Plasma progesterone and vaginal bacterial flora at different stages of estrous cycle in breeding bitches

Abstract EN

This study determined plasma progesterone and vaginal bacterial flora, using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and bacterial culture and isolation respectively in 41 exotic breeding bitches at different stages of estrous cycle.

Proestrual, estrual, diestrual and anestrual bitches had mean progesterone of 0.92 ± 1.05 ng/ml, 14 ± 17.1ng/ml, 35.7 ± 12.6ng/ml and 0.5 ± 0.4ng/ml respectively.

There was a significant difference (P<0.05) in the plasma progesterone of bitches at different phases of their reproductive cycle.

A total of seventy two bacterial organisms comprising of five genera were isolated.

The common bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus spp.

(40%), Streptococcus spp.

(25%), Bacillus spp.

(21%), Escherichia coli (8%) and Proteus spp.

(6%).

Bacteria were isolated from 12.2%, 17.1%, 48.8% and 22% of bitches during proestrus, oestrus, diestrus and anestrus phases respectively.

This could serve as base line data for further investigation on the role of these bacteria in infertility in these dogs.