Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

456 •DOG OWNER’S HOME VETERINARY HANDBOOK
Terminating pregnancy with prostaglandin PGF 2a (Lutalyse), although
associated with significant complications including rupture of the uterus and
gastrointestinal and respiratory distress, may be the best medical alternative
currently available for inducing abortion. There are early and late treatment
protocols. The late protocol, with which there has been the most experience,
uses ultrasonography or abdominal palpation to diagnose pregnancy at 30 to
35 days after breeding. If the bitch is found to be pregnant, she is hospitalized
and given Lutalyse injections daily for four to seven days.
Lutalyse causes the corpora lutea in the ovaries to disappear. The corpora
lutea manufacture the progesterone that maintains the pregnancy. Although
treatment is successful in the majority of cases, it is important to verify that
pregnancy has indeed been terminated by obtaining a follow-up ultrasound
and serum progesterone level. And the possible side effects (mentioned above)
can be serious.
Early pregnancy termination using Lutalyse uses a similar protocol, but the
hormone is given 10 days after breeding, before pregnancy is actually confirmed.
The advantage of early treatment is that no dead puppies are aborted.
The disadvantage is that some nonpregnant bitches may be subjected to
unnecessary treatment.
Several other drugs are available for inducing abortion in bitches. The drug
RU-486 is under investigation and may prove to be an effective and relatively
safe drug for inducing abortion in the first half of pregnancy. Currently, it is not
approved in the United States for use in dogs. A related drug, aglepristone,
is being studied in Europe for use as an abortifacient in dogs. Dexamethasone
(a cortisone preparation) terminates pregnancy in midgestation, but specific
protocols have not yet been established.
The inconvenience of a pregnancy must be weighed against the potential
risks and complications associated with terminating the pregnancy. Discuss all
these options fully with your veterinarian before making a decision.
Preventing Pregnancy
OVARIOHYSTERECTOMY (SPAYING)
The best way to prevent conception in a female dog is to spay her. In this operation,
called an ovariohysterectomy, the entire uterus, including the body, horns, and
uterine tubes, is removed, along with the ovaries. The operation is done
through the abdomen. Spaying prevents the bitch from coming into season and
eliminates the problems of cystic ovaries, false pregnancies, pyometra, uterine
cancer, irregular heat cycles, and the need to keep her confined during estrus.
Spaying before the first heat reduces the frequency of mammary tumors by
more than 90 percent. Finally, with a spayed female there is no inconvenient
heat to go through twice a year.