The use of Sonography for the prediction of pregnancy status in a few canine cases

Abstract

Records of twelve dogs presented either for pregnancy confirmation or other obstetrical complaints at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State between July, 2008 and June, 2010 were reviewed. Abdominal ultrasounds were performed in all the dogs in right lateral recumbency using a portable ultrasound machine (Kaixin KX 2000R, Xuzhou, China). In this study, the mean age of the dogs was 2.6 ± 0.85 years (age range = 1.5-4 years).The dogs comprised of Alsatian (6), Alsatian crosses (2), Rottweiler (2) Labrador cross (2), Boerboel (3) and local dogs (2). Gestational sac was observed in 2 (16.7%) dogs, foetal sac in 6 (50%) dogs, foetal skeletal structure in 2 (16.7%) dogs and foetal heart beat in 4 (33.3%) dogs. In four dogs, no sonographic changes were observed and were thus diagnosed as non-pregnant. The mean gestational length (based on the predicted gestational age and the time difference between presentation and parturition) of the dogs was 8.5 ± 0.44 weeks (range = 8-9 weeks). All the dogs that were predicted pregnant eventually delivered with a prediction accuracy of hundred percent. It was therefore concluded that detection of foetal and extra-foetal structures by ultrasonographic examination provides a safe and reliable method of confirming canine pregnancy and predicting gestational age.

Trop. Vet. Vol. 29 (4) 1-9 (2011)