Most "infertile" breeding dogs are reproductively normal: the bitch was bred on the wrong days, or nobody checked the male. Real disease does occur, from Brucella canis to uterine pathology and testicular degeneration, and the NAVLE expects you to work through the pair in a logical order rather than reach for hormones.
Key facts
Infertility at a glance- Species and system: dogs, both sexes; reproductive system.
- Definition: failure to produce a litter despite breeding. With a proven sire, a normally cycling bitch and sound management, a litter is expected within one or two cycles.
- Most common cause: poor breeding timing, not disease.
- Must-not-miss infection: Brucella canis, which causes late abortion, early embryonic loss, epididymitis and orchitis. It is zoonotic, has no reliable cure, and is reportable in many US states (not nationally).
- Key tests: serial serum progesterone with vaginal cytology in the bitch; B. canis serology in both dogs; semen evaluation in the male.
- Classic presentation: a healthy bitch with regular cycles bred on fixed days (for example days 10 and 12 of heat) that keeps "missing".
What's inside
13 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Normal reproductive physiology
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention, control and public health
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 7 tables, 2 figures, 3 self-test questions and 14 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.