• Female dog cycle
    • pro oestrus
      • very attractive to male dogs, but bitch will flirt but won’t stand for male
      • swollen vulva
      • blood stained vulval discharge
      • lasts 9 days on average – range 3-21 days
      • hormones – oestrogen increasing
    • oestrus
      • fertile
      • will stand with males
      • swollen vulva
      • blood stained vulval discharge stopped
      • lasts 9 days on average – range 3-21 days
      • hormones – oestrogen peaks, ovulation occurs then oestrogen drops quickly, progesterone production starts and increases
    • metoestrous
      • enlargement  of the mammary glands
      • no other signs unless phantom pregnancy
      • typically lasts 60 days – range 45-90 days
      • hormones – progesterone peaks approx 20 days after ovulation then starts to fall, prolactin begins to increase rapidly and peaks at 40-60 days after ovulation then declines if no pregnancy
    • anoestrus
      • no signs
      • typically 120 days – range 60-200 days
      • hormones – at basal levels
    • come into season every 7 months – range 4-24 months
    • ovulation – 48-96 hours after onset of oestrus
    • age at first season – 6-12 months – range 4-24 months, first season can be long and split
    • Bassenjis – one season a year
    • hormones
      • oestrogen – hormone of seasons
      • progesterone – hormone of pregnancy
      • prolactin – hormone of maternal behaviour and milk production
  • Phantom pregnancy
    • technically all bitches have a phantom pregnancy after season
    • physical and/or behavioural signs
      • physical
        • mammary enlargement
        • lactation
        • weight gain
        • anorexia
        • abdominal enlargement
        • vomiting
        • diarrhoea
        • polyuria – urinating a lot
        • polydisplasia – drinking a lot
        • polyphasia – eating a lot
      • behavioural
        • nesting
        • carrying/hoarding/mothering inanimate objects
        • digging/destructive
        • licking
        • aggression – RG
        • anxiety/agitation/increased reactivity
        • lethargy
    • occurs 6-12 weeks after oestrus – range 3-14 weeks
    • first phantom pregnancy makes future phantom pregnancies more likely
    • predisposed
      • afghans
      • boxers
      • dashund
      • Dalmatian
      • basset hounds
      • pointers
    • diagnosis
      • history and clinical signs
      • blood test (unreliable)
      • rule out pregnancy and pyometra
    • treatment
      • conservative
        • buster collar stop licking mammaries
        • take away faux puppies
        • restricting dietary intake
        • risks
          • loss of condition
          • mastitis
          • mammary tumors?
          • aggression
      • cabergoline
        • side effects
          • anorexia
          • vommitting
          • drowsiness
          • hypotension – low blood pressure
          • abortion (humans too)
    • prevention
      • spay – get rid of ovaries
        • convention practice  –
          • spay before first season
            • risk of mammary tumours – 1% – now proven incorrect – spay before 2.5 to reduce risk
            • risk of urinary incontinence within 3 years – spayed bitches twice as likely
          • or 3 months after end of season
            • risk of mammary tumours – 8% – now proven incorrect – spay before 2.5 to reduce risk
            • spay mid way between 2 seasons – phantom pregnancy can start as late as 14 week, so potential for spaying during phantom pregnancy – can cause lifelong complications if left untreated – we’ve removed the natural way of switching prolactin off