Modern Medicine and Maternity

By Pilar Kuhn

It is not uncommon to hear that breeders treat bitches with antibiotics prior to and for a short stint after breeding, no matter what the breed. Although there are a few different antibiotics that can effectively treat bacteria in the urinary tract, do you really need to use one on your bitch? If so, what kind of antibiotic should you use? And is that enough to insure a bitch will get pregnant and carry a litter to term? Not necessarily.

Our personal experience with our bitches and antibiotics has evolved over the last several years.  We had never treated our bitches prior to breeding even though several breeders suggested we use cephalexin.  After breedings on two different bitches failed, we re-thought the use of antibiotics.  We decided to treat them with cephalexin as a precautionary measure.  Our Scottie bitch got pregnant and put live puppies on the ground. Our Bouvier bitch absorbed her litter.  We finally decided to culture our Bouvier bitch and discovered that she was battling three different bacterial infections in her reproductive system.   Baytril and ampicillin fought all three infections, but we did not have enough time to clear her up completely before breeding.  She did get pregnant, but the puppies did not form normally and we had to do further treatments on her to prevent pyometra.  We succeeded, thankfully.

We learned two very valuable lessons about breeding through our trials and tribulations with our Bouvier. One – culturing prior to breeding will reveal any unknown bugs that could cause reproductive problems. Two – using the right antibiotic can help clear up an infected reproductive system.  Before we cultured and after the failed pregnancies, our regular vet mentioned an antibiotic called Primor – a sulphur-based dual antibiotic made up of sulfadimethoxine and ormetoprim. Together, these antibiotics block two sequential steps in bacterial folic acid synthesis. The net effect limits bacterial growth and kills bacteria as well.  As with all medications, some dogs may react adversely to this sulphur-based antibiotic, but in multiple cases, our vet has witnessed successful litters in hounds, terriers and herding dogs. Because of our own bitch’s infection history, we chose to treat her with Primor for seven days approximately one month prior to her fall cycle. She conceived and ultimately delivered three healthy puppies.

Knowing we aren’t alone in our use of antibiotics for justified reasons, I queried several breeders about which antibiotics they might use and why.  The majority of the responses claimed amoxicillin as the antibiotic of choice.  Other breeders chose Baytril, cephalexin, Clavamox, and doxycycline.

Amoxicillin is from the penicillin class and inhibits the growth of bacteria. Enrofloxacin (also known as Baytril) modifies the DNA of bacteria causing them to die off.  Cephalexin (also known as Keflex) is a cephalosporin and disrupts the synthesis of cell walls of bacteria causing them to die off. Clavamox is a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid that increases the effectiveness against amoxicillin-resistant bacteria.  Doxycycline is a tetracycline antibiotic that inhibits protein synthesis, disrupting the process of new bacteria growth.

But what if a bitch has no bacterial infection to fight yet still seems to have problems absorbing litters?  A colleague had a bitch that had absorbed two different litters and he opted to have a biopsy done on her uterus.  Cornell Veterinary School found that this bitch’s prolactin (PRL) receptors were not functioning properly. In the female dog, as well as in some rodent species, PRL is an essential luteotrophic hormone in the second half of pregnancy and is also involved in the display of maternal behavior. No antibiotic would solve this bitch’s reproductive challenge.  In this particular case, the breeder was told to use a drug called cabergoline.  Among several purposes for use in canine reproduction, cabergoline blocks prolactin inhibitors to allow for regulation of hormone secretion. Once they confirmed the bitch was pregnant, she had to go in every week for progesterone tests to monitor levels in case they dropped.  It was a stressful pregnancy for the breeder, but his bitch ultimately delivered healthy puppies.

A failed pregnancy when breeding dogs is extremely frustrating and puzzling. Modern day breeding tools and medical advances continue to help breeders succeed in the long run.  Should you medicate a bitch before breeding? Perhaps it’s best to culture first to find out if there are any infections and which antibiotic is best to treat the infection. And if your bitch is healthy, be thankful that medicine isn’t required, hope for a successful pregnancy, and healthy puppies.

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Posted by chesliepickett on Mar 12 2014. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.