Page 1012 - Small Animal Internal Medicine, 6th Edition

984 PART VIII Reproductive System Disorders

INFERTILITY/SUBFERTILITY IN THE BITCH (if any), method of ovulation timing used in the past (if any),
AND QUEEN results of ovulation timing and dates of breeding/insemination
VetBooks.ir Infertility of the bitch or queen refers to the inability to con- based on those results, methods of breeding/insemination,
previous pregnancy (if any), method of pregnancy diagnosis
ceive and produce viable offspring; subfertility refers to small
of prior litters, litter size, and the reproductive history of the
litter size. With the exception of developmental abnormali- or exclusion, date of any pregnancy loss (if known), number
ties (see Chapter 56), the majority of bitches brought to a bitch or queen’s dam and female siblings. Unless adequate
veterinarian for reproductive evaluation for infertility are breeding management with a proven currently fertile male,
actually healthy and fertile. Perceived infertility in the bitch good husbandry, and a documented failure to conceive can
is most commonly due to inappropriate breeding manage- be shown, the female should then be managed and moni-
ment, poor husbandry, or stud dog problems rather than tored (including ovulation timing) through her next cycle
inability of the bitch to conceive. Queens presented for infer- before infertility is diagnosed. A sire producing normal litter
tility are more likely to actually be infertile; appropriate hus- size for the breed should be used. If failure to conceive per-
bandry and good breeding management have usually taken sists despite correction of identified problems with hus-
place using a fertile male. A complete history should be bandry and the male, and incorporation of ovulation timing,
obtained so that problem areas with breeding management then acquired infertility in the bitch and queen usually
or husbandry can be identified and corrected (Box 55.1). implicates endometrial pathology rather than pituitary-
Recent fertility of the male(s) used should be verified (litters gonadal or ovarian disorders.
produced within the last 4 months, not just semen evalua-
tion). The bitch’s breeding and general health history includ-
ing her environment, other animals, housing arrangements, MICROBIOLOGY AND FEMALE FERTILITY
routine prophylactic therapy (vaccinations, heartworm pre-
vention, deworming regimen), current medications, all sup- Breeders commonly express concern that infertility or sub-
plements, diet, and any travel history should be obtained. Of fertility is related to vaginal and uterine flora, requesting
particular interest are age, date(s) of onset of previous cycles pre-breeding vaginal cultures and antimicrobial therapy
based on the results. Stud dog owners specifically fear that a
bitch will expose their male to pathologic bacteria and
damage his fertility. It has been shown that normal flora is
BOX 55.1 exchanged during natural breedings, without any detriment
to either the bitch or the stud dog or to their fertility or
Female Fertility Evaluation History Form fecundity. The normal female reproductive tract harbors a
DOB variety of aerobic bacterial (including Mycoplasma) popula-
WEIGHT/BODY CONDITION tions in the vaginal vault and uterus (Box 55.2). Mixed
DIET (BRAND) vaginal cultures can be present in healthy fertile bitches;
HOUSING the most common isolates include Pasteurella multocida,
(K9)BRUCELLA TESTED? β-hemolytic streptococci, Escherichia coli, and Mycoplasma
(Feline) VIRAL TESTED? spp. The only bacterial species proven to be a specific cause
MEDICATIONS (LIST ALL) of infertility in the bitch is Brucella canis. Recent develop-
CURRENT ment of transcervical uterine cannulation has enabled intra-
HISTORICAL (WHEN) uterine cultures and biopsies to be collected noninvasively
SUPPLEMENTS (LIST ANY) and can provide more accurate evaluation of actual infec-
PREVIOUS BREEDING(S)
DATE tious problems in the uterus than cranial vaginal cultures
OUTCOME? acquired with guarded swabs; however, problems with inter-
LITTER SIZE pretation persist. During normal canine estrus, bacteria
SURVIVAL TO WEANING? ascend the reproductive tract and are present within the
MOST RECENT BREEDING uterus, subsequently regressing spontaneously. Vaginal and
DATE(S) intrauterine cultures must both be interpreted with caution
METHOD(S) because many bacterial populations represent normal bacte-
OVULATION TIMING? (ATTACH RESULTS) rial flora and do not indicate disease or explain infertility.
PROVEN STUD? Indiscriminant use of antibiotics before and during preg-
DATE OF MOST RECENT LITTER nancy is counterproductive and associated with develop-
SEMEN EVALUATION IF NOT PROVEN? ment of resistant organisms; it is not contributory to
(K9) BRUCELLA TESTED?
(Feline) VIRAL TESTED? improved fertility or fecundity. It is unjustified to treat all
METHOD OF PREGNANCY EVALUATION? positive vaginal cultures with antimicrobials or to assume
KNOWN FERTILITY OF YOUR DAM? that all positive vaginal or uterine bacterial cultures are asso-
SIBLINGS? ciated with infertility. As a general rule, growth of bacteria
from the vagina or uterus in conjunction with clinical signs