I recently returned from a trip to South Dakota to breed my three year old Lab for the first time. Due to the length of travel and the fact it was her first breeding I had a series of progesterone tests run to help insure our timing was good. However, with a day delay in getting the test results and two days of travel I feel like I was cutting it pretty close. The resources I've read suggest I should be good, but in retrospect I wish I'd been there a day or two earlier.
Below are the progesterone test results. All of the blood draws and breeding were done in the afternoon. The first four tests were run by AnTech. The final test was done by the local hospital in Aberdeen. BTW, they got me the results in under three hours! I'm going to see if I can find a local hospital to do the same for me here. I would appreciate the opinions of those of you with experience in the timing of canine breeding.
Day 5: 0.4 ng/mL
Day 8: 0.6 ng/mL
Day 10: 1.1 ng/mL
Day 12: 3.7 ng/mL
Day 15: 18.8 ng/ml
Day 15: 1st Mating
Day 16: 2nd Mating
Day 18: Cloudy Bloody vaginal discharge. Sloughing Cornified Epithelial Cells? Beginning of Diestrus?
Here is my take based on my own research. Please let me know if this sounds correct or if you see any flaws in my reasoning.
The LH surge probably occurred on Day 11.
Ovulation on was likely no earlier than late Day 12 and into Day 13.
Ova matured no earlier than Day 14 and into Day 15.
Ova should not have begun to deteriorate before Day 16.
Factoring in the 7 hours it takes for sperm cells to capacitate they would have been ready to fertilize ova by midnight on the beginning of Day 16.
Nothing else I can do for several weeks while I wait but worry! What do you think? Was I Too Late? Just in Time? Nothing to worry about?
Thanks for your opinions!
Swack
Below are the progesterone test results. All of the blood draws and breeding were done in the afternoon. The first four tests were run by AnTech. The final test was done by the local hospital in Aberdeen. BTW, they got me the results in under three hours! I'm going to see if I can find a local hospital to do the same for me here. I would appreciate the opinions of those of you with experience in the timing of canine breeding.
Day 5: 0.4 ng/mL
Day 8: 0.6 ng/mL
Day 10: 1.1 ng/mL
Day 12: 3.7 ng/mL
Day 15: 18.8 ng/ml
Day 15: 1st Mating
Day 16: 2nd Mating
Day 18: Cloudy Bloody vaginal discharge. Sloughing Cornified Epithelial Cells? Beginning of Diestrus?
Here is my take based on my own research. Please let me know if this sounds correct or if you see any flaws in my reasoning.
The LH surge probably occurred on Day 11.
Ovulation on was likely no earlier than late Day 12 and into Day 13.
Ova matured no earlier than Day 14 and into Day 15.
Ova should not have begun to deteriorate before Day 16.
Factoring in the 7 hours it takes for sperm cells to capacitate they would have been ready to fertilize ova by midnight on the beginning of Day 16.
Nothing else I can do for several weeks while I wait but worry! What do you think? Was I Too Late? Just in Time? Nothing to worry about?
Thanks for your opinions!
Swack
