scanned empty then delivering pups (even worse, singletons, which owners weren't expecting, so weren't monitoring when labour was due) and dogs scanned with pups, then not delivering any because they were resorbed between scanning and delivery...

> Alas, I've heard so many times now of dogs scanned empty then delivering pups

Yes me too, but my scanner seems quite good at not missing any, of the 10 or so litters I know scanned by her she was bang on with numbers or not pregnant. A friend used our vet once as we had lost her number and he scanned as empty then later on they were looking at her thinking I'm sure she is. Found out the scanners number and bitch was pregnant with 5!

I don't scan, if they're pregnant and carry them full term it becomes obvious

With all this scanning (which I have never done) I suppose these days more people work so NEED to know whether their bitch is in whelp, or not.  BUT if I did scan, knowing a scan only confirms, or not, a pregnancy at the time of the scan, I think I'd still be hoping even if no puppies were seen!!   And as I did, if needed, have my vet x-ray a couple of days after the estimated due date, if nothing had happened.  And that would usually only be done if a couple of shots didn't kick off labour if my vet felt a litter there.

"What's wrong with some patience?!"    ..... is how I saw this but then, I wasn't working when we were doing our litters.

>And that would usually only be done if a couple of shots didn't kick off labour if my vet felt a litter there.

I'm cutious; shots of what? You can't give oxytocin until the cervix is fully dilated (usually proven by the passing of at least one whelp) without serious risk of uterine rupture, and I can't think of anything else that might be given.

> I'm cutious; shots of what?

Yes to Oxytocin and Yes, only if the cervix was fully dilated.    Mine often went to secondary inertia

>that would usually only be done if a couple of shots didn't kick off labour if my vet felt a litter there.

But labour would already have started if it were secondary inertia, so the shots wouldn't be kicking it off...

> But labour would already have started if it were secondary inertia, so the shots wouldn't be kicking it off...

  Are we not engaging in semantics.    Perhaps I should have written 'kicked it off ... AGAIN -  after she'd started, but not progressed = SECONDARY INERTIA.    Dear me.

Please don't keep jumping on me.   I'm only trying my best to 'contribute'.   Perhaps it would be better to just GO and let you lot get on with it

It only matters MamaBas because sadly many people (even some vets!) think you can give oxytocin shots at any time and before the cervix is dilated.  So I think it's worth pointing out that's not possible.  There's nothing really to kickstart canine labour - unlike human labour, where we can induce medically...

> So I think it's worth pointing out that's not possible.

Point taken but it IS 'possible'.    It's just dangerous stuff in the wrong hands and if given at the wrong time.   With one of mine, out in Canada with what was primarily a large animal practice (which I'd only used for the first time after we'd just moved into that town), after taking her in to be checked,  I was given two batches to give my bitch once back home (not together ).   I gave her one, but as she still didn't progress, and I hated doing it myself, I took her straight back and they did a C.Section.